Excellence in Leadership

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Excellence in Leadership

• Fulton County Schools
• 2006-2007 Kick Off

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A few things before we get started

• I am intimidated
• I take this subject very seriously, but I am not
  an expert!
• I have a ton to cover do not freak out!!
• You have to do the heavy lifting
• What does this mean to me?
• How can I apply these ideas in my life?
• What can I do right away?

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What does it truly take to achieve excellence as
a leader, in your career, and in your life?
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Studying the lives of people who have achieved
excellence, I have consistently noted that they
have defined their vision, established their
goals, and irrespective of obstacles, committed
themselves to their achievement. The moment in
which they fixed an objective in their mind and
decided to concentrate all their energies on that
objective, they began to surmount the most
difficult odds.
- Sir Edmund Hillary
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The Formula for Excellence

• Decided specifically what it is that you really
  want to achieve.

• Determine exactly what it will take to achieve
  it. (5 Ws and H)

• Focus every bit of energy and effort to achieve
  it.

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THE THREE WATCHWORDS OF EXCELLENCE
FOCUS
DISCIPLINE
ACTION
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What must you focus on to become an excellent
leader in the Fulton County school system?

• Let me give you a few ideas

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What do successful leaders do
SET DIRECTION (Vision Goals - Future)
Demonstrate Personal Character (habits,
integrity, trust, analytical thinking)
Mobilize Commitment (engage others, share power)
Enhance Capability (build teams, manage change)
Leadership Attribute Framework
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5 Year Study of 100 Top Leaders

• Guiding Vision
• Passion
• Integrity
• Trust
• Curiosity
• Daring

Self-Aware
Bennis
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Framework for Professional Learning Communities

• Shared mission, vision and values
• Collective inquiry
• Collaborative teams
• Action orientation and experimentation
• Continuous improvement
• Results orientations

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Results-Based Leadership
Effective Leadership Attributes x Results
Action Programs Projects Goals Initiatives Strateg
ies
Skills Values Motives Competencies Behaviors Style
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Johns Top 10 of Leadership
Thousands of pages of research and
study Hundreds of books, CDs and
seminars Dozens of colleges and schools More
than 350 organizations worldwide

• In no particular order!

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Communication

• Clear, specific, easy to understand
• Asks fantastic questions
• Superb listener
• Subordinates, peers, managers and especially
  students parents
• C.C.C.C.T.

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Vision

• Future oriented big picture
• Vivid, compelling, exciting, inspiring
• Not a job a quest!
• Extremely well communicated across all areas of
  influence down, up, sideways, other
  departments, students, parents, other schools,
  the community

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Best People

• Connoisseur of Talent!
• Organizer of Genius
• Not afraid of people wildly more talented than
  themselves
• Play well together in the sand box
• 2nd rate managers
• This is a KEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Highly Self Aware

• They do NOT need to be right
• They know and admit their faults
• They ask for frank feedback
• They ask for help Level 5 Leaders
• They spend serious time on personal and
  leadership development

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Honest

• Tell the truth all the time
• Leadership Challenge
• Transparency
• Say the tough things
• Confront the difficult issues
• Stockdale Paradox
• Keep people informed

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Credibility

• DWYSYWD
• Walk the talk
• People judge you by your actions not your
  intentions
• What you are speaks so loudly, that I cannot hear
  what you say
• Build high levels of TRUST

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TRUST 4Cs
Consistently Communicate
TRUST
C o n c e r n
Affection
Dis-trust
Respect
Competence
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The mantra of excellent leaders

• I am good at what I do

and I do it because I care about you!
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Embrace Risk

• Actually great Risk Minimizers
• Ask for help
• Do not cut off the limb
• Reward spectacular failures punish mediocre
  success!

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HUGE Responsibility

• Look out the window / in the mirror
• Incredibly high levels of personal accountability
  
• They understand Impact and Influence
• Nothing is small
• 25/8/366

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VERY Serious Students

• of their organization
• of their profession
• of their people / students / peers / managers
• of effective life skills
• of their own life interactions
• and of themselves
• Subway / books

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Make Things Happen

• Leadership is actionnot position
• Culture of urgency / disciplined execution
• Results driven / without driving people into the
  ground
• Relentless but never ruthless
• Want to put a dent in the universe
• Dont try to look like they are busy they
  simply get things done

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Personal Philosophy of Leadership

• Extremely well thought out
• Values driven
• Fully integrated
• Well communicated
• Lived in all aspects of their life
• 100 accountable

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Top 10 Leadership Summary

• Personal Philosophy of Leadership
• Communication
• Vision
• Best People
• Self Aware
• Honest
• Credible
• Risk Minimizer
• Accountable
• Serious Student
• Action Oriented

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To be an excellent leader of others, you must
first become an excellent leader of
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• Many people believe that just because you have a
  life that you should know how to live.

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• A successful life does not result from chance,
  fate, or good luck, but from a succession of
  successful days lived in pursuit of a clear,
  vivid and compelling Worthy Purpose

Hope is NOT a strategy!
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• 33

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Dr. K

• People do what seems
• easy and convenient
• not what is best for them.

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Brand new Harvard study of 5,000 high achievers
some of the most successful people in America

• Achievement
• Happiness
• Significance
• Legacy

• Self
• Family
• Work
• Community

How do you pursue all of these items, and keep
them all in balance?
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NO
Decisions Intended Outcome / Number of Options
NO
D IO
NO
NO
Op
NO
NO
YES!!!!
NO
NO
NO
NO
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The 3 Keys to Career Success

• K
• N
• L

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Knowledge

• What do I know
• What are my skills, abilities, talents?
• My unique information or experience?
• That is valuable in the marketplace!

Love is the killer App Tim Sanders
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Network

• Who do I know
• In the specific market I need to network in
• That is well connected and respected!
• A broad web of mentors, peers, teachers

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Love

• What are my personal and professional values?
• Am I a person of honesty and integrity?
• Am I a living example of my leadership values?
• Do I LOVE what I am doing? (The P word)

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The three questions for career success

• What did I learn today?
• Who did I meet today?
• Did I live a life of love today?

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The most important slide of the day
You become what you focus on and like the
people you spend time with.
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Information
Family Friends School Church Society
Advertising Work
Assumptions
Attitudes
Reactions
Other People Friends Society
Rules Beliefs Mental Maps
Actions
Behaviors / Focus / Attention
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Information People

• Curious
• Lifelong Learning
• Books / Tapes / CDs
• Newspapers / Magazines
• Seminars / Lectures
• Classes / CEUs
• Introspection
• Advice / coaching / mentors
• Life Career Planning

• Shared values
• Honest
• Focused
• Smart
• Dedicated
• Balanced
• Self Aware
• High achiever
• FUN

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The road to happiness lies in two simple
principles find what it is that interests you
and that you can do well, and when you find it
put your whole soul into it every bit of energy
and ambition and natural ability you have.
John D.
Rockefeller III
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Summary

• A great life does not happen by chance you must
  have a plan.
• You must define what career success truly means
  to you.
• Decide what you really want in your career,
  figure out everything you must do to make that
  actually happen, then get up every day and do
  what it takes to make that a reality.
• Knowledge -- Network -- Love
• You become what you focus on and like the people
  you spend time with.
• Dedicate yourself to lifelong learning
• Choose what is best for you, not what is
  convenient and easy.
• Focus / Discipline / Action Balance
  Excellence Happiness

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• The greater danger for most of us is not that
  our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it
  is too low and we reach it.
• Michelangelo

Thank You
Questions / Comments / Concerns????
These slides are already posted at
www.johnspence.com
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Excellence in Leadership

• Fulton County Schools
• 2006-2007 Kick Off