Leadership Tips

As we approach the end of one year and the beginning of another, we reflect on what has gone well and anticipate what we plan on improving. As leaders, one skill that may not come immediately to mind and yet yields such extraordinary gains, especially when we invest in it strategically, is how we connect […]

We know results are driven by strategy, structure and execution. Even with the best of structure and strategy, execution is crucial. When I was an instructional coach at a Title 1 school, we implemented a new literacy program throughout our K-6 school. The goal was to increase student engagement with how words are formed, how […]

Our team had the privilege of participating in a PowerSchool webinar on continuous improvement, with Dr. Pat Greco and Corey Golla of the School District of Menomonee Falls. Greco spent the last seven years as superintendent of the district, with a passionate focus on transforming the system through continuous improvement. As the district’s new superintendent, […]

Slowing down and having everyone carry a piece of the load is the focus of leading change for the School District of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. In a recent article, Education Week paints an extraordinary picture of how Menomonee Falls stopped chasing new initiatives. Instead, they have built a culture where everyone focuses on how they can improve […]

Not everything we do has the same outcome.  We can only take so many steps in a day; we need to make sure they are all the right steps. – Heidi Taylor-Eliopoulos, Superintendent, Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District Never have the stakes been so high in education as they are today.  We need to […]

What makes a great executive team? Think about your own team. How do they perform? How do you help them grow to their maximum capacity? Did you inherit or build your own team? How have you helped them develop their talents so far? According to Harvard Business Review’s 10-year study (June 2017), a great executive […]

Level 5 Leadership Leadership is hard to define. We all have different ideas about what traits are needed for a high performing leader. How does a high performing leader consistently increase and sustain results? Jim Collins has defined the highest level of leadership as a Level 5 leader with an unexpected paradoxical mix of personal […]

Sharing a spirit of collaboration, focusing on continuous improvement, and connecting with the work are crucial actions for how Christian County School District, Kentucky leaders work together to achieve increased performance in all aspects of the organization.  Everything the executive team does is a collaborative effort, which is pretty amazing since none had worked together […]

Using Data to Inform Division, Department and Individual Action Plans   In celebrating and highlighting the great work in the Hopkins County Schools, Kentucky, we discover how digging deeper into their data has resulted in alignment and focus for the upcoming year. Superintendent DeDe Ashby takes an individual conferencing approach with her principals and directors […]

In creating a culture for educational excellence, Muskego-Norway school district has hardwired the processes that feed alignment, accountability and self-awareness.  They create continuous improvement by intentional exploration into the data to examine effective strategies.  Equally important, Muskego-Norway examines the root causes of ineffective strategies.  Speaking in tandem, Kelly Thompson, Superintendent, and Jeff Peterson, Assistant Superintendent […]