You don't need to be an expert...

Have you heard leaders say "I never ask others to do something that I wouldn't do myself"? This presumes they are the font of all knowledge. Good leaders realise that they do not know it all, cannot do it all, and should not do it all. Great leaders realise that they need to delegate and build capacity in others. Here is an example. The video below illustrates how teachers can help students by developing their own skills in the use of web 2.0 tools. They don't need to be experts!

JustOneThing

Great leaders realise that they need to continue to develop their own skills, seeking feedback and feeling a little uncomfortable sometimes. They seek to understand their colleagues through developing strong relationships and realise that all are leaders in their own areas of knowledge and skills. There is a greater chance of developing expertise in others when a leader knows when to control, coach, partner or consult. As a keen advocate of the Four Quadrant Leadership programme, developed by Wilf Jarvis, I have pondered on this whole issue of leading others over many years. Great leaders know how to delegate and do so on purpose. Using the video as an example, consider these questions to help determine whether to delegate:

How well can they manage the task (job efficiency)?
In the case of students with web 2.0 tools many would be able to manage the technologies better than many teachers (the 'leaders' in this scenario).

What is their level of energy to complete the task? Are they highly motivated? Ambivalent? Defensive?
In using web 2.0 tools many students would be motivated.

So if those you lead are highly capable of doing the task and are highly motivated to do so - don't stand in their way. Be there - but let them be! If they need skill development then help them develop the skills. In doing so look to others - of all ages - to build capacity. Great leaders knowingly develop the efficiency of others, they do not seize control or pretend they are the expert in all things.

Portfolio Careers

In the last week I have had the opportunity to work with some wonderful educational leaders, to listen to some experienced speakers, to read words of wisdom from some of the worlds greatest leaders, and to interview prospective applicants for a CEO position. My life is diverse and full on - I have a portfolio of interests and jobs and it is simply splendid.

I reflected on this as I read the latest Leader to Leader newsletter, where Charles Handy talked about his life, and questioned of "the viability and the desirability of the lifetime contracts then offered by most large corporations and, ultimately, to my advocacy of what I was to call portfolio or spliced careers." In the future many will be mixing and matching aspects of their lives, weaving in and out of opportunities; considering profit with social justice; and balancing business with recreation.

Amongst other competencies, a portfolio career requires flexibility in thinking, and the ability to take risks. What a shame that teaching professions around the world are often so risk averse. In New Zealand the latest move is to give teachers more 'units', payments to encourage them to stay in teaching and provide a career path. Will this preserve status quo thinking? What about the opportunity for teachers to have portfolio careers? Do all those who work with students need to be teachers? How can we reward teachers to take risks and think outside the square? What about the opportunity for teachers to be self employed, contracting their skills to schools? What about the opportunity for principals to job share - for this to be easy rather than virtually impossible? Let's start thinking creatively.

Portfolio careers are on the rise. As one who has such a career all I can say is...I'm loving it.

Diversity

Yes - diversity is a buzz word right now. But it is also of major significance as we move forward to become global leader. In his blog, Jim Kouzes talks about global leadership in terms of thinking beyond your culture and being open to many ways of doing things. "In brief, it's getting out of yourself!"

Recently, I had the opportunity to travel overseas for three months. That time certainly helped me reflect on my role as a global citizen and to think widely, see others' viewpoints and reflect before acting. A friend of mine talks about considering all the possibilities before even beginning to narrow down ideas. This is not only about understanding other people's viewpoints but actively visualising diverse stakeholders as real people - giving them a name and an avatar and getting into their way of thinking.

Not everyone is able to travel but there are other ways of getting out of yourself. One way is to spend time in your own town or city, observing what is around you. Take time to meet people from all walks of life...talk to taxi drivers....try some different activities...act as a tourist for a day. Spend time in your clients' environments to see what it is really like for them.

Another example of thinking beyond is using the internet to keep up to date with trends and ideas. Find some blogs or websites you really enjoy and visit them regularly, or sign up to an rss feed if they have one. The web 2.0 environment expects you to be an active participant so go to it! Challenge yourself to find diverse material, including that which really challenges your thinking or provides a different viewpoint from your own.