Monday, October 4, 2010
Question 2
What competencies must we understand, develop, and utilize to work and lead in a global, "borderless" society? I think we have to let go of the idea that the Western, American way is ALWAYS the right way. We need to ask questions and listen. When I worked in Guatemala, we participated in a lot of community service at our school. My favorite work was with a hospital for malnurished children. I remember the first time we visited we took stuffed animals because we thought the children would enjoy them. We didn't realize what a health hazard they would be for children with disentary. We also took cloth diapers because we believed in being "green" and we took chewable vitamins. They didn't have a good washing machine, so disposable diapers would have been much better for controling disease and meeting their water and laundry needs. The children were so sick and malnurished that they didn't have teeth even at 4-6 years old, so liquid vitamins would have been better. We all learned so much about not being "know it alls" coming to save the day. We learned to listen. That's a valuable lesson for any leader. In my job now I must listen to what teachers need, what training do they want, how can the schedule best meet student needs. The one doing the job can offer so much more insight than I can, if I am merely speculating. I want to be a lead listener.
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Donna,
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful example!! I would just like to add on to your post an example from Sergiovanni's (2007) Rethinking Leadership. He said in regard to servant leadership, "For instance, the principal need no longer be the 'headmaster' or 'instructional leader,' pretending to know all, one who consumes lists from above and transmits them to those below" (p. 51). This quote backs up your mission to be a "lead listener." By practicing servant leadership in your "lead listener" style, the servant leader can avoid as Sergiovanni (2007) said, being "tempted by personal enthusiasm and commitment to define the needs of those to be served" (p. 51). You gave a great exmaple of listening to your teachers to find out in which areas they wanted professional development rather than you, as principal, simply providing workshops for them. I enjoyed reading your post.