Category: Thought Leaders

Leaders who want to control everything are like a ship trying to move through water while dragging the anchor.

That micromanaging behavior has the following impact on those charged with producing the outcomes:

• Frustration – constant over-the-shoulder critique and nitpicking generates frustration and passive resistance. Not good.
• Distraction – when constantly being pulled from “the work” for less consequential products, attention to pursuit of the big picture outcomes becomes diverted. Not good.
• Oversimplification – when badgered relentlessly over details and minutiae, effort is directed toward trending tangential data upward at the expense of the big picture. Not good.
• Contraction – relentless micromanaging almost always results in systemic self-protection and minimization of effort and innovation. Not good.

Lessening the grip while tightening the vision message is a very nice recipe for more productive troops and better organizational performance.

Leaders who clearly paint and persistently reinforce a noble and worthy vision – the big picture outcome desired – and allow great latitude in the processes of achieving it have the most productive, most energized, and most loyal teams.

Go ahead. Let go!

*If you’d like to read more of nc’s blatherings, go to www.nelsonwcoulter.com

Wait…when NC said “choice of topic is all yours,” did he really mean it? I mean, given the choice, SS is ALWAYS going to choose food!

Those who serve in a rural community truly understand the value of school/community relations. As Hico ISD embarks on the PTECH (P20) journey, the impact and importance of our positive community relations is becoming more and more evident.

In my 17 years in Hico, I have served under leaders who set an extremely high standard for community service. Their examples have inspired a culture of service throughout our staff and our students. Whether it’s the Billy the Kid Film Festival, handing out groceries at the local food bank, the Gravel Locos Gravel Race or the Old Settlers’ Reunion, everyone in Hico knows that if in need, call the school. Hico ISD will make it happen.

On the 3rd Saturday in May (yes, MAY – the busiest month of the school year!) more than five thousand people congregate in downtown Hico for the Original Steak Cookoff. It is the largest of many events our city hosts. It takes hundreds of volunteers and a majority of those volunteers are Hico ISD students and staff. Since the first cookoff in 2004, the Hico ISD superintendent has served on the Board almost every year. I was recently informed that being named Superintendent of Hico ISD automatically makes me the chairman of the board! Knowing that I am responsible for such an incredible event has consumed my thoughts over the past month. (Hence, the first thing that popped into my head when invited to contribute to the blog.)

Although it may seem as though I am using this blog post to shamelessly plug the Cookoff and sell more tickets, (www.texassteakcookoff.comif you’re interested), I promise it’s more than that. It’s about realizing what an important role our schools play in our rural communities and how much they depend on us to contribute to the success of our small towns.

Hico ISD’s willingness to serve in this way has developed a relationship with our community that reaps rewards far outweighing the energy and effort required to serve. In the past few months since we have begun our P-TECH planning, I have had multiple meetings with city, business, and organizational leaders in Hico. Every single meeting has been met with, “What do you need from us? How can we be a part of this plan? We will do anything necessary to help ensure the success of our students.” I truly believe this is due to the fact that our district has selflessly served our community for decades. They recognize the efforts of our students and staff. In fact, in 3 of the past 7 years, the Hico Citizen of the Year Award has been awarded to a Hico ISD employee and in 2012, the entireHico ISD was given the honor. In addition, a large portion of proceeds from our community events are donated to Hico ISD organizations. This speaks volumes about the impact our students and staff have had on the community. It is a tremendous partnership!

As we all embark on this P-TECH journey, I encourage every school leader to find ways –  no matter how difficult they seem or how inconvenient the timing – to serve your community. The time and energy you put into it now, will develop relationships of trust and collaboration that will reap many benefits in the future.

And if you’re still wondering who cooks the best steak in Texas, come see us in Hico on May 21st and find out for yourself. You will witness this school/community partnership in action!

As a traditional school leader, we were trained to “take charge” to have the answers and push forward with a smile on our face. Never let them see you sweat! What I have learned in my years of leadership, is that there is not just one way to lead; and the approach varies by the day or even by the minute. And… that sometimes, it is ok to let them see you sweat…

Every person within our school district is a leader; one thing is certain during these challenging times and that is, our communities are looking to us to have the answers and to be the stable and in an unstable world. Our leadership, right now, is to reassure our communities that we have not lost focus on preparing our students for today, tomorrow and the future. Building educational opportunities that will allow our students to flourish and attain each of their dreams, regardless of what is going on around us. While we continue to provide exceptional educational opportunities that will challenge and grow our students, we remain vigilant in the safety and security of everyone within the school district and community.

This pandemic has brought to life the adversity that we all face, but there are still great days mixed in these tough times… It has forced a new way to look at school and we have the opportunity to capitalize on the tools that are now ever present for us and our students. We must be intentional in seeking out those great times and focusing on how we can build upon that. We are aware that what worked yesterday, may not work today. That’s ok.

As we move forward the pressures of school do not diminish, but they grow. From finding bus drivers, to class schedules, financial difficulties, student growth, teacher moral and safety in our schools. We all walk along this path and sometimes it’s ok, to not be ok… the anxiety of “school”, compounded by the pandemic and all that entails for our students, and staff is sometimes seemingly overwhelming. But this shows that we’re alive! That we care, that we are looking for solutions, ways to improve and that we want the best for our students and our community. Remind yourself that we can’t give into the uncertainty, but live in it!

Now more than ever we have an amazing opportunity to reimagine school in the way that it should be! Take those chances. Our schools are a place of growth, experimentation and yes, even failure and frustration. Turn those failures, frustration and anxiety into “not yets”. They are not an end, but the next beginning. It will not be perfect, and that’s ok. It is ok to mess up. It is ok, to not be ok at times. It’s not ok to give up! This work is hard work and sometimes we have to be able to see that, know it, live in it for a moment, but keep moving forward. We have to be able to acknowledge the situation and take the good from it and move on. Even the rain clouds have a purpose and sometimes we have to just dance in the rain!

Several years ago, I spent a good bit of time with 20 academically fragile high school students over the course of a school year while conducting research for my dissertation.  These 16-to-18-year-old students were all labeled as “potential at-risk” for dropping out of school.  And during our year that we spent together, several did, in fact, drop out of school.  I asked the students in one of our many discussions that we shared during the year to tell me a time in their life when they felt successful.  Most, if not all, struggled with an answer to this question. Sometimes the answer was never. One student recalled in 3^rdgrade he was awarded a certificate from his teacher…and that was when he felt successful.  Another shared a time when he was able to figure out the best way to carry a heavy box up to a second floor apartment when he was helping his brother move….that act was a time he felt successful.

Their answers were telling.  This diverse group of students had only experienced “success” in a limited fashion by the world’s standards (and maybe an excellent follow-up question from me should have been how do you define success). Regardless of their personal definitions, the challenge for this fragile group of students to label any part of their young life as successful speaks to their experiences, or lack of, in their first 16, 17, 18 years of life.

Google the word “Success” and 15 or so definitions from various sources are readily accessible.  But I like this one:  success is the accomplishment of an aim or purpose.  I often think about those fragile students and wonder where they are today.  Do they have a purpose?  Are they on track to achieve their aim?  If asked today, would any of them be able to share a time they felt successful?

As education leaders we are blessed with many opportunities to make students successful.  Not just make them feelsuccessful, but truly set a child on a path with an aim or purpose leading to authentic success with tools, skills, and training needed for high wage, high demand careers.  As education leaders we are responsible to create an environment where all students can develop skills and grow their talents…where all students’ can be on a path with aim or purpose.

What happens when we as educators are not successful with the opportunities presented?  I mentored a young middle schooler through her time in 7^thand 8^thgrade.  I will call her Grace.  Grace was living with her grandmother and multiple siblings and cousins.  Both parents were in prison for drug possession and trafficking.  Grace loved to fight out her problems…literally.  For each week that Grace opted NOT to fight, I would meet her for lunch.  She wanted to be a nurse.  Working with her grandmother, we moved Grace into the STEM/Early College prep program and surrounded her with support.  She showed progress.  However, when Grace moved to high school, the support system began to collapse.  I was not able to meet with her weekly.  Her family’s reputation preceded her into classrooms and some adults questioned why she would be in the “early college” program. Fast forward three years…Grace is a drop out.  She withdrew to home school and lost her aim of being a nurse.  I failed her.  The school failed her.  The community failed her.  There are no successful endings to the story of Grace and generational poverty repeats again.

I share this anecdotal case not to be depressing, but rather to offer encouragement and support for educational leaders.  Who is your Grace?  Picture her (or him).  Resolve to build a system that allows the Graces in the school to have every chance to achieve their aim and fulfill their purpose.  It is what I would like to think we do in our work with Collegiate Edu-Nation and our partner districts.

It is a crazy and tall order, a true calling, to be an educational leader that leads students to success

Organizations have always had lifespans, the inevitable cycle of growth and death. Just ask the Roman Empire, the Third Reich, Polaroid, Block Buster, Lucent, etc. if you doubt it.

Organizational lifespan is shrinking as result of technology, information pervasiveness, and nimble competition. Organizational obsolescence — orgsolescence — occurs at a much quicker pace than at any time previously.

How can organizations mitigate that creep, or sprint, toward obsolescence? 

Vision and adaptability are the elixirs that stand the best chance of curing the disease of orgsolescence. Bureaucracy is the cancer that assures and hastens such orgsolescence. 

Quality leaders understand the daily discipline required to adapt and overcome. And they know that tomorrow, they/we must do it all over again — IF we intend to survive and thrive, that is. 

Leadership ain’t for the wobbly. 

*If you’d like to read more of nc’s blatherings, go to www.nelsonwcoulter.com

A few weeks ago I attended the lamb exhibition at a local stock show, and as I watched, I began to notice the leadership skills of the young exhibitioners. As each showperson circled the ring, the level of leadership was apparent and I noticed some specific characteristics in those who were obviously at the top of their class, such as security, relationship, and support. When compared to the others showing, the elite exhibitioners and their sheep were a team. The animals were confident and secure. A strong relationship had been developed between the two to a point where the sheep willingly followed the lead of their shepherd, easily getting into show position with just a tap of the leg and light prodding, whereas those who were more novice had to use a little more force to achieve the same result. It occurred to me that I see some of these same characteristics as I travel through our CEN districts, and I realized that if we want to produce elite districts, it will be necessary for the leadership in our districts to become a team with our flock. We need to ensure that there is an environment of security and support and that strong relationships are built with the individual sheep.

As a preacher’s kid, it is natural for me to look at the role of leadership from a Biblical point of view. The Lord is the epitome of a great leader and this theme recurs numerous times throughout the Bible. Christ repeatedly reminds His disciples that God is a good and gracious leader. He desires to give security, provide for needs, and guide His sheep through the darkness. In return for this protection, all that is required is the disciples’ willingness to follow.

What would happen if our superintendents, principals and all of our leaders approached their role with this frame of thought? Imagine the school environment if our teachers and students walked into our buildings knowing they were safe, secure, and supported. What if students and staff were reminded daily through action that the primary goal of the district is to provide the best environment for them? How many lives would be changed if all students knew they were being led on the right path so that their lives would be enhanced and blessed? Envision a district where everyone from the top down knew each teacher and student and desired to have a relationship with them.

God reigns from on high and is involved in our lives on a daily basis. Shouldn’t our school leaders be doing the same in our districts and on our campuses? We are told that we are to model Christ as our goal. Are we in the classrooms enough to be effective models and leaders? Do our sheep know our voices? Do they know who to follow and know which direction they need to go? Or are they wandering out in the world lost? It is time for our districts to gather our flocks, ensure they are protected and supported, build relationships with them, and ensure that they know our voices. In turn, they will loyally follow us in the direction we desire to lead our districts.

Please join us as we tackle the challenges facing rural school districts and discuss opportunities to disrupt generational poverty, create meaningful educational experiences, and prepare students for in-demand jobs.

Tuesday, February 1, 2022
1:30-3:00 pm
Austin Marriott Downtown

We’ve invited educational and industry leaders to take part in this panelist discussion. Working together, we will put rural on the map.

Moderated by Evan Smith, Texas Tribune

Panelists:
Dr. Kim Alexander, CEO, CEN
Dr. Randy Burks Superintendent, Hamlin ISD
Dr. Charlotte Cahill Senior Director, Jobs for the Future
Dr. Kelty Garbee Executive Director, Texas Rural Funders
Representative Stan Lambert, House District 71

A few weeks ago, my husband announced his resignation from his job as a high school principal, effective at the end of the year. He is making a career change and is planning to get completely out of public K-12 education. Since then, many people have asked me if I am leaving education, as well. Here are a few of the reasons why I am NOT done with public education quite yet.

First of all, I am a product of public education. I was raised mostly by my single mother (who never obtained a college degree), although I also lived several years with my grandparents. My high school, which currently has 72% minority students and 94% economically disadvantaged, has similar demographics to what it had when I was there. I had a few risk factors for not being successful in school, but I learned and grew and was successful in school. I was successful because of the teachers that gave of their time and their hearts, even though they worked hard for low pay and couldn’t fix the system. Part of my desire to work in public education is to use my passion and gifts to pay it forward.

I owned a private school for 6 years. I loved being at the helm and setting the direction to give the students a school that agreed completely with my philosophy of education. We provided a student-centered, hands-on Montessori education; had second/third language instruction for all ages (toddler-6th grade); served healthy, mostly organic meals and snacks; spent a great deal of time outdoors (skiing, building forts in the woods, playing, and doing classwork); embraced music and art (even bringing in instructors for private piano lessons); and had opportunities for chapel and Bible study. Although it wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns, I loved being able to provide the best possible education for my students.

When my husband was transferred and we moved, I sold the school. I considered opening another but decided to go back to public school. Although we offered scholarships and tried to keep it as affordable as possible, the balance of paying my teachers a decent wage vs keeping tuition affordable did not help me to make all mean ALL. It just meant all the students who were in my school could get this education. Although I can’t provide that kind of education for all students in the public school setting, I came to Roscoe because it is a public school that “puts its money where its mouth is.” We at Roscoe are doing our best to make sure that all means ALL. From a public Montessori to the opportunity to earn industry-based certifications to tuition-free college, Roscoe is really providing great opportunities for ALL of its students. It still isn’t all rainbows and unicorns, but I feel like we are doing some pretty good things.

Moving the public education system is like trying to turn a battleship. Although I don’t think we are moving in exactly the right direction (I’d love to see more outside time, healthy snacks, passion projects, languages, and love of learning), this Roscoe ship is turning away from the same old, same old that is just barreling down the waterway.

There is a difference in lifespan and health span. Ideally, we seek to optimize both, squeezing all we can into and out of our lives, while remaining healthy for the whole journey.

As leaders, we are directly responsible for the health and wellbeing of the organization – for the organization as a whole and for the members as individuals.

Organizations have life spans (just like humans). And they have health spans (just like humans).

If we are not educating ourselves AND our members about how best to optimize both the lifespan and the health span of our organization, then it’s a pretty sure bet that those spans WILL NOT be optimized.

Leadership always means more learning…

*If you’d like to read more of nc’s blatherings, go to www.nelsonwcoulter.com

Engagement is a word that has come into the frequently used leadership lexicon. It’s a really good word, an even better concept, and an absolutely necessary skill for those of us in the business of influencing others. Some refer to it as “presence.”

The level of trust others are willing to afford us is directly proportional to our ability to engage.

Engagement is MUCH easier accomplished in face-to-face environments. The current digital interaction formatting practices make engagement much more difficult. Still doable, but much more difficult.

Our ability to engage effectively has impact on the following perceptions others have of us:

• Authentic, or not.
• Present, or not.
• Trustworthy, or not.
• Caring, or not.
• Interested, or not.

Our ability to engage determines how others feel about us as we interface with them. We have the ability to impact those perceptions.

Finally, authentic engagement is virtually impossible to fake. Most folks have exceptional BS meters when it comes to sniffing out an engagement imposter.

Engaged? Or Disengaged? Our choice.

*To read more of nc’s blatherings, go to www.nelsonwcoulter.com