Page 21 - LeaderShift 2020: Chapter One -Who Really Needs Another Leadership Book!

LeaderShift 2020
This book is different. First, it offers a perspective that few can provide. It’s born out of a total of more than 100 years of practical educational leadership experience across our writing team. These “in-the-trenches” experiences have immersed us in every role and responsibility—from teacher to supervisor, to building principal, to district level administrator, to state-level administrator, to university professor, to consultant and more.
Collectively, our writing team has authored nearly 20 books; delivered thousands of keynotes; developed and implemented tens of thousands of workshops; consulted for thousands of schools, districts, ministries, DOEs, and corporations around the globe; led numerous state- and consortium-based ground-breaking projects; developed and directed numerous undergraduate and graduate courses and programs; and conducted too many research studies to count. The synthesis of our experiences and research—both formal and informal—has enabled us to identify what we believe to be the essentials of modern learning organizations - what we describe as the “foundational pillars.” While these pillars are forever evolving, together they represent a roadmap for contemporary educational leaders.
WHO NEEDS ANOTHER LEADERSHIP BOOK?
Over the years, collectively we have read dozens of books on the subject of educational leadership. Each of these books offered multiple stages, phases, strategies, formulas, disciplines, and dysfunctions ad nauseam related to becoming, or enhancing one’s ability to be, a good leader. There are leadership development workshops, conferences, seminars, web links, personal learning networks, e-zines, courses, and any number of university programs granting degrees in educational leadership. Despite the wealth of resources, aspiring leaders remain in search of the magic bullet, the quick fix, or the golden elixir. All are looking for the answer to their question: “What tools do I need to be a better leader? What do I need to know about leadership that I don’t already know?” With good intentions, they sift through the information and attempt to emulate what they have learned.
History and experience would suggest that most people find it difficult, if not impossible, to put their good intentions into action. They understand the concepts and qualities of good leaders, yet they struggle in their quest to morph vision into practice. What gets in the way? With what we know about the qualities of transformational, motivational, and inspirational leadership, why is it that leaders fail?
Who Really Needs Another Leadership Book
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