ARTICLES + RESEARCH
For the last two years, you have been supervising a staff of 15 employees. You are approaching the end of the second quarter and you realize for the first time in your tenure, your team is not on track to achieve the annual goals you established in January. To make matters worse, employees are beginning to whisper about your inability to effectively lead your team. Your top employees appear to be a bit disgruntled about the lack of accountability within the ranks while your newest employees appear to be as happy as a lark. As you reflect on your performance over the last year… CONTINUE READING
Effective leaders can be the most critical component of an organization. Regardless of the skill of your workforce, ultimately, leaders either positively or adversely impact the overall performance of an organization. As a turnaround principal of multiple schools, I understand the importance of providing thoughtful, competent leadership that elevates the performance of your organization. All organizations and companies can benefit by having a Rock Star leader… CONTINUE READING
SCHOOL LEADERS: THE 5 STEP PLAN TO ACE SUMMER PLANNING
Last summer, I worked tirelessly to save a school from despair after the school leader made countless mistakes while summer planning. Contrary to popular belief, the summer is an extremely busy time of year for school leaders. If there are an inordinate number of staff vacancies or a major construction project is occurring at the school, the summer may be the busiest time of year for school leaders. When school leaders fail to appropriately execute summer planning activities, they create a “planning hole” that may adversely impact their ability to lead for the entire year. Below is a list of common mistakes leaders make when planning during the summer ...
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6 SURE-FIRE NON-ACADEMIC WAYS TO KNOW YOUR SCHOOL IS FAILING
On a cold-dreary night in December, I attended a board meeting for a charter school of which I am a board member. I have served on this board for the past four years. Five years ago, this school was identified as failing by the authorizer (governance board who “approves” the school). At that time, the school was given an option, drastically improve or “close your doors”. In four years, this school has made tremendous growth. As a matter of fact, the school was highlighted for making the largest academic gains in the city. As I reflect on the progress of the school, I would be remiss to overlook the fact that each month’s board meetings are well-structured with a sole focus on issues that matter. The board understands the importance of maintaining a professional relationship with staff, but never oversteps or interferes with the authority of school leaders. While serving ...
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AMERICA, ARE WE “OVER-THINKING” OUR SCHOOLS?
As I reflect on my 20 plus years in education, I can’t help but ask, “Do we overthink schools?” As a young teacher in 1994, I was an effective teacher and educating students was fun. I would voluntarily collaborate with team members without all of the research based requirements mandated in today’s schools. My students thrived on standardized tests, but their success, or lack there of, did not result in administrators and teachers being terminated; or even worst, the school being closed. During my early years, if you could manage your classroom and ensure students were learning, you were applauded as a great teacher. It really felt like schools made sense ...
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SOCIAL MEDIA…THE NEW DIVIDER
Not long ago, prior to the days of Facebook, Linked in, Instagram or even My Space, it was very easy to pass judgment about a person by simply listening to them speak. Often times, the inflection of their voices and use of the English language provided insight into level of education, race, age, etc. At a moment’s notice, it was critical for folks to master code switching, the art of modifying your language to be consistent with those in a particular environment. Historically, this served as an effective mask for folks occupying a range sub-cultures ...
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THE URBAN SCHOOL SYSTEM: THE NEW JIM CROW
I recently attended a lecture by Michele Alexander, the author of The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. If you have not read her book, it provides statistical data that supports the notion that disproportionate penalties for drug crimes in the United States, have been used to legally discriminate against both the minorities and poor people. This was rooted in federal policies created during the Ronald Reagan presidency (War on Drugs) ...
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WHAT IS YOUR LEADERSHIP PERSONALITY?
While recently working as an executive coach with a leader of a government agency, I noticed a few simple mistakes hindering her ability to effectively manage her team. She had been tasked with leading a small staff of 5 people and needed some feedback on how to lead more effectively. While she did not have a dominating personality, she was well on her way to leading her team by determining the organizational structures needed to be effective ...
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5 WAYS TO REGAIN CONTROL OF YOUR CHAOTIC TEAM
For the last two years, you have been supervising a staff of 15 employees. You are approaching the end of the second quarter and you realize for the first time in your tenure, your team is not on track to achieve the annual goals you established in January. To make matters worse, employees are beginning to whisper about your inability to effectively lead your team ...
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3 MANAGEMENT MISTAKES YOU ARE PROBABLY MAKING
Effective leaders can be the most critical component of an organization. Regardless of the skill of your workforce, ultimately, leaders either positively or adversely impact the overall performance of an organization. As a turnaround principal of multiple schools, I understand the importance of providing thoughtful, competent leadership that elevates the performance of your organization. All organizations and companies can benefit by having a Rock Star leader ...
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About KSLC
KSLC is a strategic consulting company dedicated to reforming organizations by transforming one leader at a time. Realizing that most organizational success hinges on leadership, we work with leaders to improve their time management, employee management, organizational culture, staff retention, team dynamics and other key areas. The result? More effective leadership that leads to higher performing organizations time after time.
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Washington, DC
202.288.0092
info@ksleadership.com