Leading for Learning, Learning for Leading Dr Julia Atkin Education & Learning Consultant “Bumgum” Harden-Murrumburrah NSW 2587

Presentation on theme: "Leading for Learning, Learning for Leading Dr Julia Atkin Education & Learning Consultant “Bumgum” Harden-Murrumburrah NSW 2587"— Presentation transcript:

1 Leading for Learning, Learning for Leading Dr Julia Atkin Education & Learning Consultant “Bumgum” Harden-Murrumburrah NSW 2587 Julia@learning-by-design.com http://www.learning-by-design.com Christchurch, New Zealand October 2008 LEARNING BY DESIGN

2 © Julia Atkin, 2008 Leading for Learning, Learning for Leading ﾊ Articulating the underpinning values and developing a clear conceptual model of leadership for learning is fundamental to transforming practice. ﾊ Leadership in the Knowledge Era implies leading for learning yet most of us grew up with leadership for ﾊ management ﾊ and control. ﾊ Leading for learning is based on ﾊ collaborative, distributed leadership. Why? What is the essence of collaborative, distributed leadership? INTRODUCTION LEADING? LEADING FOR LEARNING? LEARNING FOR LEADING? 3 personal stories - woven with your stories OVERVIEW

3 If you want to build a ship, don't drum up the people to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea. Antoine de Saint Exupery © Julia Atkin, 2004

4 What constitutes effective leadership? Is there an easy answer? Is it contextual? © Julia Atkin, 2004

5 Scan back over your life - child, young adult, professional…. In terms of your development and growth, who has been an effective leader for learning for you? Reflect on that person or those persons…. Share your reflections or jot down/’blog’ some thoughts © Julia Atkin, 2004

6 VALUES: TrustHonesty Diversity Equal rights Aesthetics Mutual respect Excellence Responsibility Professionalism Principle driven Valuing others Tolerance of fallibility QUALITIES: Independent Cares to confront Energetic Confidence ResilientSense humour OptimisticFair dinkum GroundedAuthentic/sincere CourageousModels-is congruent ‘Wholeness’Self aware Thinks & acts beyond self interest LCM Principals Conference ‘04 ASPECTS OF EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP KEY PROCESSES: Communication Integration Reflection

7 WHY? HOW? WHAT? VALUES & VISION DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT © Julia Atkin, 2004 What do you know/believe/value with regards to leading for learning? Is what you are doing in practice congruent with what you value?

8 Values & Beliefs underpinning collaborative / transformative leadership Leadership has multiple functions-the highest function of leadership is to release the creative energies of the people in the system and to manage the processes for giving that energy direction towards mutually beneficial goals. Malcolm Knowles People feel a commitment to a decision in proportion to the extent to which they feel they have participated in making it. Effective leadership values diverse perspectives and believes that the richest view is that which is built from the perspectives of all. © Julia Atkin, 2004

9 Liberation M.C. Escher © Julia Atkin, 2008 ? ? ? We are struggling to develop clarity and acceptance of the new era that is emerging. Our ideas have been so strongly shaped by the ‘mental models of the industrial era it is difficult to conceptualise the ways of being, working and valuing that are appropriate for the knowledge era.

10 INDUSTRIAL ERA KNOWLEDGE ERA Liberation M.C. Escher © Julia Atkin, 2007 Times of transition and transformation are difficult and laced with tensions - tension between the opportunities and possibilities of the emerging era while simultaneously being hel dby the conventions of the past. The more explicitly we can describe the emerging world, the easier it is to understand it and to envisage the ways of working and ways of being. What do we know about the characteristics of the knowledge era?

11 Models of Leadership Leader Has answers Power to protect Issues command Controls Hierarchical Follow the leader ? © Julia Atkin, 2004

12 TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP TRANSACTIONAL management operational functional ‘life-world’ vitality development © Julia Atkin, 2004

13 VALUES: TrustHonesty Diversity Equal rights Aesthetics Mutual respect Excellence Responsibility Professionalism Principle driven Valuing others Tolerance of fallibility QUALITIES: Independent Cares to confront Energetic Confidence ResilientSense humour OptimisticFair dinkum GroundedAuthentic/sincere CourageousModels-is congruent ‘Wholeness’Self aware Thinks & acts beyond self interest KEY PROCESSES: Communication Integration Reflection Essential for Transformational Essential for Transactional

14 Transmissive vs Transformative Instructive vsConstructive InstrumentalInstrumental/intrinsic Training Education TeachingLearning Communication of messageConstruction of Meaning Behavioural changeMutual transformation One size fits allLocal - global ‘Glocal ‘ Control from the centreLocal ownership Product orientedProcess & product oriented ‘Problem-solving’‘Problem reframing’ RigidResponsive and dynamic Factual knowledge & skillsConceptual understanding - capacity building ImposedParticipative Top downBottom-up & top-down HierarchyHeterarchy Expert-ledEveryone may be an expert Pre-determined outcomesOpen-ended enquiry Externally inspected & evaluatedInternally evaluated plus external support Language - deficit, managerialismLangauge of appreciation & co-operation

15 Leading is defined as the process of influencing others to achieve mutually agreed upon purposes for the organisation. Jerry Paterson (1993:3) Leadership for Tomorrow’s Schools Managing is the act of coordinating people and resources to efficiently produce goods or services in an organisation. Managing is critical to the success of an organisation and is performed at all levels of the organisation. Managing is even part of what leaders do. But managing is not the same as leading. © Julia Atkin, 2004

16 Models of Leadership Leader Has answers Power to protect Issues command Controls Hierarchical Follow the leader ? © Julia Atkin, 2004

17 hiero - holy, sacred ----------> high priests No antonym for hierarchy! Need a term for ‘interdependence’ as found in the nature of living systems! ‘Heterarchy’ Term used in relation to: Networking, self organising, complex, adaptive systems Hetero – different kinds of atoms

18 SHIFTS IN UNDERSTANDING - EVIDENCE OF PARADIGMATIC CHANGE simple---------> complex mechanical--------->organic dualistic--------->pluralisitc exclusive--------->inclusive determinate--------->indeterminate linear--------->multi-causal static--------->dynamic objective --------->perspective centre--------->periphery assembly--------->morphogenesis absolute--------->relative hierarchy--------->heterarchy Ogilve & Schwartz - Stanford Research Institute

19 How do we conceptualise a way of leading that is not hierarchical, that is not autocratic? What are the key concepts and processes for leadership for learning? © Julia Atkin, 2008

20 Models of Leadership Leader Hierarchical Follow the leader Shared wisdom Collective understanding Open, transparent decision making Team Journeying together © Julia Atkin, 2008

21 Models of Leadership Leader Hierarchical Follow the leader Shared wisdom Collective understanding Open, transparent decision making Team Journeying together Keep control! Safety! Keep control! Safety! © Julia Atkin, 2008

22 MODELS OF LEADERSHIP Leader Has answers Power to protect Issues command Controls Hierarchical Collaborative/Transformative Follow the leader People Values & Beliefs Purposes © Julia Atkin, 2008 The centre determines the direction …the anointed leader, eg Principal, has the ultimate accountability to ensure direction from the centre is enacted. framing and coordinating developing sense of partnership through shared vision, understanding engaging in co-creating inviting ideas & feedback from the field gaining & giving considered response keeping the vision - ensuring the values and beliefs are realised

23 Collaborative, distributed Leadership - how? when? and what then? Dr Julia Atkin Education & Learning Consultant “Bumgum” Harden-Murrumburrah NSW 2587 Julia@learning-by-design.com http://www.learning-by-design.com Christchurch, New Zealand October 2008 LEARNING BY DESIGN

24 © Julia Atkin, 2008 Collaborative, distributed Leadership - how? when? and what then? 'Between the idea and the reality falls the shadow' TS Eliot - The Hollow Men Transforming leadership requires a new set of processes and skills. This breakout will continue from the ideas developed in the Spotlight Leading for Learning, Learning for Leading. We will explore and experiment with processes and approaches that are true to collaborative, distributed leadership.

25 © Julia Atkin, 2004 KEY APPROACHES & PROCESSES: Surface values, beliefs, inner knowing through story, metaphor, image. Develop shared understanding through listening and dialogue. TIME! Meet people where they are ready. Be discerning re whether consultation or collaboration is appropriate. Critical reflection - prepared to evaluate, critique carefully in the spirit of improvement.

26 Consensus Reaching general agreement on a particular issue Consultation Gaining the perspective or opinions of other people Collaboration Working jointly with others on a particular project or matter

27 © Julia Atkin, 2008 KEY STEPS - not necessarily in the order shown Establish shared beliefs, values, purposes ‘shared’ does not mean stuck on a wall where all can see - you can’t tick it off a la “We’ve ‘done values’ “. Reference decisions against beliefs, values, purposes. If we do ‘x’ how will that help us achieve what we say we value? Seek feedback to help determine congruence between values, beliefs, purposes and actions. Work to co-create understandings and reference against considered thinking of others - ‘experts’. Eg with NZ Curriculum - don’t start by reading the document, rather engage in thinking out for your selves what are the key attributes, skills, dispositions needed to be a ‘confident, connected, actively involved lifelong learner’? Reference your own thinking against the Key Competencies.

28 School community constructed Expert referenced Co-construction © Julia Atkin, 2008

29 If you want to build a ship, don't drum up the people to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea. Antoine de Saint Exupery