Featuring concrete ideas and action steps, this book accentuates the need for innovative and thoughtful educational leadership based in self-examination, trust, and equity.
Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Author
1. Reaching the Heart of Leadership
Leadership Lessons Learned
Action Steps for Reaching the Heart of Leadership
2. Leadership Then . . . and Now
Reflections on Leadership
Questions for Self-Analysis and Reflection
What Motivates Employees the Most?
Empathy: A Quintessential Leadership Competence
How to Take Action for Developing Empathy
Leadership: A Brief Historical Overview
What Is Leadership Today?
Reaching the Heart of Leadership: Key Requirements
Lessons Learned
Action Steps for Developing Empathy
3. Self-Knowledge and Awareness
Know Thyself!
Peripheral Vision and Recognition of Future Trends
Future Trends in Education
Moral and Ethical Decision Making
Biases, Stereotypes, and Prejudices
Leadership Is Political!
Leadership Lessons Learned
Action Steps for Leading Ethically
4. High Expectations for Learning and Achievement
How to Perpetuate a Culture of High Expectations
Equitable and Inclusive Schools for All Learners
Leadership Lessons Learned
Action Steps for Being More Inclusive and Improving Achievement
5. Holistic Education: Character, Career, the Arts, and Entrepreneurship
Character Development
Career Development
The Importance of the Arts in the Curriculum
The Entrepreneurial Spirit and Mind-Set
A Strong Commitment to Advocacy
Working with Diversity: Community Outreach, Engagement, and Development
Leadership Lessons Learned
Action Steps to Enhance Student Success
6. Capacity Building for System, School, and Professional Improvement
Capacity Building: The Essence of District and School Improvement
Improving Ontario Schools: A Strategy That Works
Strategies for Capacity Building and System Improvement
Challenges Facing Our Students
Options and Opportunities That Our Students Benefit From
Conclusion: Reaching the Heart of Leadership—A Few Takeaways
What Do We Hold in Trust for Future Leaders?
Leadership Lessons Learned
References
For Further Reading and Reflection
Index
Featuring concrete ideas and action steps, this book accentuates the need for innovative and thoughtful educational leadership based in self-examination, trust, and equity.
Refine your leadership effectiveness and expand your leadership legacy! Whether you’re an aspiring leader, or you consider yourself a veteran searching for a fresh perspective, leadership in an age of disruption, high expectations, and exploding demands is challenging. In addition to wise applications of power, this small, yet robust, book focuses on the duty leaders face to forge and strengthen bonds of trust and further the school improvement agenda. Designed to ignite your intellectual curiosity, the author coaches leaders on: Honing the dispositions and interpersonal competencies necessary for leadership effectiveness Strengthening self-regard and attitudes toward others Developing a strong human rights orientation Ensuring that equity and excellence go hand in hand Defining what it takes to inspire and motivate others to act Implementing an inside-out approach that empowers them to be agile and flexible leaders Well suited for any organizational setting, the ideas and action steps offered in Reaching the Heart of Leadership aim to re-ignite the passion and determination in individuals who continue to make a difference in the lives of those they serve. "Avis Glaze’s views on leadership are unique and powerful for one main reason. She puts things together that people don’t usually think are compatible, thereby reaching new heights and depths of insight and efficacy. She combines empathy and determination; respect and candor; high expectations and persistent patience. The bottom line is as close to 100% success as possible, with every percentage point below 100 unacceptable. Accordingly, Reaching the Heart of Leadership is chock full of unusual insights. For each chapter there are lessons learned, and action steps to be taken, but understand that none of this is about slogans, and all of it has been tested and learned through hard practice. Avis does wear her heart on her sleeve; but also she wears it in every action relationship she encounters. For Avis, every value is a competency and every competency is a value. Read this book and be inspired to be the best leader you can ever be." Michael Fullan, Professor Emeritus OISE/University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
See Avis′s Presenter Profile Here! Dr. Avis Glaze is known as an international leader in the field of education. As one of Canada’s outstanding educators, she has won many awards for her work in areas such as leadership development, student achievement, school and system improvement, character development and equity of student outcomes. She was a Commissioner on Ontario’s Royal Commission on Learning, influencing the direction of education in that province. As Ontario’s first Chief Student Achievement Officer and founding CEO of the Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat, she played a pivotal role in improving student achievement in Ontario schools. Dr. Glaze has been a tireless advocate for both excellence and equity in education. She is passionate about the enhancement of public education and believes that educators play a fundamental role in sustaining democracy. Her major assertion, based on her experience as a leader in Ontario’s literacy and numeracy strategy implementation, is that educators have both the will and the skill to improve education. For her, capacity building is at the heart of school improvement. Dr. Glaze served as Ontario’s Education Commissioner and Senior Adviser to the Ontario Minister of Education and as Professor in Residence in the Faculty of Education at the University of Otawa. Currently, she is President of Edu-quest International Inc. offering a wide range of educational services across the globe. She continues to motivate and inspire educators through speaking engagements and by consulting with school districts, non-profit organizations and businesses to maximize talent and achieve results. Recently, she was appointed as Adviser to the Minister of Education in New Zealand.
