Nine Rules to Correct Culture

Posted on March 18, 2025 Written by

Here’s a fascinating article from the business world about “fixing” a distorted corporate culture. In many ways, it’s essentially an expansion of the “You can lead a horse to water, but …” mantra that we’ve all heard before, but with specific tips on getting that horse to drink!

Executive coach, Art Petty, posits that in struggling organizations (or in our case, schools), we should never assume that the culture is broken. Instead, we need to realize that it’s simply been distorted … possibly by poor leadership or flawed decisions. And the job of any new leader is to respect and leverage the existing culture, not to “fix” it by attempting to force immediate change.

Creating a supportive, effective school culture takes time. But by focusing on key issues and leading by example, you can move your school culture towards a climate of renewal and positive growth.

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The Alpha Leader Lie

Posted on March 4, 2025 Written by

Decades ago, many people believed that a leader had to be pushy, aggressive, and sometimes even mean to be successful. Leaders were often envisioned as strong, pugnacious warrior types. Although extensive studies on productivity and workplace culture have long disproved that idea, the last few years have seen a reemergence of this false concept.

In this article, Eric Solomon (who has held leadership roles in major social media companies) takes a closer look at the “Alpha Leader” phenomenon, and shares three research-based characteristics that are commonly found in most truly successful leaders and the organizations they serve. While this was written primarily for a business audience (and featured in SmartBrief), the basic principles that he describes are directly applicable to educational leadership as well.

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Strong Relationships Drive Change!

Posted on February 18, 2025 Written by

Successful change initiatives depend on strong relationships. This blog post (from a Director of Curriculum and Instruction in New York) offers three tips for fostering relational change.

And while these tips seem obvious, we often fail to apply these guidelines to our change work. Ultimately, we must recognize that change is rarely a solo experience, and act accordingly. Because others are involved in the process, great leaders are constantly aware of their colleagues wants, needs, challenges, and worries. This relational focus helps us embrace change for what it truly is … a necessary part of life.

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Leadership Body Language?

Posted on January 21, 2025 Written by

Researchers tell us that a staggering 93% of communication is nonverbal, with body language alone accounting for 55% of the message we convey. So as a leader, your physical presence often speaks volumes before you even utter a word. 

A recent article in Forbes magazine outlined the seven key elements of leadership body language. Since nonverbal cues significantly shape perception, mastering body language can be a valuable tool for any leader striving to make a lasting impact.

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