Teaching Learning Leading K-12

Episode 71: Team Building Tip - How Cohesive Teams Behave

  

Today, I have another Team Building Tip for you. (Take a look at my other team building tips: Episode 57, Episode 62, and Episode 65 )

One of my favorite leadership books is Patrick Lencioni's, 

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable. 

Toward the end of this amazing book, Mr. Lencioni sums up his ideas by focusing on how a cohesive team behaves.

According to Lencioni, truly cohesive teams do the following:

1. They trust one another.

2. They engage in unfiltered conflict around ideas.

3. They commit to decisions and plans of action.

4. They hold one another accountable for delivering against those plans.

5. They focus on the achievement of collective results.

I hope that this makes you think about your team.

Does your team follow Lencioni's thoughts about a cohesive team?

For more info about teams, I encourage you check out The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, share it with your team members, and use it to help guide your team to becoming more cohesive.

Enjoy!

Length: 7:46

Episode 58: iPrincipal update with Mark Wilson

This is my third of an on-going conversation with Dr. Mark Wilson about his book in the works called iPrincipal. 

Check out our earlier talks at Episode 48 (The Introduction), and Episode 53 (Intentional). 

Also, you can find out more about Mark and his focus on leadership at Episode 8 as well as his website. 

The iPrincipal...today's fully prepared and highly effective principal is inspirational.

While the iPrincipal is expected to be an instructional leader (to be discussed in another episode), to lead effective schools, principals also need to be inspirational leaders.

Inspirational Principals excel in:

1. Seeing Connections

2. Sharing Ideas Clearly

3. Seeking Opportunities

I think that you will find Mark's thoughts engaging and thought provoking.

Enjoy!

Length: 18:00

Episode 48: Dr. Mark Wilson - iPrincipal

Dr. Mark Wilson is the founder of The Educational Leadership Group. You may remember that I interviewed him way back at Episode  8 . He is the Georgia Principal of the Year for 2008 and the National Principal of the Year of 2009!

Today we are starting a new monthly segment called iPrincipal.

Check out his TED Talk

He is a teacher, coach, consultant, public speaker and now an author. His book will soon be available but you get a sneak peek into it by joining us for these monthly segments.

Connect with Mark on twitter @ MarkWilsonGA and his website  http://www.markwilsoneducation.com/

Each segment will start with an “ i ” (next month is Innovate). Mark will talk and share stories about the principalship. He will provide suggestions for the school building leader in addressing the many demands of the position.

This should be an awesome opportunity for professional learning!

Enjoy!

You can also contact Mark at

Mark.wilson.ga@gmail.com or call him at 706-474-2454

Length 17:34

Episode 36: Growing Up in Poverty and Lessons Learned with Dr. Hayward Cordy

Dr. Hayward Cordy is the Executive Director of the Oconee RESA.

Hayward grew up in Wrightsville, Ga-Johnson County…the son of sharecroppers. As you listen to Hayward talk, think about the ultimate lessons that his family taught him. He could have complained and wanted someone to save him. He could have bemoaned his station in life. Instead, he focused on succeeding. He didn't let others derail his focus, he stayed the course and earned college degrees and eventually became the superintendent of the same school system where he had once attended class.

Listen for Hayward to explain … Damaged Goods, Choices and Consequences, The Greatest Lesson Taught to him by His Family, and An Improbable Dream Became Reality.

There are many lessons to be gleaned from Hayward’s memories.

I hope that you will come back and listen, again and again and share with others.

In a world where it is easy to be negative about all of life experiences…Hayward’s recollections make you realize that hard work and determination do pay off!

Thanks for listening! I hope that you will take his words to heart!

To discover more about the Oconee RESA or to connect with Dr. Cordy use the link or address blow.

http://www.ciclt.net/sn/clt/oconee/default.aspx?ClientCode=oconee

Dr. Hayward Cordy

Executive Director

Oconee RESA

206 South Main Street

Tennille, Georgia 31089

Phone: 478-552-5178

Length: 52:12

Episode 35: The Law of the Inner Circle and Team Building

According to John Maxwell, "A leader's potential is determined by those closest to him."

John notes, "When you have the right staff, potential skyrockets."

The team or organization leader needs team members he/she chooses. Many times they can inherit and/or have someone from higher up in the organization want to add people to the team.  This is unfortunate and can cause issues of with results orientation and effectiveness. When given the opportunity to select his/her own team mates the leader needs to take advantage of this to select the best and the brightest that will bring their special attributes to the team.

It is important for the leader to recognize that he/she wants to select those individuals who address the weaknesses of the leader not clones of the leader.

 

( Patrick Lencioni )

The leader has to take time to support and develop that team that will become his inner circle. This is the group that will connect with each other and will develop a deep sense of trust to the organization, the leader and accomplishing the mission. Check out Patrick Lencioni's The Five Dysfunctions of the Team.

This does not happen overnight it requires the leader spending time developing his team.

This means interacting with each other not just in meetings and eating together. It means having an opportunity to laugh and play together and to experience turmoil and difficulty together.

Check out my thoughts about playing soccer, racing cars, the fluer-di-lis, and the lightening bolt.

It also means that the leader needs to find out what training and coaching they need and insure that they get it.

As a note, it is possible that you will make a bad selection for the team, the leader has to be willing to address that because it is a weakness for the team that will disrupt success.

I hope that you enjoy this episode and I challenge you to take the time to examine your organization and ask yourself …

Do you have an inner circle?

Do you support them?

Does someone not need to be on that team?

Some words of wisdom from John Maxwell:

"One of the mistakes I often made early in my career as a team leader was that I thought everyone who was on my team should remain on my team."-John Maxwell

"Hire the best staff you can find, develop them as much as you can, and hand off everything you possibly can to them."-John Maxwell

Recommended Reading:

John Maxwell's:

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork

Patrick Lencioni's:

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

Also, you can subscribe to John Maxwell's Minute with Maxwell. 

A daily dose of leadership advice from John at no cost to you.

Enjoy!

Length: 31:21