This book explores ideas I have developed over eighteen years of preparing school leaders. This work also draws heavily on my experience as a public school principal and district superintendent. As a professor of school leadership and as an administrator myself, I have noticed that no currently available books argue that self-regulation, listening, empathy, and self-knowledge are foundational to developing a strong leadership capacity. This book suggests that building these capacities will lead to both personal and professional growth. Further, this book suggests that developing leadership skills in this way—also known as taking an inquiry stance—will help school leaders cultivate a deliberate decision-making process that respects contending perspectives and leads to greater leadership success.

The keys to having an outstanding career as a school leader. The American educational system is in crisis; trends of recent years have been extraordinarily hard on educators. An entire generation of school leaders is retiring, many of them early, and the number of candidates applying to replace them is plummeting. In many districts, applications have shrunk by nearly two-thirds. Seven Secrets of The Savvy School Leader hopes to counteract these glum statistics by giving both aspiring and experienced school leaders important survival tools, and encouraging long-term leaders to renew their faith in their own abilities. Describes the innate tensions inherent in leadership Explores the difference between dilemmas and problems Encourages leaders to make change by making meaning Offers guidance for being your best and bold self Written an expert on school leadership who has worked closely with thousands of schools over the years, the book will help anyone serving as or considering becoming a school administrator.

This book illustrates how the ideal of servant leadership can be applied in your school today. With real-life scenarios, discussions, and self assessments, this book gives practical suggestions to help you develop into a caring and effective servant leader.

This original book shows you how to understand and collaborate with the most difficult members of your staff. Tied together by real-world "success stories" about school change and succinct leadership tips, the parctical advice in this book is supported by research and is presented in a conversational style.

Uncommon Leaders have a gift: While inspiring and serving others with integrity, they also model a commitment to self-care and reflective practices. These skillful leaders are focused on being intentional and mindful of their values, beliefs, and guiding principles---in short, they “live well”. This high level of self-awareness informs the leader’s capacity to model courage and integrity---to “lead strong”. Grounded in their beliefs and values, these leaders routinely offer skillful feedback that impacts performance; they also have the capacity to plan and hold difficult conversations with professionalism. Uncommon Leadership supplies the reader with practical strategies, information and exercises to develop skills, as well as inspirational ideas for maintaining strong and effective leadership over a sustained period of time. Each chapter includes ways in which the reader may transfer their learning to their own practice, as well as a graphic quote that serves as a reminder of key points. Practicing leaders will find this a helpful guide for significant professional growth; aspiring and early career leaders will find it a valuable tool they will return to often for reference.

Featuring real-world examples, practical strategies, and interviews with successful leaders, this resource helps educational leaders implement actions that drive second-order change and increase student achievement!