Creating and Sustaining Leadership Pathways for Yourself and Others AASA/ACSA Women’s Leadership Forum Oct. 1, 2015

Welcome/Introductions  Who’s here and what can you share?  Who are your presenters and what can we share?  Gloria Johnston  Peggy Lynch  Valerie Pitts

How can you be successful at the school and district level and help others do the same?  Build and sustain positive relationships  Ask for and take opportunities to lead and learn  Be trustworthy and honest at all times  Have a passion for educating all students  Help others learn and grow through modeling and providing feedback

How can you be successful at the school and district level and help others do the same?  Read everything you can find that relates to your work.  Attend conferences that are relative to your current job and future growth.  Submit presentations for conferences at the local, state and national level whenever possible.  Observe your colleagues at work and ask your colleagues to observe you and give you feedback.  Write articles/books for publication with colleagues.  Pursue advanced degrees and/or specialty certificates.

How can you be successful at the school and district level and help others do the same?  Leaders step up when leaders are needed  Participate in committees and task forces even if the work is not a priority for you – it is for someone and we have to be willing to support others  Take an interest in reform – be a part of it  Take risks – that means step out of your comfort zone and be willing to fail  Lean in and develop relationships  Be mindful – and have a growth mindset – do the inner work

How do you connect with coaches and mentors and how do you do the same for others?  Network ( develop relationships – learn about others )  Do not be too quick to judge – everyone has something to share and everyone has something to learn from others  Ask questions/ask for feedback/ask to brainstorm  Respect/praise accomplishments/ask for advice  Is there a difference between a coach and a mentor?  Anyone with something of value to share, wisdom, respect, experience can be your mentor  Figure out a way to utilize the strengths or expertise of the those you most admire –summon the courage to reach out

How do you connect with coaches and mentors and how do you do the same for others?  Offer to help and be helpful  No judgment  Start with and at the level of the mentee/coachee  Praise often and meaningfully  Recognize and name the successes Excellence means not just reaching your potential but pushing beyond – therefore none of us ever arrive and coaching becomes a viable and meaningful way of pushing beyond!

How do you network, use social media and connect with the community?  Network and Communicate by being visible  Take advantage of opportunities to meet others  Network by using a promise strategy – promise yourself you will meet and find out about at least two others  Relationship development occurs using many vehicles:  responsivity - answer promptly, consistently – it helps others feel valued and special – it helps others to trust you  Say thank you, be gracious, show appreciation  Body language in new groups  Don’t judge, don’t make faces

How you network, use social media and connect with the community?  USE SOCIAL MEDIA professionally – whether you like it or not  Establish school and district presence in FB, Twitter, Tumbler, You Tube, Websites, etc – what others do in the district is a direct reflection of your leadership – insist on using these vehicles actively and in the present  Establish professional accounts for yourself in Twitter and LinkedIn. Do NOT use your personal Facebook to like your professional FB. Do not mix personal Tweets with professional Tweets  Establish a protocol for yourself and stick to it - integrity  Effective networking is keeping up – social media helps

How do you use social media to network?  Use your professional Twitter, Voxer or Blog, Google Alerts, Local News Apps, as frequently as you can  Professional Learning is un-paralleled (you will be surprised at how you find the time)  Name recognition and retweeting forms a basis for relationships that can become person to person  Create a sense of being part of a community or team  Can build team through simple connections  Can find out things about others that can help you form important future relationships  You are viewed as accessible as a leader.

Links   ways-to-grow-your-professional-network ways-to-grow-your-professional-network  Getting-Started-Tips Getting-Started-Tips

Activity  Find someone who has Twitter or Blogs  Share a link  Help them create an Account  Write something

How can you advance your career and be successful in job searches and interviews?  Prior To Applying  Work hard at doing your current job well  Ask for feedback on how you are doing and learn how to give effective feedback  Be a continual learner  Have great follow through - do what you say you will do  Think strategically about your career – in the short and long term  Identify and address your growth areas  Consider your future career steps including mobility, personal and family needs or situations, and timing  Keep your resume and reference letters up to date

How can you advance your career and be successful in job searches and interviews?  Applying for Positions  Determine whether you are the right match for the position and have the right experiences that match the job  Make sure you do your homework on the district, school, community and position  Prepare quality application materials including the cover letter, your resume, and any application forms that are required  Make sure your references know that you are applying and they may be contacted  Prepare for the interview by considering the questions that will be asked and how you might answer them  Practice interviewing with a colleague or friend – video it

How can you advance your career and be successful in job searches and interviews?  Interviewing  Dress professionally  Listen carefully to the questions and answer what is asked  Make eye contact with the interviewers  Do not take too long or run on with your answers  Be sure to mix in actual stories/experiences so your answers don’t sound like education jargon  Respond to questions as if you are in the role already  Above all, don’t interview if you are not willing to take the job

How can you be a courageous leader, present a strong image as a female and maintain longevity in your career?  Accept risk as an opportunity and be willing to challenge the status quo.  Model ethical and moral conduct and face issues head on.  Stay focused on the needs and priorities of students.  Learn to acknowledge and accept your internal feelings.  Present a strong image.

Closing Q and A and Sharing  How have you been courageous as a leader?  What is your biggest concern about courage?  Who do you know that is courageous and why?