Today I had the good fortune of attending a conference entitled "What Great Leaders Do Differently." The keynote speaker for the day was Dr. Todd Whitaker. Honestly, I was not sure what to expect, since most conferences have a tendency of falling a bit short of their billing. Nonetheless, I was interested in hearing what Dr. Whitaker had to say.
Seated with a group of my colleagues at a large table amongst several hundred other educators, Dr. Whitaker took to the floor. He was a polished presenter, weaving a message that was important for all educators to hear. Simply put, he talked about the differences between right and wrong. Further, he gave a series of strategies on how to get more people to do the right thing and how to appropriately and respectfully deal with the difficult people who did the wrong thing. Throughout the day, he reiterated how school leaders need to focus on what the best people in the organization are thinking and feeling about matters that relate to the school... Things to address, things to ignore, ways of dealing with both, always seemed to go back to the same simple messages.
I am interested in learning more about Dr. Whitaker's approach to working with people and how to bring about systemic change in an organization. I plan on reading at least three of his books: Dealing with Difficult Teachers, What Great Teachers Do Differently and What Great Principals Do Differently.
Overall, I was glad to have attended the session and feel that I have gained valuable information that can help me be a better, more effective leader.
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