Stop Doing What Doesn't Work

Hey, I am Dr. Tom Miller and I have a big idea to share.

I believe that everything needs to fight for its life to get on your agenda. Here is what I mean.

I remember when I was a principal, just coming back from spring break, spending the last week reflecting and analyzing where we needed to go over the next 90 days to be fully prepared for the next school year.  

I would share these ideas with my team and instead of them showing excitement for a new idea they would think...oh no, that's one more thing! When will we find the time to do that? How will we do that? How will this impact ME?  

Like many school leaders, I struggled from "shiny object" syndrome. I love to learn about what is working in other schools and tinker with strategies. The more I learned, the more I put on my team, without taking anything away.   

My inability to prioritize, isolate, and focus on the most vital, game-changing actions that ensure significant improvement in teaching and learning was impacting the morale and killing our school culture. 

Then I stopped reading articles and began learning directly from other principals. I did this through school visits and interviews. Over the next six to twelve months I had come to the conclusion that the most successful principals leaders know and understand that time, energy and resources are precious, and if we squander them on too many initiatives or the wrong ones, we will fail.

And here is the reason, sometimes, to either appease the culture (what we do around here), a lack of true understanding of our vision, or clarity on what is actually working, we do what comes easy.

We lower our standards on what we let in.

As a result, we waste time and lose credibility with our top people. Simply because we refuse to look realistically at where we are, or who we are. 

Let me tell you. You get what you fight for. 

If you want to truly raise morale in the organization you lead, begin weeding out anything or anyone that does not demonstrate clear evidences that it is taking the organization to its goals.    To be a program or initiative it has to continually prove to me that it is WORKING!   Otherwise, take it outback, and put it out of its misery.
   

One of my favorite organizational leadership quotes is by Michael Schmoker. In his book Focus, he proclaimed, “The key to effective leadership is identifying the smallest number of high-leverage, easy to understand actions that unleash stunningly powerful consequences.”

WOW! That statement alone should have you rethinking 90% of your day!

As I noted before, the schools that are underperforming typically are led by leaders who embrace a large number of low-leverage, difficult to understand actions. 

As you start this week, what is an idea, a thought, an initiative, or maybe a person that you need to let go of?  

By holding on to these pain points or unfinished thoughts and initiatives, we are leaking energy, taking up mental and emotional space and creating static towards the Harmony we desire.  

So if you need permission to let it go. Here it is.  

So YOU and the organization you lead has room to grow.    

Make a difference,

Dr. Tom

P.S. If you are wondering HOW I started to learn how to focus my time, energy and resources it all started by taking my DISC personality profile and understanding WHO I was as a leader and HOW it was impacting those I lead.

The toughest person to lead is me...it is a FULL-TIME job. To do it, I need all the help I can get. 

Our DISC profile shares personal strategies in regard to my leadership style in public and under conflict so I can be MORE AWARE. I know understand the best ways to communicate with others. My ideal working conditions, my strengths in leadership. 

This detailed report is ALL that you need the information you need to improve daily as a school leader. 

Click the link and grab yours today! https://www.leaders-building-leaders.com/offers/aiAvNLNC/checkout

The only regret you will have is that you did not know this information sooner!