My first year as Director of CTE/PTECH for Lytle ISD has been fast and furious. It has become the best combination of teacher, counselor, and administrator. The previous roles and responsibilities of all three of these stakeholder positions have shown to be...
Blog
Leading With a Plan
Have you ever heard the phrase, “Failure to plan is planning to fail”? This happens to be one of my favorite phrases. Have you ever woken up and just by happenstance reached a weight loss goal? Have you ever heard of a battle being won by accident...
RadicalInclusion
I recently read Radical Inclusion: What the Post-9/11 World Should Have Taught Us About Leadership by Martin Dempsey and Ori Brafman (2017). In this book, the warrior (former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dempsey) and the academic (Dr. Brafman)...
Betterness
Getting better. Every day. On purpose. That could be a tattoo for the continuous improvement mindset. Why would betterness not be a goal for each of us, both in our personal lives and in the organizations we belong to? Betterness is a discipline, the direct result of...
Reciprocation
One of the powerful conclusions we glean from research in the field of psychology is that of reciprocation. It is in our nature to mirror/reflect behavior others send in our direction. It’s as if we feel some powerful pull to respond in like kind. As servant leaders...
GripLessening
Leaders who want to control everything are like a ship trying to move through water while dragging the anchor. That micromanaging behavior has the following impact on those charged with producing the outcomes: Frustration – constant over-the-shoulder critique and...
Who Cooks the Best Steak in Texas?
Wait…when NC said “choice of topic is all yours,” did he really mean it? I mean, given the choice, SS is ALWAYS going to choose food! Those who serve in a rural community truly understand the value of school/community relations. As Hico ISD embarks on the PTECH (P20)...
Dance in the Rain
As a traditional school leader, we were trained to “take charge” to have the answers and push forward with a smile on our face. Never let them see you sweat! What I have learned in my years of leadership, is that there is not just one way to lead; and the...
Picturing Grace
Several years ago, I spent a good bit of time with 20 academically fragile high school students over the course of a school year while conducting research for my dissertation. These 16-to-18-year-old students were all labeled as “potential at-risk” for...
Orgsolescence
Organizations have always had lifespans, the inevitable cycle of growth and death. Just ask the Roman Empire, the Third Reich, Polaroid, Block Buster, Lucent, etc. if you doubt it. Organizational lifespan is shrinking as result of technology, information...
