Dispositions of Leadership

Dispositions of Leadership: The Effects on Student Learning and School Culture is a treasure trove of insights for experienced and aspiring school leaders alike. The brilliance is in how the information is shared. It is not a "how to book" but rather a "can do book." The dispositions are presented as a framework for thinking and learning, and it is up to the reader to transform this information into action. The research is rich and the supporting stories based on real experience are compelling. This book exemplifies potential and promise for today's school leaders. -- Russell J. Quaglia, Author of School Voice: The Instrument of Change; Principal Voice: Listen, Learn, Lead; and, Aspire High: Imagining Tomorrow's School Today, Executive Director, Quaglia Institute for Student Aspirations School leaders who embrace the high goal that every child will grow and learn to their fullest will find this book speaking directly and personally to them. This is no cookbook with limited ingredients and oversimplified methods. It's a guide to the vital inner workings of successful leadership. Dispositions of Leadership: The Effects on Student Learning and School Culture reveals how effective leaders think flexibly, interact sensitively, and engage others in the solution of problems. Leadership here is responsive, creative, and adaptive - three essential qualities of the modern school seeking to accommodate the student diversity and demands of an ever-changing world. Practicing principals, teacher leaders, and others will find wisdom here to guide their daily rounds: five dispositions that they can practice and model for others and that can serve as the heart of their own learning and professional growth. This book deserves to be read widely. In its emphasis on networking leaders within and across districts in "communities of leaders" lies the key to our profession's future success. -- Gordon A. Donaldson, Ed.D., Professor Emeritus of Education, University of Maine This book offers a contemporary focus on five dispositions for leadership in an agile organization. The book offers a theoretical framework, indicators for changes in leadership roles, and practical examples of how it looks in schools that are transforming based on ever-changing internal and external demands. I am eager to give this tomorrow to school leaders with whom I work! -- Bena Kallick, co-founder and co-director, Institute for Habits of Mind How do we prepare leaders to work in this environment? Adaptability expressed by Heifetz years ago is becoming a necessary skills. By using the dispositions written about in this book, we can adapt our responses by creating a Vision, Understanding, Clarity, and Agility. You will find several references to agility, as well as other foundational behaviors. It is knowing the dispositions and having the agility to use when necessary to confront, manage, and move forward in solving to be more successful in an ever-changing world. -- William A. Sommers, Retired Principal, Bricoleur and Leadership Coach If you could choose one book on the effective practices of the school principal in the 21st Century, this is the one!! The authors have synthesized salient research in the field of educational leadership and artfully applied it to the implementation of tools and dispositions of the craft. It creates a backdrop for personal reflection, metacognition and professional growth to become a dynamic leader in our ever-changing world. It is a must read for all educational leaders from the teacher leader, school principal to district administrator. -- Robyn G. Rehmann, principal coach and educational consultant, Anchorage, Alaska