Change is something that does not happen overnight and cannot be done in isolation. Many factors affect whether or not change is successfully implemented, however I would like to argue that leadership is the keystone. If the leader does not truly believe in the initiative, how do we expect the rest of the organization to believe in it and work toward it? If the leader is not there to motivate and encourage members, how do we expect the initiative to move forward? If the leader is not there to redirect members when they are falling off the pathway, how soon will the initiative be abandoned? Leading organizational change is a complex feat because it can be very counter-intuitive to what our human feelings and emotions drive us to do. In his discussion of Friedman’s A Failure of Nerve, Dr. Jonathan Camp describes a differentiated leader as someone that “can take a well-defined stand even when followers disagree while remaining connected in a meaningful way with others” (2010). Additionally, a differentiated leader is able to tolerate other people’s discomfort. Changes tend to make people feel uncomfortable, therefore it makes sense that if you are going to be leading a group of people you should be able to tolerate this discomfort. If you cannot handle the discomfort, how do you expect other people to be able to function in it? When sabotage appears and anxiety rises, who will people look to? They will look at the leader. If they see that the leader is faltering, it makes it easier for them to abandon the initiative. How do you become a self-differentiated leader? How do you tolerate other people’s discomfort? How do you move you initiative forward? Unfortunately there is not a magic pixie dust you can sprinkle, however there are many research-based tools, systems, and disciplines to help people lead organizational change. Over the past month, I have had the opportunity to read the following books that have helped me gain a vision of how I’m going to be able to move the student e-portfolio initiative from being a plan to being a goal and ultimately a reality. Something that all of these books have in common is setting up the foundation for success by involving others. First and foremost, you must be able identify your why. Why should student e-portfolios be a school-wide initiative? It can be easy to dismiss this initiative as just another way of getting both teachers and students to comply with using technology in the classroom, but it goes far beyond that. Read this post to take a deeper look into why the use of student e-portfolios will enhance student learning.
All of the three books discussed will be helpful in moving the student e-portfolio initiative beyond just a plan and really bringing it to life. Through the tools provided, I will be able to lead organizational change. Let it be known that this is not a one-time deal: I will not become the type of leader I aspire to be after simply reading these books once. This will require practice, review, reflection, more practice, and more review. References: Friedman's theory of differentiated leadership made simple. (2010, November 10). [Video] from https://youtu.be/RgdcljNV-Ew McChesney, C., Covey, S., & Huling, J. (2012). The 4 disciplines of execution: achieving your wildly important goals. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster. Patterson, K. (2012). Crucial conversations: tools for talking when stakes are high. New York: McGraw-Hill. Patterson, K., & Grenny, J. (2013). Influencer: The new science of leading change, Second Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
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