Leaders Just Do It Differently....

The article arrived in my mail box at school yesterday and it was just two good not to comment on. In the article Dr. Heidi Grant Halvorson a Motivational Psychologist describes the "Nine Things Successful People Do Differently" these principal points mimic the focus that successful leaders must have to implement a plan (especially one technologically focused) in a school. When creating successful programs you want them to be a natural part of daily use and activities. This requires a culture change, attitude change, and sometimes most difficult TIME.      

Get Specific:

When deciding what you goal will be get as specific as possible. Don't just say that you want your faculty to use technology more. BE SPECIFIC! "I want my teachers using their smart boards at least three times a week." "I want students to update the classroom web page every week to display current work, activities, and upcoming events." " I want enough laptops in the building for every student." This way you know exactly what needs to be done to achieve your goal and you plan is clear and precise.
   

Seize The Moment To Act On Your Goals:
Jump on board and be confident that the time is right. As we have always heard "there is no time like the present." Again, BE SPECIFIC plan short term goals and achieve them. This increases the likelihood of getting to you desired result.  

"You Miss 100 Percent of the Shots You Don't Take"- Wayne Gretzky 

Know Exactly How Far You Have Left To Go:

Monitoring your own progress allows real time assessment of what is working and what is not. You need to be honest and open to changing your approach, if it is not working it must be altered so that it does work. You need to give your plan time to grow and develop but it must also be monitored frequently to see that progress is indeed being made. If one more teacher or parent decides to use technology or go to development classes to better understand progress is being made.

Be A Realistic Optimist 

Positive upbeat thinking is a key component to successful change. We must believe we are doing the right things and that it will get better. This optimism will lead others to follow you and sustain motivation for those working on getting better. And this will also provide motivation for you as the leader. But again as the the leader you must be rooted in the real world and be critical of what is going on through monitoring, altering, and adapting to best practices. "Don't underestimate how difficult it will be to reach your goal. Most goals worth achieving require time, planning, effort, and persistence."
It reminds me of this scene from "A League of Their Own" when Tom Hanks' character says "It's supposed to be hard, if it wasn't hard everyone would do it, the hard is what makes it great."

   

Focus On Getting Better Rather Than Being Good:

Skill will be acquired, practice makes perfect, and every time you put in effort you grow as a person. I know for a fact I will NEVER golf on the PGA Tour but as long as I get better every time I swing my clubs I am happy and will play as long as that continues. Change is what we are trying to promote, perfection is not given it is earned and it takes years and years of getting better to become good at something. As long as short term goals are continually being met then your people, and project are getting better. Do not stop, push through, and work Work WORK it will be worth it in the end.

Have Grit:

" Grit is a willingness to commit to long-term goals, and persist in the face of difficulties." Lets face it change is usually not easy, and people will challenge you. We as leaders must have some thick skin and strong purposeful focus to get the job done. Grit is what allows us to soldier on even through we are continually being told to give up. Have faith in yourself and believe in what you are doing and you will make it through to the other side.

  

Build Your Willpower Muscles:
Grit will get you through the short-term pitfalls and struggles, but when time becomes an issue only your willpower will keep you on track without faltering. We are weak as human beings giving up can be the easiest thing we ever do in our lives but leaders realize there are more important things that must be accomplished and continue doing tasks that they may not WANT to do because in the end it will payoff.
Don't look at the negative and say it is something you "HAVE TO DO" make it a positive and take pleasure in the fact that you "GET TO DO" something.
   
Don't Tempt Fate:
Don't bite off more than you can chew. Make the goals achievable and do not pile on more that you need to or more than you can handle. This just leads to becoming overwhelmed, frustrated, and more likely to give up. Doing to much makes it seem like you are not reaching your goals and motivation will dwindle. Remember you don't want to loose you fight and that this is a marathon not a sprint.


Focus On What You Will Do Not What You Won't Do: 

Again you plan of attack and short term goals should include what you ARE going to do to achieve and nothing else. Describing or thinking about what you WON'T do only limits your efforts. Be open to trying new approaches and ways of solving problems. Never allow yourself to discount people or methods because the one you do may be the one that works. Allow people to explore and learn through trial and error. Making a mistake is part of this process and be fearful of that impedes progress.