A gem of a crossing guard in this guy, Mr. Jabu. He know each child’s name. He is the first line of contact every morning, enthusiastically welcoming each student (and parent) by name. Keep rocking it, Mr. Jabu. #LeadUpChat #LeadLAP #JoyfulLeaders #DadsAsPrincipals

While consultants have their place and will always have their place, the future of our school development lies in empowering the educators and leaders to harness their own collective wisdom.

"The beginner chases the right answers. The master chases the right questions." @JamesClear

JUST START Maybe it’s marking. Perhaps report writing. Maybe an assembly to prep for. Or minutes to write. The length of your ‘to do’ list saps the energy to do, well, much of anything. But you also know that once you start things get easier. So, start. Send one e-mail. Clear one policy. Mark one book. Plan one lesson. Maybe you won’t finish, but start. One book. One e-mail. Something. Just start. Sometimes starting will spark the energy to power through. Other times it’s a battle; you’ll only chip away at the task. But, you’ve started. Your list just got smaller. This isn’t to say never rest. On the contrary. You should. This advice is for when you know you should be doing something. Just do it. Just start. The rest will take care of itself…or not…but at least you’ve made a start.

Happy 70th birthday, Dad.

How would my daily schedule change if I did a little more of what I'm great at and a little less of what I'm not great at?

On Hats, Haircuts, and Tattoos I think about decisions in three ways: hats, haircuts, and tattoos. Most decisions are like hats. Try one and if you don't like it, put it back and try another. The cost of a mistake is low, so move quickly and try a bunch of hats. Some decisions are like haircuts. You can fix a bad one, but it won't be quick and you might feel foolish for awhile. That said, don't be scared of a bad haircut. Trying something new is usually a risk worth taking. If it doesn't work out, by this time next year you will have moved on and so will everyone else. A few decisions are like tattoos. Once you make them, you have to live with them. Some mistakes are irreversible. Maybe you’ll move on for a moment, but then you'll glance in the mirror and be reminded of that choice all over again. Even years later, the decision leaves a mark. When you're dealing with an irreversible choice, move slowly and think carefully. From: jamesclear.com/3-2-1/februar… (Hat tip to @tferriss, who once compared making decisions to choosing a sweater, which sent me down this line of thinking.)

“The more social media we have, the more we think we're connecting, yet we are really disconnecting from each other.” - JR, Artist

You will love whatever you pour your heart into. Passion follows commitment.

Is the culture at your international school positive, collaborative, and describable?

Enough courage to get started enough sense to focus on something you’re naturally suited for enough persistence to stay in the game long enough to catch a few lucky breaks a lot of hard work. There’s your recipe.

Urging people to be positive doesn’t boost their resilience. It denies their reality. When times are tough, we don’t need good vibes only. We need a hand to keep us steady through all the vibrations. Strength doesn’t come from forced smiles. It comes from feeling supported. link.chtbl.com/RTAdam

Anthropologist and former college president Judith Shapiro once pointed out that the most compelling reason to get a good education is that it makes “the inside of your head an interesting place to spend the rest of your life."

MANAGERS DO, LEADERS LISTEN Sure, leaders do much (much, much) more besides, but the point remains: the best leaders avoid 'too much' doing. They avoid doing as a displacement activity. They avoid it as a seductive distraction. They've employed others to 'do'. Sure, they'll sometimes muck in and get 'doing' - they'll lead from the front - but they know that too much doing detracts from leading. From listening. From thinking. From strategising. From getting out of the weeds, and planning where to plant the trees. From preventing fires, not fighting them. From doing what leaders are paid to do - lead. Leadership vis-a-vis management isn't a dichotomy, but there are differences. And, yes, it's an oversimplification, but, in the broadest of terms: managers do, leaders listen.

You don’t have to build confidence before taking action. You build confidence by taking action. Standing still breeds rumination and seeds self-doubt. Motion fuels progress and elevates efficacy. Never let doubts about your ability undermine your faith in your ability to learn.

“Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do.” -Steve Jobs

In your career, the most valuable currency is not how much you know. It's how well you learn. In a stable world, success depended on building expertise. In a changing world, it hinges on evolving expertise. Potential is no longer defined by ability. It's a function of agility.

These are some takeaways from one of my recent articles. What else did you think about while reading the article? wayning.org/2024/01/key-take… #internationalschools #organizationalperformance

The best way to gauge the quality of someone’s ideas isn’t to listen to them talking. It’s to read their writing. Compelling speakers can mask weak logic with strong charisma. Putting key points on a page exposes flawed reasoning. Compelling writing requires clear thinking.