The results of my self-assessment of the 21 Responsibilities of a School Leader compared with those of the Balanced Leadership Profile are relatively consistent. Illustrated to the left, you will find that for each of the 21 responsibilities, the scores show minimal differences. The differences, however minimal, may be due to my change in thought process as I completed the Balanced Leadership Profile. While completing the self-assessment, my mind was focused on the skills I believe I currently posses. On the other hand, I shifted toward what currently exists at my school during the completion of the Balanced Leadership Profile. Taking the 30 minutes it took to complete the later profile causes one to think and process more deeply. In doing so, I was no longer the focal point.Top 7 Strengths / Top 7 Areas of Improvement & Student Achievement
My strengths and areas of improvement on the self-assessment were consistent with the leadership profile. I had more than seven 4's on the self-assessment, so I decided to use those that were consistent with the leadership profile results. In doing so, I ended up with 8 strengths and 6 areas of improvement for reflection. As Marzano mentions, the following scores are not in order of rank. They do and will change based on the perspective of those viewing or classifying them.
Contingent reward - 4/4.75 – Ideals and beliefs - 4/4.50 – Affirmation - 4/4.33 – Resources - 4/4.33
Visibility - 4/4.33 – Communication - 4/4.00 – Optimizer - 4/4.00 – Situational awareness - 4/4.00
Visibility - 4/4.33 – Communication - 4/4.00 – Optimizer - 4/4.00 – Situational awareness - 4/4.00
These strengths implicate that as students make gains, they will be praised for their achievements. This is a great motivation technique to foster continued growth and development. We are firm in what we believe and honest about where we are and need to go. The tools we need to get the job done are in house. We love the trenches. It is in the trenches that we see and hear what is going on while making ourselves available for dialogue and inspiring all to continue the great work.
My areas in need of improvement shed light on the fact that current theories and practice must be the topic of discourse throughout the school, while monitoring the effectiveness of what's actually going on. More attention is needed on the personal aspects of faculty and staff, as those may be issues negatively effecting the classroom environment and student achievement. Any distractors to teaching must be dealt with. All stakeholders must be kept up to speed while increasing community involvement. A little tenderness to the leadership style may go along way in fostering the positive attitudes necessary for sustained development.
As Deming and Covey have alluded to, we must look at the whole picture for sustained development, and at times more energy may be warranted in various areas and varying times. As effective leaders, we must be ready to work, as mastery of the 21 responsibilities mentioned above are no small feet and "just the tip of the iceberg."
Intellectual stimulation - 3/2.50 – Monitor/evaluate - 3/2.75 – Relationships - 3/2.75
Discipline - 3/3.75 – Outreach - 3/4.00 – Flexibility - 3/4.25
My areas in need of improvement shed light on the fact that current theories and practice must be the topic of discourse throughout the school, while monitoring the effectiveness of what's actually going on. More attention is needed on the personal aspects of faculty and staff, as those may be issues negatively effecting the classroom environment and student achievement. Any distractors to teaching must be dealt with. All stakeholders must be kept up to speed while increasing community involvement. A little tenderness to the leadership style may go along way in fostering the positive attitudes necessary for sustained development.
As Deming and Covey have alluded to, we must look at the whole picture for sustained development, and at times more energy may be warranted in various areas and varying times. As effective leaders, we must be ready to work, as mastery of the 21 responsibilities mentioned above are no small feet and "just the tip of the iceberg."
Everything within the school, no matter how small, has an effect on student achievement.
It’s interesting that you changed your focus from individual to a team analysis as you completed the balanced leadership inventory. I think this reflection points toward your collaborative nature and your strength in being an optimizer. As you reflect, continue to apply the balanced leadership responsibilities to your school setting and consider how you respond individually to the 21 leadership skill areas, particularly those areas in which you scored 3 and below.
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