Crucial Conversations & More

I think being a leader is stressful, but being an effective leader is even more stressful. The difference between the two is that an effective leader is aware that leading change is not going to be easy, but well worth it. That type of leader is going to recognize their own anxiety and find proper and effective ways to regulate that. I don’t think it’s about eliminating the stress, but rather thriving in it and working passed it.

Sabotage indicates that the virus is taking over. This is when the one person (or group of people) that begin to infect the rest of the crowd or body with their negativity. Their words take over others’ thoughts and lead to no action for change. The effective leader is viewed as the one who wants to destroy the complacency that is had. The shake up is needed though. To make their organization a better place, the effective leader will have to continue to ignore what “the virus” is saying and doing and allow their actions to be the proof to other individuals that are watching the change happen. The self differentiated leader will eventually show others that although their work may be different from the status quo, effective change is happening without the stress and anxiety others are still facing.

The crucial conversations that I face with my own innovation plan is letting my team leader and admin know that I will be incorporating some form of play-based learning into my blended learning stations. Both are fully aware that stations are already happening within my classroom, but bringing back free play and exploration to learn is something that may be a touchy subject. Using the crucial conversation tools will allow both parties to keep our result and outcome in the forefront. Aside from how we feel about it, we all want what is best for our students. I believe keeping that in mind, always, will allow the conversation not to divert to our own personal feelings.

I think I will need to be focusing more on crucial conversations in the beginning stages of my change strategy. I feel that since this innovation is new there will undoubtedly be conversations that could very easily become heated discussions and arguments, if they are not approached properly. I feel that once the new wears off and my innovation plan becomes something that others are familiar with, then in that point in time differentiated leadership will become more significant.