« Change and the Brain | Main | Moving from Analysis Paralysis »
October 9, 2006
Jack's Five "Cs" of Leadership
I was lucky enough to learn from Jack McCall 13 years ago and have the distinct pleasure to listen and learn from him as he and his wife, Mary, come to the Principals' Executive Program to talk informally about leadership and life to some groups of school executives. During one of his talks with experienced principals, Jack mentioned the Five C's of leadership. With apologies to him if I missed some notes while I was sitting at the side of the room taking notes, here are the five C's for leaders.
Civility-it is the bedrock of civilization. We can disagree with someone without being disagreeable about it. Common courtesies, such as holding the door for someone else, and saying "thank you" go along way to bringing people along with your leadership.
Conservation-we are all interconnected. It is critical for us to remember that just like a food web in ecology, we are all interconnected through each other. There is truth to the idea of six degrees of separation.
Community Service-take care of those who need to be taken care of. People want to contribute and to be taken seriously.
Considerate Conversations with yourself-it is easy to beat yourself up for mistakes. You don't get wisdom by staying in the harbor and not taking a chance.
Jack concluded his "fireside chat" with us by reminding us that almost all of his successes followed upon his failures. Resiliency is key.
So the question is: Are there other "C's" or keys of leadership that you work from?
Posted by chitch at October 9, 2006 5:16 AM
Comments
I feel like a bit of an intruder commenting on the BLOG--I'm not yet an administrator (school executive). I am an aspiring school-leader, however, currently in the process of applying for the precursor to PEP: the Principal's Fellowship Program.
Although I am a special education teacher now, I am someone that led in a corporate setting.
And what truly inspires me to want to enter the world of SCHOOL leadership is the very existence of PEP: An institution that clearly defines the most current issues and trends in leadership and makes them available and palatable for practicing professionals...not just those who are immersed in an EDS or Doctorate program.
That being said...C's that pervade my professional practice are Caring for others deeply, Consistency in my demeanor and positivism, and a Can-do tone set for my students.
My question is (to any NC Principal willing to answer), how well does this translate from the classroom to the "main office"?
Posted by: jeff moss at October 9, 2006 1:57 PM
I think commitment is key also. We need to decide on our vision and mission and commit to it whole - heartedly! We also need to put in as many hours as it will take to get the job done well. The other end of this balance beam is our commitment to our families and friends. We will have to prioritize and decide who and what to commit our time to.
Posted by: Andrea Owens at October 13, 2006 3:12 PM
Jeff,
I agree with your additional 3 C's. Having lived in both worlds (public service and corporate), I have found that there are MANY more similarities between types of organizations than differences.
Chris
Posted by: Chris at October 13, 2006 4:15 PM
Jack has this uncanny way of re-focusing us away from the narrowness of test scores, drop-out rates, and bus routes to remind us that we are leaders of people, and their expectations of us have more to do with our hearts. So, my additional "C" word, like the Cowardly Lion, is COURAGE, not just the courage to act, but sometimes the courage not to act. Leadership, particularly good leadership, is not for the faint of heart.
Ken Jenkins
Posted by: Ken Jenkins at October 23, 2006 10:41 AM