Leading and Meaning

One of the most difficult things to do as a leader is to compell followers, especially those that view their occupations as a "job" instead of a "calling" or "profession," to see meaning in their work.  My initial reaction to these people is to "write them off" as unmotivated and/or negative.  However, I know as a leader, it is my job, many times, is to motivate, inspire, and compell others to find meaning.  According to Seligman, people find meaning and happiness at work when they are allowed to use their "'signature strengths' to achieve gratification" at work (as cited in Pink, 2006, p. 226).  Fullan (2008) echoed this sentiment in asserting one way leaders show their followers they love them is by putting their followers in positions in which they can succeed.  Therefore, before I "write off" those that don't seem to love their job and can't seem to find meaning in their job, I should probably ask myself if I am putting them in a position to succeed and allowing them to use their signature strengths to achieve gratification.

The Disciplined Mind

Gardner (2008) stresses the importance of the disciplined mind, and I believe that it is Gardner's focus on this mind that makes Five Minds for the Future a more well-rounded and applicable book than, perhaps, Pink's A Whole New Mind.  I feel that mastering, or at least having thorough knowledge of a discipline must come before and work as the foundation for synthesis, creativity, and the like.

In my opinion, it is more fun to teach students to be creative and to synthesize, and more of a grind to teach a discipline. However, it is important that I not neglect the disciplined mind, because students need a context in which to be creative. Without the context and without being grounded in a discipline, student run the risk of just being creative and having no place to apply their creativity.

Response-ability

Riggio et. al. (2008) stated "followership, like leadership, is a discipline of competencies and response-abilities. The difference between response-able and responsible is the difference between something you can do and something you should do. Response-ability is readiness. Responsibility is abstract duty or job description. Leadership and followership are competencies that work in tandem as a shared discipline of reciprocal response-abilities" (p. 18). Being ready and prepared is often times the most important thing leaders and followers can be, and asking questions to alleviate ignorance and confusion and expressing doubt, concern, and even fear are ways in which a good follower and leader become ready and prepared.

I believe it is somewhat easier to ask questions and express doubt and confusion as a follower, because that is expected and even encouraged, especially by a good leader; for, how does a follower learn except by and through asking questions? However, a leader is in a more precarious situation, as questions, doubt, and confusion may lead followers to question and doubt their leadership.

Nonetheless, as a leader, one is bound to get confused and have doubts and questions, so how does a leader express doubt and confusion? As a teacher, when I get confused or have doubts and questions, I go to a fellow teacher. This is good because we do the same things and have the same problems, and a fellow teacher, I think, is less likely to look down on me for not knowing what to do. I can even go to my principals and curriculum leaders, as long as I phrase my concern properly and don't go to them all the time. But, is it OK for a teacher to express their confusion and questions to their followers, i.e. students. Is it OK for a principal to express their confusion and questions to their followers, i.e. teachers. Is is possible to do this without seeming inept or out of control?

Finding Others Without Losing Yourself

Mary Parker Follett (as cited in Riggio, Chaleff & Lipman-Blumen, 2008) stated leadership "is a partnership in reciprocal following." In other words, one that intends to lead must also follow; therefore "there are no leaders who are not followers, not followers who are not leaders, both need to learn what and how to follow" (Riggio et al., 2008). A good leader works to discover the best way to lead and follow the people with which they work. For example, good teachers will ask their students for feedback on an assignment or will ask questions to better understand the learning styles, needs, and personalities of their students. Consequently, teachers, who are normally leadership figures, become followers of their students; the teacher follows what the student says in order to better teach and serve them. As a follower, the teacher ascertains the information and insight necessary to be a better leader and teacher of their students. In addition, students, who are normally followers in the classroom, become leaders of their teachers; simply put, students lead the teacher in the direction they both need to go to achieve the best possible result. This example works best for the situation students and teachers are in; the teacher and student leads and follows depending on the situation and the legitimate needs of themselves and the other.

The Respectful Mind and political correctness

Gardner (2008) stated, "political correctness refers to the practice of speaking and acting positively toward a certain group, just because that group has in the past been subjected to mistreatment, and in decrying anyone who might say anything critical about that group.  In turn, political incorrectness refers to . . . deliberately saying or doing something critical of the targeted group or those who would shield it from criticism" (p. 113).  In modern American society, it seems being politically correct is frowned upon.  It seems we, and especially the media, always want people to NOT be politically correct; we want them to say what they really think.  Even when someone is truly being outwardly respectful of a certain group, we don't believe them.

However, regardless of the way political correctness is percieved, it is still important that we teach our children in the classroom to truly be politically correct; our children must not only say the respectful and "right" thing, they must also believe it, think it, and live it. Furthermore, the best way to teach our children to truly be politically correct is to model it, which means treating children and other teachers with respect when they are present and when they are not. This is a challenge, and I am not always good at it; however, our children will be introduced to incredible challenges in the future and being politically correct with their words, thoughts, and actions will go a long way in overcoming these challenges.

Transnational Leadership and Symphony

Daniel Pink (2005) defined the aptitude "Symphony" as "the ability to put together the pieces. [Symphony] is the capacity to synthesize rather than to analyze; to see relationships between seemingly unrelated fields; to detect broad patterns rather than to deliver specific answers; and to invent something new by combining elements nobody else thought to pair" (p. 130). Pink went on to say that those with a high aptitude of symphony are "boundary crossers" because they are able to develop expertise in a number of different spheres and disciplines and "find joy in the rich variety of human experience" (p.134). As leaders for the 21st century and beyond, it is imperative that we develop within ourselves and those we lead the freedom and confidence to attempt to make connections between ideas and fields that do not seem connectable (I'm not sure if this is a word, but it works here!). Furthermore, to work effectively with people of different cultures, beliefs, and value systems, we must be willing and able find how we connect with them. We must be able to find answers to questions like "How can a white male American Christian connect with a Chinese female Confucian?"

Pink refered to Samuel Taylor Coleridge's comment that great minds are "androgynous," which means to contain both male and female characteristics. Pink said those with androgynous minds are "boundary crossers." To me, this does not mean that I must act like a female or that a female must act like a male. Instead, in a larger sense, I believe Pink and Coleridge are stating that boundary crossers are those whose minds are not rigid and closed off to people and ideas that seem disconnected from their own. An androgynous mind is an open one, always searching for new relationships and progressive connections between seemingly different ideas and concepts.

No, not M. Night Shyamalan, but Daniel Pink. Blog Post #1 - The Sixth Sense

I shuttered when I first read the "Meaning" section in Daniel Pink's A Whole New Mind, and my first reaction was to vehemently disagree with the Dalai Lama and his notion that "the very motion of our life is towards hapiness." Pink's suggestions to focus on spirituality and happiness to find meaning seemed predictable and somewhat hoaky. I guess I just imagined people meditating or holding hands and singing "Kumbaya."   

I read this section a second time in hopes of interpreting it in a more positive light. Although I still respectfully disagreed with the Dalai Lama, I began to understand some of what Pink was trying to suggest. In the "Meaning" section, I think Pink suggested by working and living with a zest for life and with the overarching belief that my work is improving society, I will be more productive and have a positive impact on society, even in the midst of turmoil.

One of the main tenants of Viktor Frankl's (the author of Man's Search for Meaning and the psychologist referenced by Pink) psychological philosophy is that, ultimately, people can choose what kind of attitude they will have towards a given situation, person, or event. With that said, although as educators we often work in hostile environments and are expected to perform with inadequate resources and support, and, altough its seems the public is more critical than helpful and legislation is more constricting than liberating, we can control our attitudes, energy, and zest. In other words, as educators, if we allow external forces and critical yet inexperienced and detached people to define what our meaning and purpose is, then we will never be successful, or happy.

In reading the "Meaning" section a second time I realized I (and we, as educators) must be sure and vigilant in deciding that my attitude will be positive. It is imperative that I define my own success.