The last chapter of DuFour and Marzano's Leaders of Learning provides several distinct differentiations between effective and mediocre leadership at the school level and beyond. As I read, I found myself highlighting, underlining, and making notes several times per page. These 10 notes stand out to me as key points to consider for any leader at any position:
Effective leaders know the first step in leadership is convincing someone to follow. (193)
Effective leaders know they alone are not the solution. (197)
Effective leaders are busy doing what mediocre leaders are talking about. (198)
Effective leaders accept the responsibility for solving the existing problems and the possible blame for those problems going unresolved. (199)
Effective leaders know they do not have the luxury of letting personal motives and ideologoies stand in the way of the collective desires and visions of the school. (201)
Effective leaders build a staff filled with other leaders. (204)
Effective leaders aren’t afraid to share and even move out of the spotlight. (204)
Effective leaders aim to build a team that won’t need a central leader to improve and succeed. (207)
Effective leaders know that it’s not about them. (207)
Effective leaders do what others merely intend. (208)
I look forward to discussing these points and others during our #edfocus discussion of the second half of the book on Wednesday at 9:30p (eastern time)
