TEN KEYS TO BRILLIANT!

We all know the ten keys to brilliant: people, leadership, teamwork, attitude, trust, determination, commitment, partnership, ownership and engagement. 

We all want to work somewhere extra-ordinary; to be part of a great team that will transform learning and create brilliant learning places. It is all about learning leadership, beautiful systems and intelligent accountability. It's all about focusing and nurturing colleagues' passion, commitment and belief. It's all about harnessing their determination and hard work as a team thinking, learning and sharing what works to improve teaching and learning  and transform provision and outcomes for young people and the communities we serve. Gregg Thompson, president of Bluepoint Leadership Development, has identified seven things that will make a real difference in your school, your team, or your organisation. Do all seven, and you will release real magic!

"Craft a big, bold, breath-taking story and tell it every day.
What is the most exciting, rewarding, and scariest future you can imagine? What great battles will be won, treasures found and people freed? Paint the story in full colour. What does the future look like? How are we going to get there? How is tomorrow going to be much better than today? People want to be part of an important story. Tell it to them and help them find their own starring role.

Multiply the strength of your leadership connections.
Consider for a moment the colleagues with whom you share management and leadership responsibilities. How much more effective would your leadership team become if you dramatically strengthened your personal connection with every one of these people? Try this: honour their uniqueness; share more of yourself; learn about them; ask how you can serve them. Be careful, this is very potent.

Act with exceptional compassion and kindness.
Seek out ways to show your humanity every day. Treat everyone in the organisation with dignity and respect, especially those who are struggling. They will walk through walls for you, but do not do it for that reason. Do it because it is the right thing to do. We spend much of our waking lives inside organisations and you have the power to make these places where the human spirit can thrive or die. Use this power well.

Tell the absolute truth.
Everyone wants to improve the communication throughout their organisation but what about simply setting a new standard for honesty…starting with you. How much more effective would your organisation be if the half-truths, positioning, sacred elephants and face-saving were eradicated? The tough part is that you cannot make this happen by mandating it. You must go first. You must model it.

Hold everyone accountable.
The caring leader insists that people do what they say they will do. When you hold people accountable, you are saying that their work is important. You are saying that they are important. Every time you let a deadline slip or a deliverable go incomplete, you are discounting the person whose job it is to deliver on these commitments. Make it a habit to ensure that every piece of work is accompanied by a personal commitment. Measure. Give feedback. Initiate consequences.

Celebrate being part of an organisation that keeps its promises.
Confront underperformance and make a list. Commit to seeing that this performance changes. Before you take any action, ask yourself these questions – “What is my part in this situation? How have my actions or lack thereof contributed to this situation? What do I need to do differently?” Approach the individuals in question and describe your responsibilities and personal commitments to change. Then, and only then, it’s their turn. You may need to do nothing else.

Be distinctively you.
What would you get if you could put all of the leadership qualities of Bill Gates, Gandhi, Mother Theresa, George Washington, Jack Welch and Winston Churchill into one individual? These men and women made a difference because they had the courage to be themselves. What excites you these days? What are your passions? Your obsessions? Where do you want to make your mark? When you are at your best, what are you doing? Maybe it’s time to figure out what is most important to you, tell everyone around you, and let this fuel your leadership."

Keep the faith!
Chris