Ryan Morrow

A New Road Travelled

Category: Unit 10

Light from Many Lamps – Response to Monica Grace

December 3, 2018 / / 0 Comments

In her blog, Monica pens an honest and open reflection and response to Robert Browning.  Monica, thank you for your open thoughts about your journey.  Through disappointment,  the influence of immediate circumstances and the encouragement of your team member, it is great to see that you have been able to maintain an eternal perspective to your life and to your work.

So many times as I consider leadership, the parallels between leadership and parenting seem really direct to me.  I am continually interacting with parents of teenagers who are wondering how on earth their 16 year old is going to move past their current stage to become an successful adult.  Several years ago, I heard valuable advice about parenting and that is, it doesn’t stop.  If we extend our expectation of guidance for our children from completing some time after 30 rather than at 18 then it gives us the ability to deal with the challenges of a 16 year old.  Changing the time frame enables a broader perspective to help in times of challenge.  There are so many times when reflecting on leadership challenges can be helped by applying this same type of thinking.

As you experience the upcoming ministry transition I encourage you to continue to consider a longer time frame.  Browning’s words about seeking and seeing the whole design while putting your complete trust in God (Watson, 1951) were well chosen.

May you be continually blessed and encouraged as you seek to see the whole picture.

 

Grace, M. (2018). Seeing the whole picture: Light from many lamps. retrieved from https://create.twu.ca/monicagrace/2018/11/30/light-from-many-lamps-unit-10/

Watson, L.E. (1951). Light from Many Lamps. New York: Simon and Schuster.

 

Leadership story response – Chris Vacher

November 30, 2018 / / 0 Comments

Chris, Thanks for sharing your leadership story.  I love the images that you develop about leadership being the farthest thing from a straight line and the consideration of our story from the inside out (Vacher, 2018).  I have been using adventure for the major theme of my life over the last several years.  When we consider the great adventure stories, we know that they are indeed filled with stops and starts, challenges, obstacles and re-directions.  It is through this pathway though, that we are able to develop perspective, and when we begin to reach our destination we can have a deep sense of value for the journey.

How can I be an Ernie? (Vacher, 2018).  This question really struck me.  Throughout this course I have been considering my leadership as a formal role where I can build teams, set vision, and create space for other people to thrive, all within the context of my own organization.  Ernie was not part of your organization, he reached out and through guidance and mentorship challenged you to move forward in a way that would allow you to find practical space to develop your passion.  As the cursor flashes on my screen, I am left pondering your challenge, how can I be an Ernie for someone else? I suppose this is where Spears characteristics of a servant leader fit. Conceptualization, stewardship, commitment to the growth of people, foresight, awareness and community building (Spears, 2010)  all address the idea of mentorship in some way.  Thank you for the push to see the people who are around me who need the nudge, encouragement or opportunity that I may be able to provide.

 

Spears, L. C. (2010). Character and servant leadership: Ten characteristics of effective, caring leaders. The Journal of Virtues & Leadership, 1(1), 25-30. Retrieved from http://www.vizenllc.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/CharacherAndServantLeadership.pdf

Light from many lamps – part 9, Cicero

November 29, 2018 / / 0 Comments

During the height of the Roman republic, and the reign of Julius Caesar, Cicero was ending his time of public service and as an 84 year old man wrote his reflections on old age.  He writes about how each age of life has something which should be enjoyed in its own time. He declares that old age must be fought against by staying fit, healthy and being young at heart. In this way a person may possibly become an old man in body but  not an old man in mind (Watson, 1951. p. 262).

In the naivety of a young parent, as my first child was born, I couldn’t wait for what came next. I wanted him to sleep through the night, then I wanted him to eat solid food, and then be out of diapers, and then to start school, eventually I couldn’t wait until he was old enough to stay home on his own; and then it happened.  I no longer wanted time to race forward, I don’t want him to drive, or to graduate from high school just yet.  The passage of time seems to be much more palpable and I would like to reach out and hold it back.

If I am honest, my experience as a leader has been similar at times.  There were times when I thought that once the school has reached this milestone or the next, then it will be the way I want it.  If this thinking defines my experience though, I will end up missing out on the many incredible things that are taking place now in my organization.  It is important that I seek to enjoy the present time as I work to toward the future. It is also important to enjoy the present and make the most of it so that I do not look back on some future day only to  realize  that I have missed out on enjoying life as it was.

Watson, L.E. (1951). Light from Many Lamps. New York: Simon and Schuster.

 

Unit 10, Activity 1 – Final Thoughts

November 28, 2018 / / 1 Comment

One of the hardest things about becoming a principal was that it meant spending less time in the classroom.  I entered education in the first place because I wanted the opportunity to  help students successfully transition through the middle years from childhood toward adulthood.   As a middle school teacher, I loved the opportunity I found in the classroom.  Early on, becoming a principal meant that I would have to leave that purpose behind or at least shift how it was accomplished.  As time went by, I was challenged to see my staff as a class.  I had the opportunity to build deeper relationships with them, to share our careers together and to help them be the best teachers and people they could be.  For this reason, exploring transformational servant leadership was really valuable for me as I was able to develop specific language and concepts for the new perspective I was developing as an educational leader.

I am a single administrator working with a relatively small staff.  I have been keenly aware of my colleagues in other schools using the phrase “administrative team”.  I like to make them aware that it is a privilege to use the phrase.  I really appreciated the content in Unit 5 regarding team leadership.  It has given me the opportunity to interact with my staff in a new way.  I seek to work in teams not because it is lonely at the top or because it distributes the workload but rather because it provides more of my staff members the chance to work on projects within the school that go beyond the scope of their classrooms.  They are able to set and work toward common goals, be collaboratively creative and to solve problems together (Northouse, 2016). In the togetherness of team, we are able to accomplish so much more than I could accomplish on my own.

Servant Leaders…

They choose responsible, behind-the- scenes action over public heroism to resolve
tough leadership challenges. These individuals don’t fit the stereotype of the bold
and gutsy leader, and they don’t want to. What they want is to do the “right
thing” for their organizations, their co-workers and themselves- inconspicuously
and without casualties. ~  Carolyn Crippen ( 2005) referencing Fullan (2003).

 

References

Crippen, C. (2005). The Democratic School: First to Serve, Then to Lead. Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy, (47). Retrieved from https://ezproxy.student.twu.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ846732&site=eds-live

Fullan, M. (2003). The moral imperative of school leadership. Thousand Oaks, California:
Corwin Press, 3-47, 70-71.

Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice, Eighth Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Leadership Story Response

November 27, 2018 / / 0 Comments

In her blog,  B has posted a leadership story about a highly valuable, under communicated topic.  She discusses the necessity for leaders to know their own limits, practice effective self-care and to trust their surrounding community to navigate especially challenging times.  Through an open and honest personal story B relays her own journey and recovery where important lessons were learned. B concludes her story with an invitation to join her in valuing self care thus allowing us to thrive and to recognize that we need each other for this to take place.

Personally, I really value the lesson, the journey, and the implications for successful leadership which stem from this story.  I am sure that anyone who has been in leadership for a time has learned similar lessons.  The problem is that this is one of those lessons which we are better off not to learn from experience.  Sure, if we get to our breaking point, we will definitely internalize the importance of not letting it happen again, but in doing so we will have wasted precious time and opportunity.

I understand the altruistic mindset of the leader which makes us susceptible to this type of situation.  We have to be strong, we have to have answers, we have to be the example, and on and on.  Unfortunately as we seek to be the rock for someone else in these situations, the foundation of strength we try to provide becomes one built from crumbling stone.

I have had the good fortune of encountering an author who directly addresses this topic.  Dr. Richard Swenson has written a book called Margin and a follow up book entitled The Overload Syndrome. The focus of these books are about learning to live our lives within our limits.  If we intentionally build margin in our life then we have the capacity to actually serve people and support them when we inevitably encounter situations when we need to get more involved.  Without a margin then we are left with two unfavorable choices, walk away or trend toward burnout.

Thank you B for this great reminder and for the encouragement to allow ourselves to thrive by setting limits and caring for ourselves so we may in turn care for others.

 

B. (2018) Leadership story. Thoughts about life and ministry in an urban setting. Retrieved from https://create.twu.ca/b121/2018/11/my-leadership-story/

Swenson, R (2004). Margin: restoring emotional, physical, financial and time reserves to overloaded lives. Navpress. Colarado Springs.

Swenson, R. (1999). The Overload Syndrome: learning to live within your limits. Navpress. Colorado Springs.

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