Leadership Philosophy

The 13 chapters of The Art of War, each devoted to one aspect of warfare, were compiled by the high-ranking Chinese military general, strategist, and philosopher Sun-Tzu. In spite of its battlefield specificity, The Art of War has found new life in the modern age, with leaders in fields as wide and far-reaching as world politics, human psychology, and corporate strategy finding valuable insight in its timeworn words.

The research is clear that quality leaders are second only to quality teachers in their impact on student achievement. But, what constitutes quality leadership? Viviane Robinson et al. (2008) concluded, among other things, that “leaders’ impact on student outcomes will depend on the particular leadership practices in which [leaders] engage” (p. 637) rather than on the specific type of leader (e.g., transformative, servant, distributed, etc.) leaders profess to be. Simply put, leadership practice trumps the leadership label.

In his most provocative and practical book yet, one of the foremost thinkers of our time redefines what it means to understand the world, succeed in a profession, contribute to a fair and just society, detect nonsense, and influence others. Citing examples ranging from Hammurabi to Seneca, Antaeus the Giant to Donald Trump, Nassim Nicholas Taleb shows how the willingness to accept one's own risks is an essential attribute of heroes, saints, and flourishing people in all walks of life.

Kissinger's six leaders are Konrad Adenauer, Charles de Gaulle, Richard Nixon, Anwar Sadat, Lee Kuan Yew and Margaret Thatcher. All of them were formed in a period when established institutions collapsed all over Europe, colonial structures gave way to independent states in Asia and Africa, and a new international order had to be created from the vestiges of the old.

Turning Around a Troubled School is the story of a very public leadership challenge in reversing the fortunes of a failing government school in the affluent eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. The school population had crashed from over 1,000 students to just over 250, and the school had been given only 12 months to turn around, otherwise it would be closed. Peter Hutton, a new principal with a bold vision, took on the task. Eight years later, the population had grown to over 1,000, and the school was recognized internationally as one of the most innovative in the world.

Colleges and universities constitute a special type of organization; and their complex mission, dynamics, personnel structures, and values require a distinct set of understandings and skills to lead and manage them well.

Best-selling author and spiritual guide Deepak Chopra invites you to become the kind of leader most needed today: a leader with vision who can make that vision real. Chopra has been teaching leadership to CEOs and other top executives for eight years, and the path outlined in The Soul of Leadership applies to any business, but the same principles are relevant in every community and area of life, from family and home to school, place of worship, and neighborhood.

Beginning firmly with teachers and all those working with students, including administrators and counselors, the Plum Village approach stresses that educators must first establish their own mindfulness practice since everything they do in the classroom will be based on that foundation. The book includes easy-to-follow, step-by-step techniques perfected by educators to teach themselves and to apply to their work with students and colleagues, along with inspirational stories of the ways in which teachers have made mindfulness practice alive and relevant for themselves and their students.

The Competitive Buddha is about mastery, leadership, and spirituality. Learn what you need to keep, what you need to discard, and what you need to add to your mental, emotional, and spiritual skill set as an athlete, coach, leader, parent, CEO, or any other performer in life. Understand how Buddhism can help you to be better prepared for sports and life, and how sports and life can teach you about Buddhism. Lynch sheds light on the positive aspects of competition, adding Eastern thought and spirituality to sport, while elevating competitors and the game.

School leaders know about instructional leadership, but may struggle with where to begin or how to balance this role with all of their other responsibilities. Peter DeWitt’s Instructional Leadership provides practical tools for delivering lasting improvement through small manageable changes over time. This step-by-step how-to guide presents the six driving forces of instructional leadership—implementation, learning, student engagement, instructional strategies, efficacy, and evaluation of impact—within an easy-to-follow, multi-stage model for implementation.

The Complete Strategy Collection, a compilation of ancient and historical philosophies, will increase your knowledge of strategy, conflict, and adversity throughout the ages, giving you valuable insight into the past while opening a window to the future. Although each of the works can be considered a manual or diagram for war or engaging in physical combat, the life skills embodied in each can be adapted to everyday life in modern society. Listen and learn how you, too, can take advantage of the strategies of war.

Inspire yourself and others with the second edition of this best-seller. With heartfelt advice, practical wisdom, and examples from the field, Todd Whitaker explains the qualities and practices that distinguish great principals.

The audiobook shows you how to apply each idea to the challenges of the modern workplace and combine it with what you discover about yourself as you delve into your own strengths and weaknesses. You'll develop your own ability to see The Big Picture, connect with members of your organization, foster a meaningful and productive work environment, and steer your corporate ship through any challenge. Skills and experience might land you a leadership position... but they don't make you a true leader.

At the best of times, leadership is messy. It's about a way of being, not doing. It's nebulous, nuanced, and elusive, as much to do with feeling and energy as thinking and planning. It's contextual and responsive and can never be one size fits all. When great leaders are in balance, they are both ferocious about the moral purpose and courageously making a stand, while warmly building strong and enduring relationships.

Danny Meyer started Union Square Cafe when he was 27, with a good idea and scant experience. He is now the CEO of one of the world's most dynamic restaurant organizations, one that includes 11 unique dining establishments, each at the top of its game. How did he do it? How has he consistently beaten the odds in one of the toughest trades around?

In The Principal 2.0, Fullan explains why the answer lies neither in micro-managing instruction nor in autonomous entrepreneurialism. He shows a new way forward that allows principals to expand their roles without overstepping and contribute to the development of the whole school.

The origins of arguably the greatest coach in professional sports is explored through interviews with Bill Belichick. Learn what he has to say about the fundamentals of football and what he focuses on during practice planning and execution. Ultimately, if you want to win more football games, then your team has to be good in all three areas to include offense, defense, and special teams. This book breaks down his thoughts on all the areas of the game and will help you become a better coach.

We live in a time of vast changes that include accelerating globalization, mounting quantities of information, the growing hegemony of science and technology, and the clash of civilizations. Those changes call for new ways of learning and thinking in school, business, and the professions. Listen as psychologist Howard Gardner defines the cognitive abilities that will command a premium in the years ahead.

Comprehensive in scope, this book demands that educators and school leaders come together to bolster student achievement in the 21st century. Through emphasizing a collaborative process, Lyn Sharratt’s design demonstrates how shared knowledge and expertise can make every classroom more impactful and every teacher more effective.

How do leaders become clearer as complexity increases? We live in a world where decisions require judgment, getting people on board, drawing on local knowledge, ingenuity, and commitment. As leaders, how do you get beneath surface-level change to tackle complex challenges with depth and clarity?

Nuance is the answer. Michael Fullan returns with an eminently digestible, compelling and practical guide on the three habits of nuance: joint determination, adaptability, and culture-based accountability.