Leadership Center

We are so excited to kick off a new Leadership Blog for Illinois ASBO.  We hope to see our members who are excelling as leaders share their wisdom on this blog in the weeks and months to come.  My suggestion is that you come back to this space over and over again to be encouraged to grow as a leader. 

When it comes to leadership, school business officials are in a very special place in a school district.  They can lead people, teams, community groups and even students.  So, it is critical to understand what leadership really is.  That is what we will do here.  And to kick it off, I’d like to ask you what you think makes a leader successful?  Or maybe even more precisely – what do you think distinguishes great leaders from the rest?  Some of you might say, “authentic leaders” who really walk the talk. Others might proclaim that “great leaders have significant influence.”  However, these are not skills, they are statements of philosophy about leadership.  So, again I ask – what skills?

In my opinion, a leader can be taught to lead well by learning how to read the needs of the moment and take relevant action.  So, we need to talk about the behaviors of leader, not the philosophy of leaders if we are hoping to understand what to do in order to lead well. 

You see, there are communication skills that, when understood, can help to appropriately read situations and respond in precise and meaningful ways.  Then, there are skills that visionary leaders use to make sure an organization knows where it is going, skills that help people be more productive in their subordinate roles, skills that establish credibility and reliability for a leader, etc.

So, again I ask – what are those specific skills?  Well, for that answer I would encourage you to take a look at the Illinois ASBO Leadership Center.  We have an array of programs and offerings that teach the skills that matter.  From assessment-oriented exploration to practical workshops, we teach the behaviors of leaders. 

• Our Leadership Institute is the flagship of our Center and all of the graduates emerge with specific goals and actions they know they need to do to lead others effectively. This experience provides keen insights into recognizable behaviors that others see in you and also gives you a new language with which to communicate more meaningful with others. It is an immersive experience and typically unforgettable for those who make the commitment. Registration for a new March cohort will be open later this fall, but in the meantime, visit iasbo.org/institute to learn more. Don’t miss it!
• Our Lunch and Learn topics offer food for thought (pun intended) on everything from developing trust to managing change. Real issues that face all leaders. These are bite-sized opportunities to explore one or two impactful issues that help define great leaders.  You will want to sit in whenever you can.  But if you miss it live, we put the recorded sessions up for asynchronous learning opportunities at any time – day or night.  Find a full listing of topics at iasbo.org/lunchlearn.
• Our Academies and Seminars explore many different topics and are a deeper dive into working relationships and leader behaviors. Visit iasbo.org/calendar to see a full list of events.
• Our Administrative Team Development opportunities can lead a whole district team to greater impact and influence as they learn and practice the skills that matter Explore www.iasbo.org/adminteam to find a training that fits your needs!

And now our newest opportunity is just around the corner.  Our very first Leadership Conference!

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“The Illinois ASBO Leadership Conference will take place on February 20-21, 2020.  Faculty from among the membership of Illinois ASBO have been working for over a year to develop the content and I can assure you the sessions will be extremely impactful for every participant. So, get this on your calendar now!”

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You will note that in all of this discussion about what we offer and how each opportunity can help you grow as a leader, not once did I mention school business skills.  Leadership is not about technical skills.  You can be the greatest and most knowledgeable technician and be a terrible leader.  These Illinois ASBO opportunities are about building your leadership capacity, not your knowledge of school business skills.  This makes them relevant to all of our members.  Facility directors, payroll, purchasing, bookkeepers, school business officials, service associates, superintendents, principals and even teachers can benefit from participation.  In fact, we have had all of these in our Leadership Institute cohorts over the years.

 

Don’t waste the opportunity to obtain and strengthen your leadership skills.  Read this blog often as a reminder of our mission and then engage in all that our Leadership Center has to offer to help you gain the skills to fulfill it.  Tomorrow can be a different day when leaders know how to lead well.  Let’s do it together.