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A Place to Continue to Grow

By Michael Jacoby posted 08-25-2021 07:30

  


The Illinois ASBO Leadership Blog was created for our members who are growing and excelling as leaders and would like to either share their wisdom with each other or grow even more. My suggestion is that every member come back to this blog repeatedly to be encouraged and to grow.



“But why do we need to talk about leadership for business officials?




Well, when it comes to leadership, school business officials (SBOs) are in a very special place in a school district. In most cases, the SBO is the #2 leader in the district. They lead people, teams, boards, community groups and even students. So, it is critical to understand what leadership really is if you intend to be effective in the SBO role.

To get you started thinking about leadership, 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.” Some of you might think that some people are simply born to be leaders – some just have it and some don’t.

What it Really Takes to Lead

To get you started thinking about leadership, 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.” Some of you might think that some people are simply born to be leaders – some just have it and some don’t.

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 and/or skills 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 leaders 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, 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. Visit www.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 www.iasbo.org/lunchlearn.
  • Our Academies and Seminars explore many different topics and are a deeper dive into working relationships and leader behaviors. Visit the Event 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 together. Explore www.iasbo.org/adminteam to find a training that fits your needs!
  • Our Leadership Conference opens the door to new leadership ideas and frameworks, studies of great books be leading authors, and a faculty of emerging leaders committed to making leadership development a collaborative and engaging experience. Save the date for February 21-22, 2022!

Continue Your Leadership Growth Today!

You will note that in all 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 or teaching you to do a better levy. This makes them relevant every one 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.


By Dr. Michael Jacoby, Ed.D, SFO, CAE
Executive Director / CEO 
Illinois ASBO


If you have a topic you would like to share on the Leadership Center Blog, please contact Laura Rude at lrude@iasbo.org.

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