INTRO: In this episode of An Imperfect Leader, Dr. Doug Reeves is my guest. The first thing we talk about is an article he authored, We Censor Ourselves in Education. In the article, he hooks the reader by describing a former intern he had while you has in China, and how she had gone on to anchor the news on China Central Television. She told Doug and his colleagues at a forum in Cambridge, MA:

“We have no censorship in China.” When she was challenged at this evidently absurd statement, she replied, “We do not need censorship in China. We censor ourselves.”

In my book and in the leadership model I use to advise others, there is a dimension called Nested Patterns, and that is the muscle of an organization’s work. Inside that dimension are terms Doug has discussed as an author and speaker:

 

·      Terms like creativity and courage (in his book Beyond Conversations About Race, he and his co-authors step into a complex national dialogue – that took courage).

·      Terms like high level collaboration (in From Leading to Succeeding, he reminds readers that trust is built when decisions are made collaboratively).

·      Carol Dweck’s term growth mindset is visible in his work (in the book Deep Change Leadership, Doug references the fixed mindset paralyzing educators even when research disputes deeply-held beliefs – reading instruction, for example).

 

We talk about all of these topics and more! Thanks for tuning in to An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast.

 

BIO: Dr. Doug Reeves is the author of more than 40 books and more than 100 articles on leadership and education. He has twice been named to the Harvard University Distinguished Authors Series and was named the Brock International Laureate for his contributions to education. Additionally, Doug was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for his service with the United States Army’s Military Intelligence.

 

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An Imperfect Leader is sponsored by Yondr. 

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An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast is supported by ILAA, LLC, a firm dedicated to supporting aspiring, new, and established leaders. For more information, please find them at www.human-centeredleaders.com.

Music for An Imperfect Leader was written and arranged by Ian Varley.

Sam Falbo created our artwork, a wood-print inspired daruma doll butterfly.

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NEW EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE

"What do we want to create together?" 

So proud to have co-written the foreword with Zach Taylor to this essential book on Human-Centered School Transformation. If you're a school leader looking to make sense of what you know to be true about schools, check it out. If you're a corporate leader, you will find a pathway to better results in every page.

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AN IMPERFECT LEADER IS AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

My book,  An Imperfect Leader: Leadership in (After) Action is available at Amazon.com. If there is no hyperlink to follow, please go to Amazon.com or peterstiepleman.com to order a copy. 

Book Update!

Imperfect Leaders! My book, An Imperfect Leader: Leadership in (After) Action is available on Amazon.com. If there is no hyperlink to follow, please go to Amazon.com or peterstiepleman.com. You can order it there.

 

Intro:  Hello Imperfect Leaders! Choosing a name for a public building is a challenging process. With schools, a new name often includes the choosing of a mascot as well. Renaming a school or changing a mascot is often even more difficult. Community members will allege you're erasing history. I was a superintendent presiding over the renaming of Robert E. Lee Elementary School in Missouri! Most recently, I served on a renaming committee in the Seattle area. The committee process was well conceived and thoughtfully carried out by one of the school district’s leaders, Amii Thompson. She made sure to make decisions with those most impacted, in this case, the Suquamish Tribe. 

Now, imagine if you were the principal and your school board decided on a Thursday night to remove an offensive mascot effective immediately. My guest is Dr. Andrew Dolloff, superintendent of Yarmouth Schools in Yarmouth, Maine. His After Action Review is about exactly that! Thanks for tuning in.

 

Bio: Dr. Andrew Dolloff has been the superintendent of schools in Yarmouth, Maine since 2014. He is a 35-year veteran of Maine public schools, having begun his career as a chemistry teacher and basketball coach in central Maine before moving into school administration in Greater Portland in 1996. Andrew has served as a superintendent, assistant superintendent, high school principal, high school assistant principal, and athletic administrator. For 9nearly 10 years he has served a community that is deeply personal to him as his grandfather graduated from Yarmouth High School. I have no doubt that leading in a hometown district must have made it even more meaningful when he was named Maine’s Superintendent of the Year in 2021.

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This episode is brought to you, in part, by the Waters Center for Systems Thinking. The Waters Center helps people understand what systems thinking is and how to incorporate the Habits, tools and concepts of systems thinking into their work and life to achieve desired results. To learn more, go to waterscenterst.org.  

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An Imperfect Leader: Leadership in (After) Action is supported by ILAA, LLC, a firm dedicated to supporting aspiring, new, and established leaders. For more information, please find them at www.human-centeredleaders.com.

Music for An Imperfect Leader was written and arranged by Ian Varley.

Sam Falbo created our artwork, a wood-print inspired daruma doll butterfly.

www.peterstiepleman.com