Leadership: Wild, Wonderful, and Perfectly in Process

By Dr. Anthony J. Perkins

This book is written from an educational leadership perspective. However, leaders from all genres and levels can take away many learning nuggets to implement immediately. Educational leadership can be wild, wonderful, and perfectly in-process. Incorporating and mastering the core essentials discussed in this book will help you to maneuver and balance the wild, wonderful, and perfectly in-process leadership complexities.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jul 26, 2018
• ISBN: 9781546252818

Dr. Anthony J. Perkins

Dr. Anthony J. Perkins was born and raised in Connecticut. He presently resides in Buckeye, Arizona. Dr. Perkins has served as an educational leader for almost three decades—as a teacher, vice-principal, principal, district director, and now school district superintendent. He holds a Master’s Degree in Education with an emphasis in Diverse Learners and a Doctorate Degree in Educational Leadership. In addition to his school experience, Dr. Perkins is a mentor for new school principals and teaches Educational Leadership classes (part-time) for Northern Arizona University. Dr. Perkins is the author of four additional books—Make Leadership COUNT, Leadership: Wild, Wonderful, and Perfectly in Process, The Principle of Moments, and P3 Purpose-Pride-Progress. Dr. Perkins interests include physical fitness, golf, and jazz music. However, he enjoys spending most of his time with his beautiful daughter.

Book preview

LEADERSHIP:

Wild, Wonderful, and

Perfectly in Process

Dr. Anthony J. Perkins

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AuthorHouse™

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.authorhouse.com

Phone: [phone]

Copyright © 2018 Dr. Anthony J. Perkins. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 12/19/2018

ISBN: 978-1-5462-5282-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5462-5281-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018908756

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Great Leadership Needed

Introduction

Chapter 1

Shifting Your Mind-Set

Something to think about between chapters: transforming students

Chapter 2

I’m Winning Because …

Something to think about between chapters: leadership for the wrong reason

Chapter 3

Everybody Is a Judge

Something to think about between chapters: politics and publicity in education

Chapter 4

We Lead at the Level of Our Vision

Something to think about between chapters: teammates and students

Chapter 5

Go Slow to Go Fast

Something to think about between chapters: education has received a bad rap

Chapter 6

Ordinary Is Listed Once in the Bible

Something to think about between chapters: positive quotes

Chapter 7

The Gift within Failure

Something to think about between chapters: doctor, lawyer, or dentist

Chapter 8

Get Your Happy On

Something to think about between chapters: real reforms in schools

Chapter 9

Change—We Must Evolve

Something to think about between chapters: smart individuals

Chapter 10

Jealousy Is the #1 Enemy of Humans

Something to think about between chapters: leadership happens everywhere

Chapter 11

Courage—Sometimes You Just Have to Tell Parents Their Baby Is Ugly

Something to think about: politicians make decisions

Acknowledgments

References

About the Author

This book is

dedicated to educational leaders

who are truly making a difference.

Thank you for giving back to future generations.

Here is a sentence from The Ballad of Sir Andrew Barton

that represents you:

Fight on, my men, says Sir Andrew Barton,

"I am hurt, but I am not slain; I’ll lay me down

and bleed a while, And then I’ll rise

and fight again."

—An English writer

This book was written because leadership can be

wild, wonderful, and perfectly in process.

This book will provide core essentials

for leaders to practice in order

to handle leadership complexities.

This book is written from an educational

leadership perspective.

Great Leadership Needed

Dear great leadership,

We miss you. Most of our current leaders, this is what they call themselves, are at best average, ordinary, and mediocre. If they were wise, they would step down and become followers. They may have good talents but are not top leaders. Their leadership traits lack humility, courage, vision, credibility, and knowledge, to name a few. They see leadership as a method to increase their salaries and not for the art that it is. Why is it that most people think they can lead? Everyone cannot be a leader, and that is okay.

The last time I checked, you make things happen. You build strong teams from the inside out, make connections, and understand that small changes make a big impact. You make us calm, fortify our potential, understand we are better together, and know how to say no and make us feel good about it. You have an unexplained presence, cultivate courage, understand that the present and future is important, and make every day an adventure.

Can we make a deal? If all followers rise up and say good-bye to these fake leaders, you will return and lead us. Deal?

Educationally yours,

Anthony J. Perkins

Introduction

Leadership is only for a season. The season may be short or long. This is your defining moment. You can define the moment, or it can define you. You have been anointed with a gift called leadership. Leadership brings a conversion of heart necessary to recognize the fact that everything that comes to us—our spouses, our children, our talents, the very air we breathe, the grace that keeps us alive from one split second to the next, our leadership—everything—is a gift from a higher power. The gift within leadership will bring out the best in you to inspire, motivate, and move your team to excellence.

This book is written from an educational leadership perspective. However, leaders from all genres and levels can take away many learning nuggets to implement immediately. Educational leadership can be wild, wonderful, and perfectly in process. Incorporating and mastering the core essentials discussed in this book will help you to maneuver and balance the wild, wonderful, and perfectly in process leadership complexities.

Why is educational leadership wild? It is wild because you never know what is coming next. Because of the unnecessary politics. Because of the over/under involved parents. Because of the lack of resources. Because America fails to understand that we are competing globally. Because of too much school choice. Because the integrity of the educational field has declined. Because of the deterioration of family values. Educational leadership is wild because we are left alone to fend for ourselves.

Why is educational leadership wonderful? It is beautiful to see students growing academically and socially. It is awesome to experience a leg hug from a lower-grade student who thinks you are a superhero. It is remarkable to observe your team working together and progressing. It is amazing to witness the fruits of your labors result in extraordinary. It is wonderful to change a cannot to a can.

Why is educational leadership perfectly in process? Leaders are frequently building their capacity to keep their organizations on the leading edge. Leaders are constantly cultivating their team to maximize results. Leaders utilize change in order to evolve. Leaders persistently shape their vision so it is perfectly in process with their organization.

As adults we tell our kids to respect their elders. We remind men to appreciate women. We ask kids to always practice good character and say that true character is what we do when no one is around. We convey to our kids to embrace diversity, as America is a melting pot, and we are all equal. Yet, we continue to elect world, national, and local leaders (a good portion of them) that do not practice these traits. No wonder why our kids are confused about what great leadership entails.

A leadership role is difficult to obtain and twice as hard to keep. Why? People within the organization and the surrounding community are complex. It takes years as a leader to establish a great reputation and minutes to destroy it. Many leaders do not know how to navigate through leadership complexities, and then wonder why they struggle.

Let’s have fun with an exercise. Place your hands in front of you with your palms facing each other. Spread your hands twelve inches apart. The space between your palms, the twelve inches, represents your leadership world. Meaning your leadership goals, objectives, philosophy, ideology, wants, needs, strategy, synergy, teammates, and so forth. Now, move your hands from twelve inches apart to nine inches apart still ensuring your palms are facing each another. The nine inches represents what you are truly going to achieve within your leadership role. Why? The three inches you just lost represents other stakeholders. Stakeholders consist of but are not limited to the community, parents, governing board members, town council members, students, and your organizational teammates. Stakeholders represent the good, the bad, and the ugly. As a leader, have a growth mind-set and be open to compromising with good stakeholders, as they have good ideas, good recommendations, input for cost-saving projects, and good resources they can bring into the organization. Beware of the bad and ugly stakeholders, as they do not have the best interest of students. They have selfish and political agendas. They present ideas and recommendations that only drive their wants. Most of the time you can quickly figure out that they are bad or ugly stakeholders because they never waver from their agenda. If you are only giving up three inches of your leadership desires, it is not the end of the world. Stakeholders need to have some victories in the whole scene of things, and that’s okay. You