Lead Fearlessly, Love Hard: Finding Your Purpose and Putting It to Work

by Linda Cliatt-Wayman

How leadership with love can make lasting changes, even in the toughest situations Lead Fearlessly, Love Hard offers real, actionable advice for those seeking to change the education system from within. While countless books, articles, and speeches decry the challenges disadvantaged students in low-performing schools face, no one has offered a clear path forward through these challenges—until now.

Author Linda Cliatt-Wayman, principal of Strawberry Mansion High School in Philadelphia, grew up in the same North Philadelphia neighborhood where she now leads and fought every single day for the chance to become a part of the solution. Today, she is a turnaround principal and popular TED Talk speaker who helps children living in poverty achieve more than they ever thought possible. In Lead Fearlessly, Love Hard, she provides hope, optimism, and a call to action to help all students reach their true potential. Steadfast leadership and clear principles can overcome almost anything, and this book shows you how to focus your passion, apply your skills, and lead your students down the path to a better future.

Discover and develop the leader within Take responsibility and move forward every day Give each student the critical interaction they crave Be a force for real, positive change in neighborhood schools Highlighting the intersection of strong visionary and strategic thinking with on-the-ground, day-to-day implementation, this narrative-driven guide tells the stories of real students and educators to show how clear principles and strong guidance can turn around schools—and the students they serve. 

Genres: Nonfiction, Education

201 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 18, 2017

Reviews

[Ellen Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding, inspirational book for school principals

A vision and non-negotiable priorities such as safety, relationships, and coherent curriculum, along with the confidence and courage to do what is right in the face of fear, made this principal turn a persistently dangerous school in New York into a successful school. Video of her Ted Talk and the documentary with Diane Sawyer about her school are available on YouTube. Excellent book for principals.

[Helen O'Toole · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an inspirational book about a fearless and courageous principal. Linda Cliatt-Wayman really tells the warts and all story of the challenges she faced as principal in some of Philadelphia's worst high schools. This was a book where I had my pencil in hand ready to highlight so many of the anecdotes and reflections. She truly loved her students and did not see their violent behaviour as defining who they were. She knew these students had nothing at home but abject poverty, violence, drugs, guns, abuse: the list goes on and on. She herself came from this same background so she knew that education provided her with a pathway out of poverty. It is to her eternal credit that her courageous leadership helped to provide this opportunity to so many students.

[Emily Hawboldt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book has some typos and other minor errors, especially towards the end. It's a little frustrating because they potentially take away from what is actually a fairly powerful book. I honestly did not expect to like this book as much as I did -- I think the title led me to think maybe it would be more of a somewhat cheesy memoir. I was pleasantly surprised that it genuinely holds up to its description by offering actionable advice for people in all kinds of leadership/turnaround roles. The reflections and questions at the end of each chapter are an excellent touch.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspirational read by an incredible leader! I have watched Linda's TED talk numerous times and blessed to have heard her speak at the TLC conference. Her courageous, loving leadership is commendable and inspirational!

[Peta · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read, especially for school leaders.

[Sarah Curtin · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you need to remember why you became a teacher, this book will help you. I have recommended it to every teacher I know.

[Catherine Oughtibridge]

Linda Cliatt-Wayman is obviously an incredible woman with an amazing story who has made a huge impact on the lives of many impoverished children. What, however, I thought this book lacked, was a sense of scene-setting and imagery to bring the individual stories of encounters with students and the establishment alive. The writing is clean, direct and crisp, but misses out because it skims past the detail.