CERRA Book Club discussion

Welcome everyone! First, the rules: there are none. This book club is for you. There is no mandatory length for a post, no required number of comments, or other arbirtary rules to follow. That said, a discussion works best when participants have two-way dialogue so I do encourage you to come back throughout the day(s) to comment on others' comments and push each other towards a better understanding of what we are reading. I also encourage you to remember that while you will learn things to use as a teacher, we are pursuing learning more about teacher leadership. With that said, here we go. Respond to as many of the following as you want.

1. Brown defines leader as "anyone who takes responibility for finding the potential in people in people and processes, and who has the courage to develop that potential." (page 4) What about that definition rings true for you? Do you have a definition to share?
2. Brown discusses the difficulties of identifying specific skills that underpin brave leadership. (page 7) Are there any thoughts on those specific skills? She listed 10 behaviors and cultural issues that you might recognize in your own organization. (pages 7-9) Do you have any thoughts on how to address those?
3. Brown says our students deserve a "place where they can rumble with vulnearbility and their hearts can exhale." (page 13) I would argue that our colleagues also deserve that place. How can you as a teacher leader create that space for teachers?
4. Brown's mandate: "If you are not in the arena getting your" *@% "kicked on occassion, I'm not interested in or open to your feedback." (page 20) So often those giving us advice or feedback aren't in the arena. How can leaders outside of the arena maintain vulnerability, and how can you who are in the arena step into that space to be vulnerable with your colleagues?
5. These are words I suspect we may have all read repeatedly. "Don't grab hurtful comments and pull them close to you by rereading them and ruminating on them." (page 21) What does it take to find the sweet spot between full armor and full disconnection? How can we rumble and be vulnerable without swimming in negativity?
6. Challenge: Do you have a square squad? (page 22) How often do you revise it? How short or long is the list? Will you take her advise and reach out tho those people. You are embarking on a leadership journey, and you may need their honesty and feedback.
7. How prepare are you to fail? "There is nothing more uncertain than the creative process, and there is absolutely no innovation without failure." (page 43) What skills are needed to fail and, in particular, to fail publicly?

*Brown has a workbook available on her website. It is free for those of you who are interested. I am looking forward to your conversations!

I am really enjoying this book. I highlighted many of the quotes listed above while reading. It it changing my idea about leadership and the idea of being vulnerable in leadership.
#4- It is important to decide who's opinions matter and learning to ignore the opinions, suggestions, judgement etc of those that don't matter.
I LOVE the idea of a square squad. My list is a short list of 3 people. In thinking about who I would want on my list and why I realized some things. I have a friend/fellow teacher that I go to regularly for opinions. I know that I only ask her opinion when I REALLY want the truth because she will be very honest.
This book study is out of my comfort zone, not the reading part, I love to read. It is a challenge to put my ideas and thoughts on a post of any kind. I don't Facebook and I rarely jump in on other social media. I am sure it is out of insecurity and worry over what others may think of my ideas or me. I am working to be more courageous and get into the "arena."

Question #1 rings so true to me - redefining what leadership means or looks like I think is vital to becoming a teacher leader. Before last year I would shy away from considering myself a leader even though I was on various committees, teams, or advisory groups. I viewed myself as just a person adding to the conversation - giving a teacher perspective, etc. This quote changes the definition of who a leader is - opening it up to all those who take "responsibility for finding potential in people and processes, and who has the courage to develop that potential."

Leadership does not just happen when you have a certain title - leadership is a mindset and a willingness to harness your specific talents to motivate, encourage, and empower those around you to be the best they can be.

As teachers this is critical in our classrooms. We need to be the courageous leader that finds potential in each child and works every day to help them grow. As teacher we must not lead from hurt or fear - and knowing when we tend to make choices based on those feelings we need to be aware and courageous enough to face those issues.

Thank you for this opportunity to dig into this book! I look forward to the discussions!

Jessica wrote: "I am really enjoying this book. I highlighted many of the quotes listed above while reading. It it changing my idea about leadership and the idea of being vulnerable in leadership.
#4- It is import..."

I agree about being out of the comfort zone doing the book club. Last year I did the Way of the Seal and it was so rewarding. Taking the time to digest the reading and respond helped me really think through the concepts being written about. So often I read and don't spend the time to apply the concepts or fully reflect. This book club forces you to articulate your learning and how you can apply it to your personal situation. I look forward to reading more of your ideas and interpretations of this book!

Jessica wrote: "I am really enjoying this book. I highlighted many of the quotes listed above while reading. It it changing my idea about leadership and the idea of being vulnerable in leadership.
#4- It is import..."
Jessica,
I am glad you are willing to step out of your comfort zone and put yourself into the arena. Social media certainly has its advantages and disadvantages, but it is a platform to share ideas and to give and receive professional development. I also love that you are really thinking about the square squad. It is human nature to gravitate towards our yes people, those who tell us how great we are. The more vulnerable you allow yourself to be, the more you may crave that affirmation. This is when we need a good square squad even more. I look forward to more conversations about this.

Jessica wrote: "Question #1 rings so true to me - redefining what leadership means or looks like I think is vital to becoming a teacher leader. Before last year I would shy away from considering myself a leader ev..."

I love the idea that leadership is a mindset centered around empowering other people. How many of the people who hold official "leadership" titles and positions actually lead with that definition in mind? I am glad you mentioned feeling like you were contributing to a team with teacher perspective. I hear that a lot. Teachers feel like they are lending a voice. It's time to shift the perspective so that we are part of the team, and we are leading rather than lending.

Jessica wrote: "Jessica wrote: "I am really enjoying this book. I highlighted many of the quotes listed above while reading. It it changing my idea about leadership and the idea of being vulnerable in leadership.
..."

I have to keep looking at your profile pictures to keep the two Jessicas separate. Jessica, welcome back to the second year of book club! You are right about the purpose of this structure. This book could be read in a day. You could turn the pages, appreciate what she wrote, and then walk away having read another book. By slowing down and sharing ideas, we'll truly process the ideas and hopefully incorporate what we learn into our practice. Thanks for coming back!

Suzanne wrote: "Jessica wrote: "Jessica wrote: "I am really enjoying this book. I highlighted many of the quotes listed above while reading. It it changing my idea about leadership and the idea of being vulnerable..."

Thank you Suzanne for hosting this professional development opportunity. I have already found myself re-reading passages and thinking about how to apply the new knowledge. The 10 Behaviors and Cultural issues list on pages 7 - 9 hit home in so many ways! I can see these issues facing our schools in a very real way. What a great tool to use to identify challenges and work on addressing these issues so they don't "become the way".

Looking forward to a great Book Club!

Hi! A bit late, but got the book from the library this weekend and catching up.
I actually like that leader definition because we normally have the stereotypical idea of leader, when makes us feel that we can't contribute in that way. This definition is more broad.
I do feel that we often avoid tough conversations because we don't want to hurt someone's feelings. The older I get, the better I have gotten at getting over this. hahaha
I believe when we are honest about our own struggles, we show our vulnerability and open up that dialogue with others. I can remember at a conference, someone asked me after a session, how I do all the things I do. I said, "Well, my house isn't as clean as I would like and my family eats fast food more than we should." She laughed and thanked me. We set these impossible standards and only see the highlight reel for presenters and speakers, when really, we are all doing our best and struggling with juggling it all.
My square squad is my sister, mother, and a few close friends. I don't revise it much.
I'm still working on accepting failure and the risk of failure. Definitely, an area I need to improve on. I don't even like to bowl because I'm not good at it :)