that results in their learning the skills and capabilities needed to further
the goals of the school for the benefit of the students. They have a philo-
sophical orientation to an organization that makes them both an integral
part of the institution and, at the same time, able to see it from the out-
side. They make an effort to use their intrapersonal, interpersonal, group,
and contextual intelligence simultaneously.
Along with this identity driving their behavior, systems-savvy leaders
have a sense of responsibility for moving initiatives through and taking
action—action that does right by the school and all students. And to move
things forward, they become politically intelligent. They don’t think about
the word politicswith distaste. They don’t ignore the leanings of the
various stakeholders in the organization. Being systems-savvy, they feel
obligated to understand all points of view. And in the best sense, these
politically literate, systems-savvy leaders use their understanding of all the
sides in a debate to move forward initiatives that will best benefit students,
not just themselves.
As we teach students literacy skills—how to understand the facts in a
story, how to predict what will happen next, how to question the motiva-
tions and actions of characters, how to read for context clues, and how to
summarize—we, too, need to be systems literate. Our schools are narra-
tives written by us, and so we need to be systems literate about our con-
texts. There are formal and informal structures to understand, procedures
to follow or redesign, dynamics between individuals to appreciate, cul-
tural symbols to understand, awarenesses to cultivate. All of these aspects
of a school or a district are essential understandings for a leader who wants
not only to fit into an organization, but also to move one forward. Systems-
savvy leaders act from an identity that says, “I can make a difference and
I want to work with others to do so.” They learn about the culture of their
school in order to make their contributions meaningful and relevant to
those who work with them.
How Do the Habits of Mind Fit In?
Organizational literacy and “on the ground” knowledge of a given school
are just a start in being a systems-savvy leader. Systems-savvy leaders
Habits of Mind for the Systems-Savvy Leader 293