Distributing Leadership—Mining for Group Gold
As opportunists, we continuously mine for group gold. By this we mean
that we listendeeply to those we work with so that we can learn about
both the person and the person’s ideas. Buckingham and Coffman (1999),
in their book First Break All the Rules, write about building on people’s
strengths rather than focusing on and trying to improve their weaknesses.
We k n ow t h a t managing impulsivity,thinking and communicating with
clarity and precision,taking responsible risks,andfinding humorincrease
group efficacy. These Habits of Mind build enthusiasm and energy;
strengthen relationships; help identify assets, strengths, and talents; and
create possibilities that help us rise to the challenge.
In her job as superintendent, Diane seeks opportunities to amplify
the positive and to explore values and beliefs that need examining. Each
time she entered a new school system, she searched for a collective vision
for that system. She found that if she was patient, the vision emerged. We
both believe that one of the most frequent causes of missed opportunities
in organizations is the fact that we do not listen to others with understand-
ing and empathy. By listeningto those with whom we work, we find under-
standings that createpathways we did not know existed. Diane is reminded
of a time when the group had jumped to conclusions without thinking
about their thinking,and the quietest member said in a soft voice, “Is there
any room here for another opinion?” It was so quiet that we almost missed
it. With this one question, the entire group started to talk, and it turned out
we did not have as much agreement as was assumed. Diane reflects, if we
had moved forward, the solution would not have worked because we had
limited buy-in. By questioning and posing problems,we found a more ele-
gant set of responses and a more enduring consensus.
All too often the U.S. school culture tends to focus on the deficits.
We a r e s u g g e s t i n g t h a t w e r e f r a m e t h e qu e s t i o n u s i n g a n a s s e t f r a m e :
“What resources can we bring to this problem so that it is the best prob-
lem we have ever had?” When we have a commitment to the welfare of
others, we must enroll others in the solution side of the problem solving
and provide opportunities that encourage innovation, clarity, precision
and accuracy, and professional learning. Professional learning paired with
a commitment to Habits of Mind creates group gold.
Leading Is a Habit of Mind 311