Distributed Leadership
Creating a safe learning environment and helping others succeed are
key elements of a leader’s role. Administrators established several impor-
tant norms that encouraged faculty members to take increased responsi-
bility for decision making. Each norm reinforced one or more of the
Habits of Mind. As a result of following the norms, committees and teams
became more dynamic and successful, and staff members took the initia-
tive for problem solving. Here are the norms:
•Membership on the School Improvement Team (SIT), which is
the central nervous system of the school, was open to all staff members.
Because everyone had the opportunity to be included in policy-level deci-
sion making, all staff members felt empowered. This norm encouraged
the habits of thinking flexibly; listening with understanding and empa-
thy; and creating, imagining, innovating.
•Grade-level, team facilitator positions were open to all faculty
members. This decision called upon the habits of thinking flexibly, tak-
ing responsible risks, and thinking interdependently.
•Schedules and schoolwide policies were open to suggestions for
change. Administrators drew on the habits of applying past knowledge to
new situations and questioning and posing problems.
•Teachers created the school handbook, and staff members—not
administrators—drafted school policies. Carrying out this norm required
the habits of listening with understanding and empathy, questioning and
posing problems, remaining open to continuous learning, and taking
responsible risks.
Open and Honest Dialogue
“Roundtable dialogues” furthered the development of trust among
staff members. These voluntary roundtables focused on relevant topics
and provided a context for lively discussion. The roundtables also sup-
ported staff development and offered an opportunity to practice open,
honest dialogue. Professional use of several Habits of Mind evolved
through these roundtables: persisting, questioning and posing problems,
listening with understanding and empathy, and managing impulsivity.
Bringing a Vision to Life 335