Is Your Stump Speech Ready?

As a leader, do you have a stump speech ready to go....just in case?


As leaders, we are often called upon to speak - without advance notice - about any of a number of issues related to our work.  For those who can speak readily 'off the cuff'.....congratulations!  However, for the rest of us, we may not do quite so well without something prepared.  


Think about what's important in your school/organization that you might at some point be called upon to speak about.  There will probably be two or three 'hot topics' or issues that come to mind.  Collect your thoughts on these issues along with your key messages.  Craft them into a few nuggets that could serve as your speaking points.  


Keep in mind that you, as the leader, are the face of your school/organization and people look to you for insight, direction, reassurance when things get difficult or tense.  Be ready with some collected thoughts.....just in case.....

Balancing Motivation and Follow Through for Yourself

As a leader, how do you balance the need to self-motivate vs. follow through?

When approaching a difficult task—getting to the gym, writing an important presentation, attending to an issue in your workplace — you may chide yourself for lacking motivation to get it done. However, it's often not a question of motivation, but follow through. You may want to do the task—you know it's important—but your brain talks you out of it. You tell yourself you can do it tomorrow or you have more urgent things to do. Don't let your mind sabotage your aspirations. Make a specific decision about what you want to do - by a fixed time - and then don't question it. Tell yourself: I will work out tomorrow at 6 AM or I will finish the presentation by Tuesday at 1 PM. If your mind starts to argue with you, ignore it.



Adapted from "Your Problem Isn't Motivation" by Peter Bregman.

Thinking Creatively

As a leader, how do you access the most creative thinking when dealing with issues?

Creativity is not genetically encoded. Anyone can learn to think creatively. The key is to use both the left and right hemispheres of the brain: logical and intuitive, respectively. Start by immersing yourself in a problem. Use the logical left side of your brain to understand what you know about the topic. Then switch to the right side by distancing yourself from the issue and mulling over the information. Exercise is a good way to access the visual nature of the right hemisphere. It often leads to an "ah-ha moment" where you see a new solution. Then switch back to the left hemisphere to challenge your creative breakthrough with rational thinking.

All this said, you can also access creative thinking by drawing on the wisdom of your staff.  If it's an issue that requires creative thinking in the workplace then it's an issue that others will care about.  Be sure to include them in the thinking around the issue. If you don't, the only creativity you'll access is your own.  That may be enough in some situations but strong schools/organizations are built on collaborative and collective wisdom, not the thinking of an individual.

Adapted from  "How to Think Creatively" by Tony Schwartz.