Leading Through Collaboration

John Glaser is Superintendent of the Napa Valley Unified School District in Napa, California. He was the founding partner of Glaser and Associates, a consulting firm focusing on effective interpersonal learning in individuals and organizations. Throughout his professional life he has explored the nature of dynamic leadership and how people come together to produce more powerful outcomes. His consulting experiences have included a general focus on organizational development, as well as specific training, mediation, and facilitation work with joint labor relations initiatives. Glaser was formerly an associate professor of Organizational Leadership at the University of La Verne in La Verne, California. He received his doctorate in education from the University of California, Berkeley. He can be contacted at jglaser@prodigy.net.

Preface Acknowledgments About the Author Part I: Staying on One Page: An Attitude of Coherence 1. Coherence: The Mysterious and Scientific Side of Problem Solving 2. Starting With the Self: Attitudes and Habits That Promote Collaboration 3. Creating Shared Meaning: Moving From Discord to Collaboration 4. The Perils of Coherence: Bad Agreements, False Coherence, and Groupthink Part II: Tools and Strategies for Leading Through Collaboration 5. The Fundamental Elements for Creating Coherence 6. Aligning the Team 7. Focusing on the Vision 8. Searching for Solutions 9. Reaching Effective Agreements 10. Bringing Coherence to the Entire Organization References Index

"Written by a very successful leader, problem solver, and negotiator, the book combines a strong rationale for its practices, well delineated practical strategies, and vignettes from Glaser's extensive background that provide the reader with a clear understanding of how to become a truly collaborative leader." -- Pat Wolfe, Education Consultant "What a marvelous blend of theory and practice! Glaser's writing is so engaging, so personal, and so informative that you will want to read every word. This book should be a requirement for every person who is serious about learning how to lead." -- Leonard O. Pellicer, Dean, College of Education and Organizational Leadership "I love this book! It is practical, readable and wise. With this book, John Glaser has made an important contribution to our field. He has done a wonderful job of both describing the underlying theory of his approach and offering an effective translation into practice." -- Janet Walden, President and CEO "One of the foremost practiotioner and trainer in organizational problem solving has finally put his knowledge and experience into a book." -- Arne Croce, City Manager "Educational leaders who hope to foster the shared vision, collective commitments, and collaborative cultures of true learning communities in their schools will require new ways of thinking and skills. Leading Through Collaboration represents a useful resource for those leaders." -- Richard DuFour, Educational Author and Consultant "Glaser's conversational style and liberal use of examples from his own work and family life make this an enjoyable and very readable book and fabulous learning tool." -- Bonnie Prouty Castry, Past President