Ten Traits of Highly Effective Principals

Elaine K. McEwan is an educational consultant with The McEwan-Adkins Group, offering professional development for educators to assist them in meeting the challenges of literacy learning in Grades Pre K-6. A former teacher, librarian, principal, and assistant superintendent for instruction in several suburban Chicago school districts, Elaine is the award-winning and best-selling author of more than three dozen books for educators. Her Corwin Press titles include Raising Reading Achievement in Middle and High Schools: Five Simple-to-Follow Strategies for Principals, Second Edition (2006), Seven Strategies of Highly Effective Readers: Using Cognitive Research to Boost K-8 Achievement (2004), Ten Traits of Highly Effective Principals: From Good to Great Performance (2003), Making Sense of Research: What's Good, What's Not, and How to Tell the Difference (2003), Seven Steps to Effective Instructional Leadership, Second Edition (2003), Teach Them ALL to Read: Catching the Kids Who Fall through the Cracks (2002), and Ten Traits of Highly Effective Teachers: How to Hire, Mentor, and Coach Successful Teachers (2001). McEwan was honored by the Illinois Principals Association as an outstanding instructional leader, by the Illinois State Board of Education with an Award of Excellence in the Those Who Excel Program, and by the National Association of Elementary School Principals as the National Distinguished Principal from Illinois for 1991. She received her undergraduate degree in education from Wheaton College and advanced degrees in library science (MA) and educational administration (EdD) from Northern Illinois University.

Preface Who This Book Is For Overview of the Contents Acknowledgments Introduction A Matter of Defintion The Origin of the Ten Traits The Ten Traits of Highly Effective Principals Chapter 1: The Communicator Chapter 2: The Educator Chapter 3: The Envisioner Chapter 4: The Facilitator Chapter 5: The Change Master Chapter 6: The Culture Builder Chapter 7: The Activator Chapter 8: The Producer Chapter 9: The Character Builder Chapter 10: The Contributor About the Author Dedication 1. The Communicator Communicator Exemplar: Michelle Gayle Communicator Benchmarks 1.1 Communicators Attend 1.2 Communicators Listen 1.3 Communicators Empathize 1.4 Communicators Disclose Themselves to Others 1.5 Communicators Get the Whole Story 1.6 Communicators Ask the Right Questions 1.7 Communicators Say What They Mean and Mean What They Say 1.8 Communicators Can Acceptn Criticism 1.9 Communicators Can Give Correction 1.10 Communicators Communicate Creatively 1.11 Communicators Disagree Agreeably 1.12 Communicators Pay Attention to Parents 1.13 Communicators Connect Emotionally and Professionally With Staff 1.14 Communicators Communicate With Students 1.15 Communicators Can Talk to the Boss 1.16 Communicators Connect in Productive, Helping, and Healing Ways 1.17 Communicators Care Enough to Send the Very Best 1.18 Communicators Know How to Schmooze 1.19 Communicators Write, Speak, and Teach Summing It Up 2. The Educator Educator Exemplar Jean Hendrickson, Elementary Educator Exemplar: Alan Jones, High School Educator Benchmarks 2.1 Educator Principals Believe That All Students Can Learn, and They Develop Programs to Help Them Succeed 2.2 Educator Principals Provide Training and Support for Teachers 2.3 Educator Principals Create Cognitive Dissonance 2.4 Educator Principals Establish, Implement, and Achieve Academic Standards 2.5 Educator Principals Focus on Instruction 2.6 Educator Principals Model Continuous Learning 2.7 Educator Principals Develop Teacher Leaders 2.8 Educator Principals Pay Attention to What Matters Most 2.9 Educator Principals Create Learning Communities Summing It Up 3. The Envisioner Envisioner Exemplar: Larry Fieber Envisioner Benchmarks 3.1 Envisioners Are Hedgehogs 3.2 Envisioners Feel Called 3.3 Envisioners Have Resolve, Goals, and Lifevision 3.4 Envisioners Can See the Invisible 3.5 Envisioners Know Where They Are Headed 3.6 Envisioners Have Compelling Visions 3.7 Envisioners Can Articulate Their Visions and Then Make Them Happen Summing It Up 4. The Facilitator Facilitator Exemplar: Doug Pierson Facilitator Benchmarks 4.1 Facilitator Principals Bond People Into a Community of Leaders 4.2 Facilitator Principals Tap the Potential of People 4.3 Facilitator Principals Say "We" Instead of "I" 4.4 Facilitator Principals Favor People Over Paperwork 4.5 Facilitator Principals Build Up Emotional Bank Accounts 4.6 Facilitator Principals Cultivate Their Own Well-Being 4.7 Facilitator Principals Value Diversity 4.8 Facilitator Principals Share the "Power Pie" 4.9 Facilitator Principals Accentuate the Positives 4.10 Facilitator Principals Promote Parental Involvement 4.11 Facilitator Principals Celebrate 4.12 Facilitator Principals Spend Time With Students Summing It Up 5. The Change Master Change Master Exemplar: Marjorie Thompson Change Master Benchmarks 5.1 Change Masters Can Handle Uncertainty and Ambiguity 5.2 Change Masters Respect Resisters 5.3 Change Masters Are Futuristic 5.4 Change Masters Use a Situational Approach 5.5 Change Masters Know That the Power Is Within 5.6 Change Masters Value the Process 5.7 Change Masters Plan for Short-Term Victories 5.8 Change Masters Procure Resources 5.9 Change Masters Trust Their Teams 5.10 Change Masters Are Willing to Change Themselves 5.11 Change Masters Are Motivators 5.12 Change Masters Understand the Change Process Summing It Up 6. The Culture Builder Culture Builder Exemplar: Gabe Flicker Culture Builder Benchmarks 6.1 Culture Builders Understand and Appreciate the Power of Culture 6.2 Culture Builders Know What a Good Culture Looks Like 6.3 Culture Builders Facilitate the Development of Core Values 6.4 Culture Builders Communicate These Values Clearly 6.5 Culture Builders Reward and Cheer Those Who Support and Enhance the Culture 6.6 Culture Builders Build Cultures That People Choose 6.7 Culture Builders Know the Small Stuff Is Really the Big Stuff Summing It Up 7. The Activator Activator Exemplar: Clare Maguire Activator Exemplar: Todd White Activator Benchmarks 7.1 Activators Mobilize People 7.2 Activators Are Entrepreneurial 7.3 Activators Don't Wait to Be Told 7.4 Activators Are Risk Takers 7.5 Activators Ask for Forgiveness Rather Than Permission 7.6 Activators Run to Daylight 7.7 Activators Don't Micromanage 7.8 Activators Make Things Happen 7.9 Activators Are Outrageous 7.10 Activators Are Cheerleaders Summing It Up 8. The Producer Producer Exemplar: Dale Skinner Producer Benchmarks 8.1 Producers Believe That Achievement Is the Bottom Line 8.2 Producers Never Mistake Activity for Achievement 8.3 Producers Are Data Driven 8.4 Producers Pay Attention to Individual Students 8.5 Producers Have Academically Focused Missions 8.6 Producers Make Research-Based Decisions 8.7 Producers Hold Teachers Accountable Summing It Up 9. The Character Builder Character Builder Examplar: Tom Paulsen Character Builder Benchmarks 9.1 Character Builders Are Human 9.2 Character Builders Are Trustworthy 9.3 Character Builders Have Integrity 9.4 Character Builders Are Authentic 9.5 Character Builders Are Respectful 9.6 Character Buliders Are Generous 9.7 Character Builders Are Humble 9.8 Character Builders Hire Staff Members With Character 9.9 Character Builders Are Consistent 9.10 Character Builders Lead by Example, Not by Exhortation 9.11 Character Builders Seek to Develop the Character of Students Summing It Up 10. The Contributor Contributor Exemplar: Lola Malone Contributor Benchmarks 10.1 Contributors Lead by Serving Others 10.2 Contributors Are Self-Aware and Reflective 10.3 Contributors Are Good Stewards 10.4 Contributors Have Strong Wills Summing It Up Conclusion Professional Conclusions How Can You Use This Book Resource A: List of Contributing Highly Effective Principals Resource B: Ten Traits of Highly Effective Principals Resource C: Complete List of Benchmarks References Index Facilitators Guide Who Should Use This Guide? How Is the Guide Organized? What Materials Are Needed? Study Modules Introduction

This is a powerful guidebook for new principals. More than that, it also contains valuable insight and examples to assist veteran principals in growing and improving professionally. -- Kimberly Kay Janisch, Principal I feel that this is a book principals will be interested in purchasing and reading. It has practical advice and relevant examples of how the advice can and has been implemented. -- Phillip Silsby, Principal I could hear the voices of some of the principals who were interviewed speaking to me. The author clearly knows how to gather information and present it in a meaningful way. -- Bonnie Tryon, Zone 2 Director It is a valuable resource, a must-read, for current and prospective principals who wish to become exemplars in school leadership and management. -- Flordeliza Reyes, Educational Leadership and Management Department The usefulness of this book clearly lies in the author's treatment of the traits and in the resource guide and facilitator's guide at the end. The content is rich with stimulating ideas that would inspire even the most seasoned administrator. -- The School Administrator, March 2004 10 Traits of Highly Effective Principals is a 'must-read' for any practitioner or aspiring principal needing direction, mental stimulation, or self-renewal. -- Principal Magazine, March/April 2004 "In all of the books I have read, this is far and away the best. Finally, a book where someone gets it! And wrapping up the book with a discussion of servant leadership is brilliant. I put these books in the hands of all of our principals, and each month at our district admin meetings, one of us presents on a chapter and opens it up for discussion. Everyone loves it and is on board. I have always been proud of the culture of our school, but this book is really helping all of us get on the same page and get the true purpose of our daily lives in education." -- Brent M. Hodges, Assistant Headmaster