Lifelong Leadership by Design

Robert D. Ramsey is a lifelong educator who has served as a "leader of leaders" in three award-winning school districts in two different states. His frontline experience includes positions a teacher, counselor, assistant principal, curriculum director, assistant superintendent, acting superintendent, and adjunct professor. Most recently, he has served as associate superintendent in the St. Louis Park (MN) schools, where every school has been designated by the federal government as a National School of Excellence. Ramsey is now working full-time as a freelance writer in Minneapolis.

Preface: It's Not My High School Principal's Predictable Career Path Anymore Acknowledgments About the Author About the Title Introduction: No-Limit Leadership by Design 1. Your Chosen Journey: Building a Better Leadership Career on Purpose Is This What You Want? Are You Leadership Material? What's a Career? What's Not? Who's in Control? What Should You Expect? What's the Plan? 2. The Seven Critical Choices That Shape Your Leadership 1. Choosing Core Values 2. Leading With Attitude 3. Defining Stretch Goals 4. Getting Priorities Straight 5. Finding Role Models 6. Associates by Choice 7. Picking the Right Battles Choosing When It's Confusing 3. Overcoming Self-Imposed Limits, Career Blockers, and False Ceilings False Ceilings and Self-Made Limitations Other Self-Sabotaging Behaviors 4. Natural Laws of Lifelong School Leadership Natural Laws You Can Use Natural Laws of Career Design Natural Laws of School Leadership Ignorance Is No Excuse 5. Navigation Tips for a Lifelong Journey in School Leadership The Journey Begins in Your Mind Seeking, Starting, Stopping, and Switching Jobs as a School Leader (or Growing Where You're Planted) Becoming Indispensable, Promotable, and Transferable The Most Important Skill of All for Today's (and Tomorrow's) School Leaders How to Step Up, Stand Out, and Stand Apart as a School Leader Staying the Course and Staying Motivated Finding Your Soul as a School Leader 6. Success "Secrets" for Career School Leaders The Power of Thinking Big Leading Others: Building Relationships to Get Results Leading Yourself: Managing the Most Difficult Person of All 7. Stepping Stones and Stumbling Blocks to Effective School Leadership Common Stepping Stones and Stumbling Blocks for School Leaders The Most Influential Career Stepping Stones and Stumbling Blocks The Boss Factor The Job Itself as a Stumbling Block The Resilient School Leader: Overcoming Stumbling Blocks and Turning Obstacles Into Opportunities 8. Making Tough Calls and Hard Choices Deciding to Decide Career-Changing Choices A How-to-Decide Guide A Permanent State of Transition 9. Evolution of a Lifelong Career and Leaving a Lasting Legacy Developmental Phases of Successful School Leadership Every Phase Adds Value to the Legacy Definition of a Legacy Planting Seeds for Lasting Impact How to Design a Legacy to Be Proud Of 10. A Final Word Resource A. What Others Say Resource B. Read More About It Index

"This book offers aspiring and veteran school leaders insightful, practical, and proven strategies to successfully acquire and thrive in meaningful professional positions." -- David Freitas, Professor "A warm, personal approach to leadership which reflects a writer with a deep sense of the value of every person and a deep spirituality designed for doing the most good for the most people, especially the students. Prospective leaders can benefit greatly from this work." -- Sister Camille Anne Campbell, Secondary School Principal