302 Thoughts with Joe and T.J.: Two Mental Shifts Toward Better School Leadership

TheSchoolHouse302 One Thing Series School Leadership Podcast

302 Thoughts for School Leaders In this episode of 302 Thoughts, Joe and T.J. dig into how school leaders must shift their minds to lead better and grow faster. Shifting our mindset is not easy. It requires a dogged pursuit to focus our mind in the most productive ways to function better as a leader. There are two major shifts that are worth making--embracing courage instead of being ruled by fear and maintaining a long-term mentality. Both of these are challenging but incredibly rewarding. In this episode, listen to Joe describe the power of cognitive dissonance and the stockdale paradox that we learned from Jim Collins. Learning to push forward and donning a cape of courage, rather than fretting with fear, is the mental shift that will push an organization forward. T.J. reminds listeners that the key is to fear less, not be fearless. Dive further into this idea with Tim Ferris and Performance Psychologist Michael Gervais. Lastly, Joe talks about how you can do this through the power of teamwork and developing collective efficacy. Joe’s one key takeaway for school leaders is that shifting from fear to courage is a choice. Be aware of the situation and then move forward. T.J. brings up a critical notion about data usage in schools. Having a data consciousness allows you to deal with reality when confronted with opinion. You’ll want to hear more about how to do this as a school leader. The truth is that if you're leading, you are not alone. Learn to lean in and lean on others. This is where T.J. picks up the ball and pivots to the other critical mental shift--Long-Term thinking. Don’t miss T.J. discuss the critical importance of pre-planning. T.J. talks about how leaders are susceptible to falling into the trap of constantly putting out the urgent fires at the expense of what’s important. This is one of the key concepts from our latest book, 7 Mindshifts for School Leaders. T.J. also dives into time-blocking for an effective way to schedule each day. This is not a strategy that you want to overlook. Especially, if you are facing the difficult crossroads of important versus urgent work. Readers are reminded of the 5 bad boss behaviors to avoid. T.J.'s one key takeaway for school leaders: plan. Leading is a choice that can’t be left to chance. T.J. and Joe always provide the how with the what, enabling school leaders to lead better and grow faster. Let us know if there’s a topic you want us to cover by leaving a comment below or by contacting us at [e-mail]. And don’t miss our leadership content updates every week by subscribing on the site. We can’t wait to hear from you. Joe & T.J.