Lead Fearlessly

Every now and then I find myself on TED. I say every now and then because I just forget about the wonderful resource that it is. This weekend I listened to Linda Cliatt-Wayman's inspiring presentation. Linda, principal in North Philadelphia, is known as the principal that laid down the law and turned not only her first school around but three schools. These schools weren't just low performing. They were also considered persistently dangerous.

Cliatt-Wayman has some great slogans in the speech. I thought I would create a poster for me to remember.

Cliatt-Wayman slogan of "If You're Going to Lead...then Lead" is powerful. What does and does not happen in a school is up to the principal. As a principal, it all starts with us. Schools which excel at what they do in a consistent manner can be contributed to strong values and high expectations. Excellence does not happen by chance. It happens based on carefully planned strategies.

Below is the video of Linda Cliatt-Wayman's speech. It is 17 minutes long but worth every minute.