Courageous Canoe - A Tale of Leadership & Courage, for Young and Old: Leadership Resource Guide

“As a leader, it is essential to be clear about what you want.  You must have a compelling answer to your why question.  It is imperative to know what motivates, inspires and challenges you first.  It is only then that you can lead and have the courage to demand high performance and dedication from your staff.” 

  D.K.T.

"Good talk about good teaching can take many forms and involve many conversation partners – and it can transform teaching and learning.  But it will happen only if leaders expect it, invite it, and provide hospitable space for the conversation to occur.”

    The Courage To Teach

    - Parker J. Palmer

8 Common Leadership Styles from The Center for Association Leadership

"If you're leading well, you won't have just one leadership style. You'll mix and match to engage your team and meet your goals. Look over these eight style types to see what you're doing right—and what you might be missing."

What leadership style do you use the most in your school, and with your team?

As a leader, It is important to be reflective and know your team. 

1. Based on your first impression of the characters in the story, plot them on the matrix using the Mindful Leadership for Transformation template.

2. Once you have read the story, reflect on the strategies used by Canoe to move the characters along the transformation continuum.

3. Using the template(s) provided, reflect on where your staff are now, and what strategies you will use to move them forward.

4. Discuss your strategies and timelines with your Performance Audit Partners.

Choose a character from the story and reflect upon their growth along the 4 As (Aware, Authentic, Aligned, and Attuned) continuum.

The characters in the story needed many different character traits along their journey. 

1. What character traits helped them along this journey?

2. How are these traits exemplified in your school context?

What do the forest animals represent in your school environment?  Why are they important for a 21^st century school?

The six Rs of Leadership are:  Revelation, Reaction, Reflection, Reframe, Respond, Results.

1. Give an example from the story where this process occurs.

2. From your own school experience, think of when this process occurred, or opportunities where it can occur.