The Dancing Guy Reflection

1. How are you developing your identity as a technology leader or facilitator?

I am developing my identity as a leader by first observing, analyzing the needs, intuitively listening to what the needs are for the campus and individuals before I open my mouth and start giving suggestions. I have learned that people have to earn your respect to even give you the time of day. This is quite normal and it should be this way. Too often leaders try to push people around and give orders to only face resistance and half given compliance. Relationships are everything, relationships are the backbone to our lives actually. Sivers (2010) stated that as leaders we must embrace followers as an equal. This is brilliant because too often I’ve witnessed leaders get trapped exuding a persona that they are better and more significant than the people “below” them. This only creates walls and kills any chance to take risks. I am still in the process of taking things one step at a time to know how to best nurture relationships to build trust that will ultimately lead to innovation.

2. How are you building relationships with individuals in your school, district, and classroom? I am slowly building trust with everyone I encounter. I have always believed that trust opens many doors and believe it more so now after reading Couros state, “When trust is low, in a company or in a relationship it places a hidden “tax” on every transaction: every communication, every interaction, every strategy, every decision is taxed, bringing speed down and sending costs up.” (2015, p.69).

3. Give an example how you have started to empower others to be risk takers.

When I was a fifth grade teacher I set the example of doing what you know is right as a classroom teacher despite what the “rules” were. I by no means ever condoned breaking rules, in this case I had to know the rules to work around them to bring innovation into my classroom. Stations were a big no no in our school at the time, but I knew that providing stations was the best way for me to manage introducing new technology into the classroom. I needed to keep the students engaged while I ventured in trying various technology apps knowing I was going to go through many trial and errors. The other fifth grade teachers were concerned that I was breaking the rules but trusted they wouldn't throw my under the bus. This is where building healthy relationships was a career saver. Once I showed success in the technology applications, I was asked my admin how I did it. When I confessed that I implemented station work, they began to become more open to the idea and of course asked me a lot of questions. I had to provide objectives and proof that kids were not wasting time in stations. If was an uphill battle that ended up working out for every teacher in our school. Stations were approved so long as it was tied into creating technology innovation in the classroom.

Couros, G. (2015). The innovator’s mindset: empower learning, unleash talent, and lead a culture of creativity. San Diego, CA: Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc.

Sivers, D. (2010, February 11). First Follower: Leadership Lessons from Dancing Guy [Video file]. Retrieved February 3, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW8amMCVAJQ