Leadership
The Strategic Compass: Steering your Organization toward Success
Strategic planning is the art of turning dreams into an actionable roadmap. It’s about setting goals and plotting the steps that will ensure an organization's growth and sustainability. It's a combination of foresight, resource allocation, and adaptability in a dynamic world. In a recent webinar, Impact Group Partner Phil Herman and Threshold Rehabilitation Services, Inc. President and CEO Dr. Ed Mahalik—broke down the components of strategic planning and helped exemplify that while the compass points to the north, it is the collaboration between stakeholders, leaders, and strategy that determines if we reach our destination. Strategic Planning & The Impact on ...
Empowering Student Voices: Shaping School Culture and Community
In our recent Digital Leadership Academy Webinar, we explored the dynamic interplay between student voices and school leadership. Let’s dive into the insights shared, including why student voices matter, how to involve them in school decisions, and tips to better capture their perspectives. The Vital Role of Student Voices Sometimes, it’s easy to forget that students are primary stakeholders in the education system. Their experiences, needs, and points of view directly influence the effectiveness and relevance of a school district’s policies, programs, and practices. Moreover, their unique insights into their learning environments can offer valuable feedback for administrators; after all, ...
Case Study: Unveiling the Power of Strategic Planning for Schools
In the dynamic landscape of education, strategic planning stands tall as the compass guiding institutions toward their goals. A recent webinar featuring Tom Speaks and Phil Herman, Impact Group Partners, along with special guest Dr. Cameron Ryba, Superintendent of Strongsville City Schools, delved into the essence of strategic planning and its transformative impact. Why It Matters: Strategic Plans are essential for organizations to articulate and communicate where they are going. It plays a crucial role in providing clarity, setting actionable goals, and securing buy-in from stakeholders. It's not just a bureaucratic exercise; it's a roadmap to success. Strongsville's Decision to ...
Thinking Strategically About Your Social Media as a Superintendent
Education in the 21st century has experienced a technological revolution, changing the way we reach our audience and communicate with them. The world has gone digital, and social media has become a tool for communication, student and staff engagement and collaboration. As a school superintendent, it's important to understand the best practices for using social media effectively. In this post, we've gathered tips on how to engage with your audience, share your school district's highlights, and promote your most important priorities. Share Student Celebrations and Day-to-day Activities It's no longer enough to be known for academic excellence - community engagement ...
Appreciating the Often Unnoticed
Creating a Culture of Appreciation in Your Workplace Have you heard of the “Magic Coffee Table”? A woman comes home from work, and the man asks her if she is going to make dinner tonight. Frustrated, the woman says she can’t always do everything for him! The man assures her that everything will be OK, he has something to show her. He gestures to a laundry basket and says “I don’t know how it happens, but any dirty clothes you put in this basket end up clean and folded in a pile on your bed.” The woman turns to him ...
What Does it Mean to Lead?
When I step back to really think about it, I’ve been intrigued by the concept of leadership for as long as I can remember. I can vividly recollect asking myself why I wanted to listen to and engage with certain adults (or even other kids for that matter) while others couldn’t come close to grasping my attention. I secretly wondered why select teachers and coaches could get my best efforts while others couldn’t motivate or captivate me in the least. While I couldn’t define it at the time, I knew I would follow these special people anywhere and intuitively understood ...
Moral Purpose: Understanding Why You Do What You Do
We’ve all heard someone say, “It took me forever to finish this,” or “I worked overtime last night.” We often share details about what we’ve done, but we rarely talk about the meaning. The first step to understanding the meaning behind your work is to define your moral purpose. A moral purpose is defined as “a value that, when articulated, appeals to the innate sense held by some individuals of what is right and what is worthwhile.” Increasingly for younger generations of people, it’s essential to have a moral purpose in the workplace. Why do you do what you do? ...
The Ultimate Metaphor for Personal Growth: The Bamboo Tree
Do you have a goal set for yourself, but others cannot see it? Do you have something that matters to you, but others cannot comprehend its depth? Are you striving for something, but aren’t seeing results? If you answered “YES” to any of these questions, you are likely striving to forge a path for personal growth – and you’re not alone. The personal development industry generates over $1 billion in annual revenue and has grown in sales every year since 2008. Although the foundations of developing your goals may seem like common sense, not everyone knows how to make constructive ...