Courage to Grow

Kristine Servais is associate professor of educational leadership at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. Servais has studied school principals and, in particular, transformational leadership as a means for schools to collaboratively create a community of learners. Specifially, her research has focused on the roles, responsibilities, and relationships of the principal as a transformational leader in school-university partnerships. Servais provides administrator workshops and academies on the topics of professional learning communities, meeting management, team building, and type preference. She also has been a middle school and elementary teacher, middle school assistant principal and principal, and director of field experiences for pre-service teachers. The middle school at which she was principal was recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.Kellie Sanders is a principal at Walker’s Grove Elementary School in Plainfield, Illinois. She has been a middle school teacher for ten years and a middle school assistant principal. She has a doctorate in educational administration, and her primary focus has been on the purpose, perceptions, and practices of leadership assessment. An area of continued focus for Kellie has been facilitating professional development for teachers and principals in the area of diversity, equity, social justice, and social emotional learning.

• AcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Getting Ready For the Courage to GrowChapter One:Leadership Growth: Knowing the Objectives of the GameChapter Two:A Leader’s Vision: Making our Dreams a RealityChapter Three: A Culture For Leading and Learning: Growing What Really MattersChapter Four: Managing and Leading: The Balancing Act to Optimize LearningChapter Five:Partnerships: Growing Sustainable RelationshipsChapter Six: Leadership Ethics and Integrity: A Code of Conduct for AllChapter Seven: The Politics of Leadership: Understanding and Responding to Political PerspectivesChapter Eight:Training Camp: Professional Development with IntentionalityChapter Nine:Celebrating with IntentionalityEpilogueReferencesIndexAbout the Authors

The Courage to Grow is an important resource not only for educational administrators but for policymakers, teacher-leaders, aspiring leaders, and anyone interested in the complex and challenging relationship between leadership actions and organizational impact. Packed with practical tools and self-assessments, this book will encourage new leaders and challenge veteran leaders to improve their strategies. Above all, the book challenges the reader to make specific personal commitments. It is not possible to read this volume passively—you will use it as a daily manual for personal development.