Well, we have all turned our clocks ahead and suffered through the lethargy that missing the one hour of sleep always seems to bring. And, frankly, despite our moaning and groaning and almost obligatory complaining…most of us are pretty happy to reap the benefit the sacrifice of one hour brings: longer days and the sense that spring is REALLY, FINALLY here!
The “spring forward” ritual reminded me that forward movement just cannot occur without some force propelling the restful body up and on. Never a stellar physics student was I, but the law of inertia was drilled into me until it actually made sense! So, given that everyone and everything is bound by the laws of physics, how can organizational change and leadership growth be viewed as the result of forward motion?
Every organization has some implementers and some igniters.
Learning how to encourage the most from both is part of what makes a successful leader able to champion organizational change!
The implementers are invaluable because they are able to make the wheels spin every day…they make things hum smoothly and work efficiently. Once they are tasked with a “to do list”, their natural ability to move items from “will do” to ” done” kicks in and things begin to occur. Nothing could ever move from concept to finished product without the implementers.
But the igniters!
Ah…those individuals are more rare. Successful organizations always have them; uber-successful organizations have more of them and value them highly.
The igniters spark creatively whenever they are. They see opportunity when others see problems. They are able to envision how to identify and solve problems …almost effortlessly. Igniters are often most feared when co-workers hear them say,” I just had an idea about how we can…….”
Igniters can be …and often are…the leaders within a school district or an organization. Their grasp of the gestalt makes them see their world through lenses that are permanently opened to the widest setting. Embracing the challenges, the information overload and the concomitant problems that accompany change, igniters move forward…springing ahead…relentlessly…and their movement provides the force to move schools, change national agendas and impact lives on every conceivable level.
Your organization or school district can discover how to honor both your igniters and your implementers by learning how leadership and professional development can assist each individual to capitalize upon individual strength while also working synergistically and collaboratively with peers and colleagues.
Can you share some examples of how igniters have worked successfully within your school district? Or, can you identify some ways that implementers have been the factor that insured success for a project or initiative within your organization? Since both of those worker-styles are of equal value…all are equally important!
TregoED has the ability to help you spring forward…and we won’t even make you lose an hour’s sleep! Visit us atwww.tregoed.org for more info or to beign a conversation …we look forward to hearing from you!