[ELM#1014] Building Educational Leaders from Within

Welcome to today’s episode, where we explore how to grow leaders from within. We’ll unpack how personalized support, targeted workshops, and strategic development can turn potential into powerful school leadership.

From data-driven decisions to courageous conversations, strong leaders don’t just happen; they’re built. Join us as we dive into practical tools that help districts cultivate and sustain exceptional educational leadership.

#EducationalLeader,

Kim

“When students are led well, they learn well.”

Website: http://kimdmoore.com
Book: http://leadershipchairbook.com
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/kimdmoore
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@EducationalLeader

The views shared in the Educational Leadership Moment are solely mine and do not reflect the positions of my employer or any entity within the local, state, or federal government sectors.

Transcript

When my former district launched a leadership professional development pipeline, I was excited to be part of it. I had the privilege of teaching several courses designed to help aspiring leaders grow their skills and prepare for the next step in their journey.

Out of all the courses I taught, one quickly became my favorite. It was created for individuals who needed a little extra support to pass the final exam required to complete the program. These were talented, committed educators; each of them had completed all the necessary coursework but needed focused guidance to cross the finish line.

Because the participants had met the core requirements, I had the freedom to take a personalized approach. Instead of sticking to a standard curriculum, I zeroed in on the unique needs of each individual. I worked closely with them to strengthen their knowledge, build their confidence, and sharpen the skills that would help them succeed—not just on the exam, but in their future leadership roles.

The results were inspiring. Every single participant passed the program’s exit exam. But even more meaningful to me, every one of them went on to become a successful school administrator.

That experience affirmed something I deeply believe: when we meet people where they are, and invest in their growth with intentional support, we create the conditions for success. Personalized leadership development isn’t just a strategy—it’s a commitment to the potential of every future leader.

The Critical Role of Targeted Professional Development in Leadership Growth

In today's rapidly evolving educational landscape, developing strong leaders isn't a luxury but a necessity. While many districts acknowledge the importance of leadership development programs, the effectiveness of these initiatives often hinges on one critical component: purposefully designed professional development workshops.

According to a comprehensive study by Darling-Hammond et al. (2021), effective leadership development programs share a common feature: they include targeted professional development experiences that build specific leadership capacities rather than generic management skills. When thoughtfully integrated into comprehensive development programs, these workshops are the engine of meaningful leadership transformation.

Why are these workshops so essential? They create structured opportunities for aspiring and current leaders to develop specific competencies, practice new skills in low-stakes environments, and receive immediate feedback before implementing strategies in their schools. As Leithwood noted in his landmark research, "Leadership effects are usually largest where they are needed most" (2020, p. 8). Targeted workshops ensure that leadership development addresses the most pressing needs of schools and districts.

Workshop Types That Transform Educational Leadership

1. Data-Informed Decision Making Workshops

Key Learning Objectives:

• Analyze various forms of educational data (achievement, attendance, climate surveys)
• Identify meaningful patterns that inform strategic planning
• Develop data visualization skills to communicate findings effectively

Interactive Components:

• Case studies using anonymized school data sets
• Collaborative problem-solving sessions using actual district challenges
• Practice creating data dashboards that tell compelling improvement stories

Leadership Application:

When leaders master data analysis, they move from making decisions based on intuition to evidence-based leadership. This creates greater transparency, builds trust with stakeholders, and helps leaders target resources where they'll have maximum impact on student outcomes.

2. Courageous Conversations Facilitator Training

Key Learning Objectives:

• Develop skills to lead difficult but necessary discussions about equity, performance, and change
• Practice depersonalizing conflict while addressing substantive issues
• Master strategies for maintaining psychological safety during challenging conversations

Interactive Components:

• Role-playing scenarios with professional facilitators
• Video analysis of successful and unsuccessful difficult conversations
• Structured protocols for planning and executing high-stakes discussions

Leadership Application:

The ability to facilitate difficult conversations is perhaps the most distinguishing characteristic between effective and ineffective leaders. When mastered, this skill allows leaders to address performance concerns, navigate change resistance, and tackle equity issues that might otherwise remain undiscussed.

3. Distributed Leadership and Team Empowerment

Key Learning Objectives:

• Identify leadership potential in diverse staff members
• Design systems that distribute decision-making appropriately
• Create structures that develop leadership capacity throughout the organization

Interactive Components:

• Leadership capacity audits of participants' current school teams
• Designing leadership development plans for promising team members
• Simulations of distributing significant initiatives across staff teams

Leadership Application:

Leaders who master distributed leadership principles create sustainable improvement systems that don't depend solely on their presence. This approach builds ownership, enhances staff retention, and develops leadership pipelines that ensure institutional knowledge isn't lost during transitions.

Strategic Workshop Sequencing for Optimal Development

The sequencing of these workshops matters significantly. Research by The Wallace Foundation (2022) demonstrates that leadership development is most effective when it follows a developmental trajectory:

1. Fall: Begin with self-awareness and foundational leadership workshops
2. Winter: Progress to skill-building in areas like data analysis and courageous conversations
3. Spring: Advance to system-building workshops focused on distributed leadership and sustainable change
4. Summer: Culminate with integration workshops that help leaders synthesize learnings into cohesive leadership approaches

This sequence ensures that participants build upon earlier learnings, creating a scaffolded approach that deepens implementation with each subsequent workshop.

The Research-Backed Investment Case

The investment in targeted leadership workshops yields substantial returns. A longitudinal study by Grissom and Loeb (2023) found that districts implementing comprehensive leadership development programs saw:

• 24% higher teacher retention rates
• Increased student achievement gains averaging 5-7 percentile points
• Improved school climate scores
• Greater success in implementing district-wide initiatives

The financial investment in targeted workshops pales compared to the costs of leader turnover, failed initiatives, and stalled improvement efforts.

Evaluating Your Professional Development Approach

As an administrator, I challenge you to evaluate your current leadership development offerings honestly. Do they include targeted workshops that build specific leadership capacities? Are they sequenced intentionally to build upon previous learning? Do they provide both theoretical knowledge and practical application opportunities?

If you answered "no" to any of these questions, it's time to reimagine your approach to developing the leaders your district needs. Our students deserve nothing less than transformative leaders with the skills to lead today's complex educational organizations.

"The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership." - Harvey S. Firestone, founder of Firestone Tire and Rubber Company.

What's the first workshop you'll redesign to begin this transformation?

#EducationalLeader,

Kim

References

Darling-Hammond, L., Schachner, A., & Edgerton, A. K. (2021). Restarting and reinventing school: Learning in the time of COVID and beyond. Learning Policy Institute. 

Grissom, J. A., & Loeb, S. (2023). Effective instructional time use for school leaders: Longitudinal evidence from observations of principals. Educational Researcher, 52(1), 25-37. 

Leithwood, K. (2020). Leadership development on a large scale: Lessons for long-term success. Corwin Press.

The Wallace Foundation. (2022). How principals affect students and schools: A systematic synthesis of two decades of research.