The Daily Practices of Successful Principals
- Barbara L. Brock - Creighton University, USA
- Marilyn L. Grady - University of Nebraska, Lincoln, USA
A grab-and-go guide for busy principals
While many books outline the attributes of successful school leaders, few describe how those traits manifest in daily practice. The Daily Practices of Successful Principals goes beyond the outward picture of excellence and provides a compendium of daily practices used by successful principals in various settings. Written by former administrators who have walked in your shoes, this handy guide's strategies are based on interviews with successful leaders and are applicable in multiple contexts. Inside you will find guidelines for:
- Examining your values, educational platform, and personal style
- Establishing learning as a common purpose
- Identifying and leading school change
- Effectively managing staff and student relationships
- Developing teacher leaders
The authors understand that principals are expected to have the patience of Job, the tenacity of Atlas, the compassion of Mother Teresa, and a sense of humor. The recommended daily practices will help you stay focused on the most important things—leading effectively, promoting student achievement, and making a positive difference in students' lives.
“Just as The Leadership Challenge by Kouzes and Possner has become the classic textbook for graduate schools in leadership, The Daily Practices of Successful Principals will become the classic publication for practicing school principals. The material is straightforward, easy to read, and provides valuable information to all principals who wish to become even more effective. Readers will not be disappointed.”
“The book’s strengths are its balance on theory and practice – as well as its insistence reflecting on one’s own values, behaviors and habits – the questions and activities are thought-provoking and just make sense.”
“An excellent resource for administrative licensure programs. The organization of the material and predictability of each section make it easy to follow and comprehend. The information is compiled in such a way that those new to administration can easily grasp some essential skills and strategies for successful leaders.”
“The Daily Practices of Successful Principals is a great resource for principal network meetings or roundtable discussions. The reflective questions and practical tools give the reader a head start on thinking about their own success as instructional leaders. Using this book as a basis for developing parts of one’s annual performance review makes sense.”
“If you are a new principal looking for some practical strategies to establish yourself in the community you are about to serve, this book has practical strategies to implement and thought-provoking questions to reflect on as you move forward.”
