February 6, 2025

*Tomorrow! Webinar on Compensatory Funding with MDE Staff*

MASA will host a webinar on Friday, February 7 at noon for all members to hear from MDE staff about the governor’s compensatory funding proposal and the recent runs that were released. Information will be shared, and there will be time for questions. Register here!

Immigration Support from AASA

This resource has been updated since I sent it to all members. If this is a concern for your school community, you may want to check the link occasionally for updates.

Guest Author Article

MASA Reads offers the following article from Bill Sommers, who has led sessions in the past. 

Surviving Chaos: Keeping Hope Alive

By, William Sommers, PhD

If you want to see chaos, watch a hurricane and the results when it comes ashore.

2025 promises to be more chaotic as funding, privatization, political battles, standards,

etc. become unresolved issues that can and will affect school classrooms, sites, and

districts. How will leaders help educators navigate the winds of change?

What can we learn from hurricanes? Over 30 years ago, I attended a Thought Leader

Gathering hosted by Craig & Patricia Neal in Minneapolis. At one event a speaker

named Peter (can’t remember his last name) told a story about how some palm trees

survive hurricanes. As 2025 begins, chaos may be on the horizon in many sectors.

Education and educators are my focus. The story is below; brackets identify my

thoughts.

Palm trees survive in three ways:

1. Even though they are tall and slender, palm trees have deep roots. [What are

the strong values that support leaders as they face strong political winds from

many angles? How will leaders communicate internally and externally? How will

leaders implement policies that are good for all students? Where will leaders get

support for their vision? Tricia Griffith said, “With the right people, culture, and

values, you can accomplish great things.”]

2. Being tall and slender, palm trees are flexible and can bend with the winds and

rain. They do not have branches or leaves to catch the wind which could more

readily break the tree. [Einstein said, “creativity is more important than

knowledge.” Knowledge is important and insufficient. Leaders must apply a

repertoire of solutions from any source possible to address existing and new

problems. Trying to solve a wicked problem with a silver bullet has not been very

successful. The more flexibility and creativity a leader has, the more influence

they will have to solve issues. Polarity Partnership (both/and thinking) is an

additional powerful strategy.]

3. Palm trees survive best in a community. A tree out on a sandbar alone does not

survive at a high rate. Survival is at a higher rate when several trees are in

proximity. [Leadership can be a lonely position. Creating strong teams that are

psychologically safe can produce better ideas. James Suroweicki, who wrote

Wisdom of Teams reports that ideas from the smartest person in the room is

about 65%. When teams respond to problems, solutions are at 91%. Who and

how many professionals do you want on your team? “Diversity Strengthens”

says E.O. Wilson, a biologist.]

So, what can you, as a leader, do to prepare? Suggestions follow:

Do scenario planning – two major events that may influence the chaos. For

instance, flat or reduced funding on the x-axis and technology on the y-axis. This

creates four scenarios. Develop responses in each quadrant to anticipate an

action plan if that scenario becomes reality. This process has been used by many

companies to plan forward depending on circumstances. Shell Oil reacted

quickly to the oil embargoes years ago because they had done this. Learn the

process and get your team working on these possibilities. Do a google search for

the process. I learned it from Michael Ayers who taught this at 3M.

READ. Read about turnaround situations. American Icon is a book about Alan

Mulally, a CEO who took over Ford at $17 billion in the red and the company was

profitable in three years under his leadership. Marshall Goldsmith was his

executive coach.

Marshall Goldsmith wrote “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There.” Peter

Drucker said, “The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence; it

is to act with yesterday’s logic.” Diversity, creativity, and commitment will go

along way in producing positive responses to chaotic conditions.

Leaders will be responsible for keeping focused on a preferred future and are a

critical element in keeping hope alive for their organizations. Leaders must

communicate hope and the ability to manage change internally and externally.

Everyone in the organization watches the leader: what leaders permit, they

promote. You will be watched and listened to. Leaders will be responsible for

your tongue and your feet. The more aligned, higher trust. The more distance

between tongue and feet, less trust.

Communicate, communicate, and communicate. As Patrick Lencioni wrote in Four

Obsessions, one of the pillars is – OVERCOMMUNICATE. Making a statement

in August is not sufficient for the rest of the year. Keep the goals and processes

visible in word and actions. Every newsletter, report, and meeting will be a

message about what is most important.

References:

Goldsmith, M. (2007). What got you here won’t get you there. New York: Hyperion

Hoffman, Bryce. (2012). American Icon. New York: Crown

Johnson, Barry. (1992). Polarity management. Amherst, MA: HRD Press, Inc.

Johnson, Barry. (2020). And: Making a Difference by Leveraging Polarity, Paradox or

Dilemma. Volume One. Sacramento, CA: Polarity Partnerships.

Lencioni, P. (2002). The four obsessions of an extraordinary executive.

San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Sommers, William (2024). https://learningomnivores.com/keeping-hope-alive/

Surowiecki, James. (2004). The wisdom of crowds. New York: Anchor Books.

Leadership Matters!

“Your smile is your logo, your personality is your business card, and the way you make others feel is your trademark.” - Jay Danzie