Wednesday, April 24, 2019

On the Coffee Table: Casey Reason

Title: Leading a Learning Organization: The Science of Working with Others
Author: Casey Reason
via Amazon
This was another book I picked up for my master's program.  Fortunately for my own purposes, the book expands the idea of leadership beyond the principal's role.  Having been in my job for quite a while and having earned a fair amount of trust and respect from my colleagues (the damn fools) I have found myself in a lot more leadership roles in recent years, both official and otherwise.  Especially when our professional community is struggling, which it seems to be more often than not, I find it difficult not to take on the stress and worries of others.  Listening to people complain all the time is brutally draining.  I am always eager to find ways to turn those same complaints into a plan for action.  Reason's book offers a path.

Basically, he recommends leading others in a collective inquiry process.  As much as I appreciate the positive and constructive thinking, I may need to rethink approaching books about work as pleasure reading.  I read a bit, then start to ruminate upon unpleasant things.  I still want to read such books and may indeed try to implement some of his ideas, but maybe not the most relaxing material at bedtime.

8 comments:

  1. "Listening to people complain all the time is brutally draining"...hehehe....lol.... yes, indeed.

    I should read the book...

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    1. It pertains specifically to the teaching profession but I suppose some of the material might be meaningful for others.

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  2. From just the bit you said there, it sounds like he's suggesting taking up leading by therapy.

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    1. It's more an approach to problem solving and not a bad one. I would need to reread parts if I were to try implementing it meaningfully. Big if.

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  3. Leadership (the quality) is great.

    Leadership (the job) can zap you of your will to live.

    Cherdo
    Cherdo on the Flipside
    Blogging from A-to-Z April Challenge

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  4. This book sounds interesting, but more like morning and not bedtime reading.

    www.thepulpitandthepen.com

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    Replies
    1. Probably. I would like to believe, for your sake, that church politics are more easily navigated than school politics.

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