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Santa Fe Leadership Center
Monthly Newsletter 
March, 2010
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Dear , 
If you attended the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) conference last month and had the chance to see Arianna Huffington speak, you heard her message about the importance of self-care and balance. It is not a new concept for school leaders and people in roles of authority, but it is one that is regularly snubbed. Many schools are places of exceedingly high achievement, and faculty and staff tend to be intrinsically motivated and passionate about what they do. But we often confuse commitment and achievement with relentlessly working -- replying to emails in the wee hours of the morning, racing from one meeting to the next, missing family dinners to attend endless school events, and foregoing a regular exercise routine in the fear that someone might declare, "I heard the head of school was at the gym yesterday during the home basketball game. Imagine missing that game for a workout!"
But the truth is that we need to take care of ourselves and we need to find balance. We need to be better models for the students in our schools and be better at managing boundaries with parents and other competing interests -- if we are to truly be worthwhile managers and leaders in our communities. Huffington told the crowd, "The more centered and balanced I am, the more likely I am to make the right decisions." This comes from a woman who needs to balance her roles of parent of two daughters with a high profile job as the editor of the Huffington Post (not to mention her role as Trustee of the Archer School for Girls). Her experience fainting from exhaustion was her wake-up call; what will yours be?
The theme of this issue is re-claiming that priority of balance. Gary Gruber reviews Rob Evans book The Seven Secrets of the Savvy Leader, a book with a mandate for school leaders to "take care of number one." And Carla writes about battling negative fantasies and anxiety. How can you keep a healthy and balanced perspective and combat negative thoughts?
And finally, this is your last chance to register for the April Leadership Seminar in Santa Fe. There really is no better opportunity to find that balance than in the four days you'll spend with us in Santa Fe.
Regards,
Gary Gruber Timothy R. McIntire Carla Robbins Silver
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Register Now
for our April Seminar
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April 15-18
Hotel La Fonda
Santa Fe, NM
Exercising leadership in schools is not easy. Leaders in school today face a number of challenges including tough economic conditions, unrealistically high expectations from parents, a rapidly changing youth culture influenced by the media and technology, and the nearly impossible task of communicating with a multitude of constituents with different, and often conflicting needs.Will you decide to lead? Click here to learn more and register.
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| Click here to read the SFLC blog, Lead On! |
Powerpoint presentations got you down? What can you learn from Steve Jobs about making a memorable presentation?
Click here to read more.
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The Seven (not so secret) S ecrets of the Savvy Leader
Gary R. Gruber
Rob has done it again. He has hit the proverbial nail on several current topics so closely related to effective and productive leadership in schools. He confirms the most important qualities, characteristics and essential behaviors that separate the really good leaders from those who just keep plugging along hoping that things will change and get better because of their efforts and skills and personality.
Rob has pulled together many of his previous writings and experiences and added greatly to this volume in a time when leadership is challenged from every quarter. He echoes my sentiments of "whatever works" in terms of being practical, realistic, no-nonsense, no games, tell it like it is approach. And do so with a modicum of tact, diplomacy and understanding. But for the sake of those who are following, be sure that you know that you are the leader and what that implies.
When Rob talks about leadership and change being inseparable, that is because most people who hire leaders expect them to make changes for the better and improve the situation, even good situations . . . (Click here to read the entire article.)
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Winning in your Fantasies . . . and your Realities
 Carla Robbins Silver
I have been a runner for over half my life. I am not a great runner, but I
am not exactly a jogger either. I can best be described as a "quasi-competitive-amateur-weekend-road warrior." Better than many, worse than some. Over the years running has become a habit, as natural and as necessary as brushing my teeth or reading the newspaper. If I don't do it for several days, I am cranky. And when I do have the occasional argument with my lazy side about whether I should run or not, I know which side will win almost every time - the runner side, even on days when the rain comes down in sheets and I am alone on the soggy trails of Los Gatos. I just do it, as the Nike slogan goes.
Even after two decades, I can still occasionally discover something new about my running. Last month I went out for a short, but quick run. My heart rate was up, I was breathing hard and I was doing what I could to keep my pace. My head that day was filled with negative thoughts telling me to slow down. "You are breathing too hard. You'll never keep this up. Ease up. You are hurting." There isn't a runner out there who hasn't had one of those runs. On that day, however, I had a moment where I must have called upon my prefrontal cortex, because I distinctly remember stopping time and have a cerebral battle in my brain. I asked myself, "What really seems to be the problem here?" I considered all of the possible aches and pains that I might be feeling. I listened to my heavy breathing and yet my chest didn't throb. I felt a bit uncomfortable, as I should if I was getting a workout, but I couldn't pinpoint any true pain. In fact, what I was experiencing was not pain at all, but rather anticipated pain. I was convinced that I would experience a level of discomfort and pain that would cause me to quit or render me incapable of achieving the basic goal of this particular run. These type of negative thoughts are common in athletics. Tennis matches, races, big games, have all been lost with this defeating mindset. . . (Click here to read the entire article.)
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 Ten Reasons to Attend the Santa Fe Leadership Seminar
Ten Reasons to attend the Santa Fe Leadership Seminar - There is still time to sign up (but not much time...)
- Invest in yourself and your school.
- Bring a team and get a discount (if space allows).
- Only $99.00 per night at La Fonda - unbelievable for such a remarkable place.
- There is no time like the present to prepare for the future.
- Reserve your space, bring a partner, friend or spouse.
- Meet like-minded colleagues in an exquisite setting.
- Share the blessings and burdens of leadership.
- Refresh, renew and regenerate body, mind and spirit.
- Return home strengthened and empowered for exemplary leadership.
Call Carla Silver to see if there are spaces available for the April Seminar at 408-348-8617. |
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About Us
We are excited to meet you. We are the Santa Fe Leadership Center team, Gary Gruber, Timothy McIntire and Carla Silver. Click here to read more about our careers and leadership experiences.
Please visit the Santa Fe Leadership Center to learn more about our programs and our other leadership services and opportunities.
Santa Fe Leadership Center
17 Camino Redondo, Placitas, NM 87043
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