Leaders, continued from page 11
right into the material. McGuire, who
credits his 30 years in the U.S. Army
for teaching him about good strategic
planning, has consulted with more
than 170 organizations, including
TASBO, on strategic planning issues.
He also serves as an adjunct professor
in the MBA program at the University
of Mary Hardin Baylor in Temple.
McGuire outlined the basic tenets of a
good strategic plan, including identifying an organization’s vision, mission,
goals, and values. He then asked the
participants to think about being
intentional and deliberate in outlining
where their school district is going
and moving toward a more structured
system that incorporates their organization’s goals and values.
“I wanted them to go back to their
superintendent and ask questions. For
example, they should ask what the superintendent expects of them in their
role,” McGuire said.
He also talked to them about creating
a personal strategic plan.
“The two plans [organizational and
personal] are connected,” McGuire
said, adding that a personal strategic
plan can cause some soul-searching,
but is beneficial because it helps align
personal and professional goals.
“Both personally and professionally, I
was able to walk away with a lot from
Dr. McGuire,” said program participant Brent Ringo, Allen ISD’s director
of finance. “As he went through the
various planning models, he mixed in
real stories that made it very personal.
It was a great learning experience.”
McGuire plans to delve deeper into the
strategic planning process in future
sessions, including evaluating organizational goals to ensure accountability.
Building Your Brand
In June, Emerging Leaders will participate in a workshop led by Valerie
Sokolosky. With a background in journalism and broadcasting, Sokolosky
has put her communications skills to
work since 1981, when she launched
her company to help people build
effective communication and interpersonal skills.
12
By putting the two assessments together, the participants can see where their
personal perceptions and
the perceptions of others
come together—and that
can help them in defining
their personal brand.
In her June workshop, which will be
held prior to the Summer Conference
in Fredericksburg, Sokolosky will focus on personal branding and how to
express it in an authentic manner.
“Personal branding helps people distinguish themselves from their competition and consistently communicate
their value,” she explained. “Being
clear on your brand and strengths also
helps you make decisions differently.”
As a precursor to the June workshop,
Sokolosky held an introductory webinar in late April during which participants received a “homework” assignment: a strengths assessment test.
They not only evaluated themselves,
but also asked others—colleagues, supervisors, friends—to evaluate them.
“These skills don’t come easily, but I
hope we can give them some tools to
help them take those next steps,” she
said. Some of those next steps will
hopefully include stepping into leadership roles with TASBO committees
or speaking at training sessions or
conferences.
“Emerging Leaders is very near and
dear to my heart,” Ginsburg said.
“Serving the schoolchildren of Texas is
a gift. It’s a tough environment as the
world is changing and the public’s perception of public education is changing, but I’m so excited that these 29
individuals have the trust in TASBO
to participate in this program—and I
want to see it grow.”
Applications for the 2016-2017
Emerging Leaders class will open in
the fall, and the new class will kick off
at the same time the inaugural group
graduates at next spring’s Annual
Conference in Dallas. It’s the perfect
opportunity for the graduating class to
help the next group get off to a great
start as they serve as brand-new mentors and connections.
WHAT’S NEXT?
TASBO CEO SYMPOSIUM
By putting the two assessments together, the participants can see where
their personal perceptions and the
perceptions of others come together—
and that can help them in defining
their personal brand.
In her seminar, Sokolosky will help
group members refine their personal
brands by exploring how to extract the
elements of their brands, express their
brands, and exude their true brands
in all they do.
“I want them to be very clear on how
strong their personal brand is and
what they do in their job that gives
real value to the people they work with
and for,” Sokolosky said.
For the Future
A September workshop will focus on
communication skills, which Ginsburg
said are vital to having the confidence
to move into leadership roles.
Dr. Jeffrey McCausland from the
Strategic Studies Institute will
guide TASBO executive leaders to
the next level of leadership. The
symposium will include a modern
perspective on how the defenders at the Alamo led in the face of
adversity, as well as a VIP tour of
the site. Look for more information
on this exclusive opportunity to be
held this December in San Antonio.
TASBO REPORT | MAY 2015