Chapter Five: Unleashing a Culture of Leadership
A school’s “culture” results from the combined behaviors of the people involved in that particular school. It is sometimes referred to as “the way we do things around here.”
Just as in the previous chapter, Covey reminds us that the success of Combs happened over a sustained period of at least a decade. It was a process, to say the least, and when the time came to launch, everyone was on the edge of their seats. Covey refers to that special piece of Combs history as a major “leap of faith” mainly because Combs was the pilot program.
Covey gives us an insider’s tour of the working of the plan through the lens of a lay anthropologist. His tour begins with the first day of school and he shows us the reformed “behaviors, language, artifacts, traditions (rituals), and folklore” that an anthropologist would study.
every aspect of Combs life.
A school’s “culture” results from the combined behaviors of the people involved in that particular school. It is sometimes referred to as “the way we do things around here.”
Just as in the previous chapter, Covey reminds us that the success of Combs happened over a sustained period of at least a decade. It was a process, to say the least, and when the time came to launch, everyone was on the edge of their seats. Covey refers to that special piece of Combs history as a major “leap of faith” mainly because Combs was the pilot program.
Covey gives us an insider’s tour of the working of the plan through the lens of a lay anthropologist. His tour begins with the first day of school and he shows us the reformed “behaviors, language, artifacts, traditions (rituals), and folklore” that an anthropologist would study.
- First, Covey shows us an academic free first week of school. Instead of academics, teachers engage students in connecting with the 7 Habits and with each other. “They talk about accountability.They have students create, apply for, and interview for class and school leadership roles. They set personal and class goals and assemble their data notebooks. They have students help write classroom codes of cooperation—what behaviors “are” and “are not” acceptable.They create artwork to go on bulletin boards...”
- Next, Covey shows us Comb-ese, the campus language. “We dwell in possibilities here.” “We tell them we love them every day.” “We focus on what they can do, not what they can’t do.” “We focus on the positive.” “Every child is important.”
every aspect of Combs life.
- As for artifacts, classrooms and hallways are laden “with creative ideas and displays, but the key is that they all reinforce the leadership theme and class goals.”
- Traditions are established that, of course, reflect and reinforce the vision, mission and philosophy of the school. These include special events in individual classrooms as well as for the entire school, including a Leadership Day, an Inaugural Ball and an International Festival.
- In the way of folklore, Covey recounts the numerous stories, mostly success stories that demonstrate the impact of the Leader in Me program on the Raleigh, North Carolina community.