The West Linn School District -- District Context -- Three Key Leadership Functions -- Transformational Leadership -- The Development and Nurturing of Shared Community Vision -- The Development and Nurturing of an Ethic of Continuous Improvement -- The Development and -- Nurturing of the Organization's Commitment to Productive and Ethical Human Relations -- Quaker Theology: As a Belief System and a Metaphor -- Making a Virtue Out of a Necessity: The Beginnings of the People Strategy -- The People Strategy for School Improvement -- Supervising the Probationary Teacher -- Annual Celebration of Excellence -- Hiring the Very Best -- The Eye of the Proprietor -- Faculty Recruitment/Selection at West Linn High School -- Reflection Questions: Hiring the Very Best -- Making Continuous Professional Learning an Organizational Norm -- Professional Development and the People Strategy -- Professional Development Strategy #1: Budgeted Building and District Funds -- Professional Development Strategy #2: Professional Growth Planning -- Professional Development Strategy #3: Tuition Reimbursement -- Professional Development Strategy #4: Cooperative Master's Program -- Professional Development Strategy #5: Professional Development Fund -- Leading Through Limited Partnerships -- Reflection Questions: Making Continuous Professional Learning an Organizational Norm -- Providing Responsive Developmental Supervision -- Four Key Concepts Governing Supervision -- Supervision When Professionals Are Having Problems -- A Veteran Teacher Struggling With Classroom Management -- Reflection Questions: Providing Responsive Developmental Supervision -- Differentiated Supervision: Evaluation Outside the Box -- Supervision and Evaluation at West Linn High School -- When is Traditional Evaluation Necessary? -- The Proposal for a Differentiated Supervision System -- Reflection Questions: Differentiated Supervision -- The Extended Shadow of the Leader -- An Outside Superintendent -- Example #1: Assigning Students to Classrooms at Cedaroak Park Elementary School -- A Keen Eye for Talent -- Example #2: Multiage Classrooms at Boeckman Creek Elementary School -- Reflection Questions: The Extended Shadow of Leadership -- The Acceptance of Uncertainty -- Scientific Management and Proven Practices -- Feigning Certainty -- Choosing a District-Wide Computing Platform -- Providing Developmentally Appropriate Education at Willamette Elementary School -- Uncertainty and School Culture -- Reflection Questions: Acceptance of Uncertainty -- Hubris: An Ever Present Concern -- The "Worrier in Chief"--The Political Context of Public Schools -- Owning Up To Flaws -- The High School Annual Report: Warts and All -- The Gang of 1,000 -- Reflection Questions: Keeping Hubris at Bay.

How to bring out the best in your staff—and in yourself Research shows that the single variable that makes the most difference in student performance is the quality of the teacher. How do we keep teachers motivated in the face of increased pressure for grades, class sizes and media attention? How do we attract and retain high-quality teachers? This inspiring text offers a refreshing alternative to the portfolio and high-stakes accountability models of school improvement. Based on the successful methods of Dealous Cox, The Relentless Pursuit of Excellence describes a leadership philosophy based on the search for wisdom through personal reflection and community. The authors share their experience with this leadership style and document the sustainable results of transformational leaders working with teachers as partners rather than adversaries. These results include Consistently improved teacher performance Improved teacher quality Greater professional satisfaction for teachers Stronger community support for schools Richard Sagor and Deborah Rickey have tracked this established leadership model for more than 30 years. Their work shows how, when sustained over time, these leadership principles have transformed professional behavior throughout school districts and made a long-term difference for teachers and students.

Dean Stott made a mistake that he was certain was going to cost him his life. As a former Special Operations soldier, this was not his first mission in Yemen. Yet although he was appropriately dressed head-to-toe as a local, he had neglected to put in brown contact lenses. Stott had been compromised. With thoughts of his family racing through his mind, Stott reached below his automobile seat and took hold of his weapon. In a gripping retelling of his life story to date, Stott shares insight into his esteemed military career in the British army where he conducted deployments to hostile environments, worked within counterterrorism operations in some of the most dangerous places in the world, and survived a horrific parachute accident. As he leads others into his experiences, Stott discloses how he continued to fuel his journey of excellence five years after leaving the military by becoming the first man to cycle the Pan American Highway in under one hundred days while raising over a million dollars for mental health awareness charities. Throughout his retelling, Stott offers an inspiring reminder that we all have the capability to use our inner voices, drive, and instincts to become relentless in our pursuits in life. Relentless is the extraordinary true story of Tier One Special Forces soldier, adventurer, and world-record breaker, Dean Stott.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From Blackstone chairman, CEO, and co-founder Stephen A. Schwarzman, a long-awaited book that uses impactful episodes from Schwarzman's life to show readers how to build, transform, and lead thriving organizations. Whether you are a student, entrepreneur, philanthropist, executive, or simply someone looking for ways to maximize your potential, the same lessons apply. People know who Stephen Schwarzman is—at least they think they do. He’s the man who took $400,000 and co-founded Blackstone, the investment firm that manages over $500 billion (as of January 2019). He’s the CEO whose views are sought by heads of state. He’s the billionaire philanthropist who founded Schwarzman Scholars, this century’s version of the Rhodes Scholarship, in China. But behind these achievements is a man who has spent his life learning and reflecting on what it takes to achieve excellence, make an impact, and live a life of consequence. Folding handkerchiefs in his father’s linen shop, Schwarzman dreamed of a larger life, filled with purpose and adventure. His grades and athleticism got him into Yale. After starting his career in finance with a short stint at a financial firm called DLJ, Schwarzman began working at Lehman Brothers where he ascended to run the mergers and acquisitions practice. He eventually partnered with his mentor and friend Pete Peterson to found Blackstone, vowing to create a new and different kind of financial institution. Building Blackstone into the leading global financial institution it is today didn’t come easy. Schwarzman focused intensely on culture, hiring great talent, and establishing processes that allow the firm to systematically analyze and evaluate risk. Schwarzman’s simple mantra “don’t lose money” has helped Blackstone become a leading private equity and real estate investor, and manager of alternative assets for institutional investors globally. Both he and the firm are known for the rigor of their investment process, their innovative approach to deal making, the diversification of their business lines, and a conviction to be the best at everything they do. Schwarzman is also an active philanthropist, having given away more than a billion dollars. In philanthropy, as in business, he is drawn to situations where his capital and energy can be applied to drive transformative solutions and change paradigms, notably in education. He uses the skills learned over a lifetime in finance to design, establish, and support impactful and innovative organizations and initiatives. His gifts have ranged from creating a new College of Computing at MIT for the study of artificial intelligence, to establishing a first-of-its-kind student and performing arts center at Yale, to enabling the renovation of the iconic New York Public Library, to founding the Schwarzman Scholars fellowship program at Tsinghua University in Beijing—the single largest philanthropic effort in China’s history from international donors. Schwarzman’s story is an empowering, entertaining, and informative guide for anyone striving for greater personal impact. From deal making to investing, leadership to entrepreneurship, philanthropy to diplomacy, Schwarzman has lessons for how to think about ambition and scale, risk and opportunities, and how to achieve success through the relentless pursuit of excellence. Schwarzman not only offers readers a thoughtful reflection on all his own experiences, but in doing so provides a practical blueprint for success.

A fascinating insight into how Toyota conceived, developed and launched its own luxury car brand - Lexus. This remarkable success story will explain how the Japanese giant went from zero to 25% share of the luxury car market in the space of only ten years.

“Weaves together thoughts, stories, and quotes from top performers in music, business, and sports to help you achieve excellence” (Jeff Janssen, founder and president of the Janssen Sports Leadership Center). Does excellence relentlessly drive you? Does mediocrity constantly bother you? In Working Toward Excellence, Clemson University professor Paul Buyer identifies eight values for achieving excellence in work and life including hunger, effort, process, quality, consistency, leadership, time, and perseverance. Each chapter features inspiring stories, questions, and quotes from respected professionals who have achieved uncommon success in business, sports, education, and the arts such as John Maxwell, Jim Collins, Stephen Covey, John Wooden, Mike Krzyzewski, Wynton Marsalis, Isaac Stern, and many others. Also included is a Working Toward Excellence Evaluation to help you and your organization reach your true potential and further develop, improve, and measure these essential attributes of success. “Working Toward Excellence has captures my attention in a big way. It is filled with valuable and practical information. It will make a major difference in your life.” —Pat Williams, Orlando Magic, senior vice president, author of Leadership Excellence