Leading a Learning Organization: The Science of Working with Others (Leading Edge)

Written for principals and teacher leaders and directed primarily at improving the quality of organizational learning in schools, Leading a Learning Organization begins with an examination of the vital but often overlooked role that emotion plays in school cultures, including the fear and stress that are generated by the rapid pace of change and demands for accountability. Author Dr. Casey Reason draws on educational, psychological, and neuroscientific research to argue that leaders can change the prevailing emotional climate of a school in order to promote deeper learning at all levels. This resource looks at how to overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of improving a school s emotional climate. It presents specific strategies to enhance organizational learning, including the change, analysis, and reframing strategy; purpose-driven inquiry; the creation of a defined learning culture; conscious use of current scientific knowledge about memory, and the use of empowering mental representations. Finally, Leading a Learning Organization explores the benefits of collaboration in building deep organizational learning and provides strategies for leaders to introduce collaboration more effectively and more frequently among school staffs.