No matter what your job description is, you will lead and you will be led. Exhibiting leadership is an extension of your personality, upbringing, ability to self-regulate, and your mental models of how you view yourself, the world, and relationships with others. Two especially effective leadership models are transformational leadership and servant leadership.

Transformational leaders lead by vision, setting goals and working in unison as a family or community to achieve them. Servant leaders are guided by a heart that wants to be of service. They believe that people have an intrinsic value beyond their tangible contributions at work and are deeply committed to the personal and professional growth of each team member. They create a connected, open, and engaged culture in which the group works together to maximize the development of each individual. Conscious Discipline provides powers, skills, and structures that support these styles of leadership.

In this episode, you’ll meet Beth Schendel, the principal of Oshkosh Early Learning in Wisconsin. Beth has the tough task of overseeing 16 different sites serving 700 children. These sites are a mix of private Head Start, childcare, and public schools. Listen in to learn how Beth has utilized Conscious Discipline to lead from the heart, work toward shared goals, and unite her diverse group of schools and centers.

Essential Takeaways

• Consider what kind of leader you want to be and how you want to make that vision a reality.

• There are many leadership models, including autocratic (one-dimensional style that gives full power of authority to the leader or boss), democratic (more participatory style in which team members are involved in decision-making), laissez- faire (support, advice, and resources provided only as needed), transformational, and servant leadership.

• Transformational leaders articulate their vision, inspire others, and set and achieve goals. Servant leaders see individuals as people first, then employees. They create healthy relationships and foster problem-solving skills. These two leadership styles are closely tied to Conscious Discipline.

• Effective leadership requires unifying and connecting your team members so they can collaboratively progress toward a shared vision.

• When you utilize these leadership styles, you will notice more enthusiasm, motivation, and buy-in and significantly less turnover.

Steps for Tomorrow

• Start with fostering connection and unity. Help your team learn how each individual’s unique skills contribute to the group and how they can be of service to one another.

• Face-to-face connection is best. If it’s not always possible, think outside of the box. Send video announcements and words of encouragement, include celebrations and wish wells in a newsletter, and so on.

• Remember to dig deep into the powers and skills. Without the powers and skills, structures are just pretty decorations. Beth’s team spent the first year focusing on the Brain State Model and the second year on safety. They are now focusing on connection during year three.

Show Outline

:20 What is Conscious Discipline?

1:31 Leadership models

4:03 Servant leadership

5:39 How Conscious Discipline supports servant leaders and transformational leaders

6:18 Introduction of guest Beth Schendel

7:45 How Beth’s leadership style developed through Conscious Discipline

9:34 Starting with connection and unity

13:18 Out of the box ideas for fostering connection digitally

14:00 Creating buy-in

16:29 Conscious Discipline’s impact on turn-over rates

18:27 What’s Becky up to?

19:02 What’s Becky celebrating?

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING

There are many ways you could have spent this time today, but you chose to spend it with me and I am grateful. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it with others via your favorite social media platforms.