RUNNING HEAD: FBLA-LEADERSHIP INTERVIEWS

DRAKE UNIVERSITY
MASTERS OF SCIENCE IN EDUCATION
Field Based Learning Assignment-Leadership Interviews
Scott Belger
Student ID: 000191087
Cohort: #13
10/05/2014

After interviewing three individuals in three different leadership roles, I gained a valuable
perspective of what it takes to be a successful leader. I am now more familiar with some of the
similarities, differences, as well as a few surprises the leaders revealed during our conversations
together. Each leader brought insightful viewpoints, diverse guidance, direction, and words of
encouragement for an aspiring leader. Through the interviews, I was pleased to find that some
answers were very similar to that of my own; however, I was made aware of many new strategies
and techniques based on their information and leadership experiences they shared with me.
The three leaders I interviewed are: (1). Steve Pettit, High School Principal at Southeast
Polk High School, (2). Lori Slings, Southeast Polk School Board Member, (3). Ward Schneider,
owner of Schneider Graphics. Each leader is a well-respected member of the Southeast Polk
Community, each has been in a leadership role for over ten years, and each leader is a very
successful a contributing member of the community.
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Similarities
The first question dealt with the topic of transparency. All three community members felt
transparency was very important and addressed the topic in different manners. Southeast Polk
High School Principal, Steve Pettit conveyed the more transparent a school leader is, the better
the lines of communication are. Steve states, Transparency is an important ingredient when it
comes to public issues such as: budget reductions, assessments, and the progress of students.
He went on to say when it comes to student issues or private matters, transparency must be
entered with caution. School board member, Lori Slings commented that the more information
the community has on issues concerning students and learning the less friction there tends to be.
Lori said, If people feel left out of the loop, then there are higher chances of conflict. Ward
Schneider, owner of Schneider Graphics felt that transparency, as a business owner, goes handin-hand with being honest and telling the customers the truth about business matters. Steve and
Lori suggested that a young leader make a list of topics to be more transparent on than others.
The list would ideally reflect and mirror their values as a school leader. Lori Slings, school
board member for over ten years, believes that as a young leader grows and develops,
transparency will lead to a higher level of trust and respect by community members and
stakeholders.
The second question the three leaders responded to was on the topic of culture and
climate and how it helps shape a student centered learning environment. Not to my surprise, all
three community leaders felt culture and climate was one of the best indicators of a good
learning environment. Each leader shared with me very insightful information concerning
culture and climate. Ward Schneider shared with me that the culture his business has now is
different than the culture his business had twenty years ago. Ward said, Culture and climate is
something that I have developed over the years to help shape and mold my business into the
business I want. Ward feels the trust of his employees plays a big role in developing the culture
you strive for. Ward believes in allowing the employees to do their job and implement their own
style into the work they do. Principal Steve Pettit agrees and adds that the social culture of a
building plays a vital part in the overall effectiveness of the building. Social culture, or how
people treat other people, is a very high priority in his building and is reflected in his actions.
School board member Lori Slings says the culture and climate of a building should make
students, parents, and community members feel welcome even before learning begins. Lori said,
A building culture is something that should be felt right away and should indicate that learning
is important and that all students are valued. All three community leaders agreed that a culture
should be intentional; it should reflect the values and goals the building and the community have
set for the students.
The third question I asked of the three leaders was, What is your why? Why do you do
what you do? Why are you in your current position of leadership? Steve, Lori, and Ward
immediately responded that their why revolves around their passion for what they do. Lori
Slings commented, I love the Southeast Polk Community and want to make this a better place
to raise a family. Lori values the young people in the community and is committed to help in
any way to give the students a better chance of success and happiness. Ward Schneider enjoys
serving other people and providing a service for the community he grew up in. I value the
relationships Ive built with the people in the community and I value being a productive member
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of the Southeast Polk Community. Steve Pettits why is directly tied to being a good role model
for the students and teachers of the Southeast Polk Community. I want to set a good example
for the community as an instructional leader. All three community leaders knew right away
what their why was. A take away for me was: for a building leader to be effective, that
person will need to have a good why and implement that why into their core values and
beliefs.
Differences
After lengthy interviews with three inspiring community leaders, I found it interesting
that they had very similar responses to many of the questions I asked of them. However, there
were a few notable differences in leadership styles that I found. The first difference was on the
topic of what they were tight and what they were loose on. In Ward Schneiders line of work, as
a graphics designer, its more about the bottom line than the actual process. Yes, the process is
important, but as Ward claimed, Im in a bottom line profession that demands productivity and
quality. Principal Steve Pettit indicated that he is tight on items such as: implementing
professional development ideas, following school policies, treating one another with respect and
professionalism, and engaging students in a challenging curriculum. To me, Wards ideas are
outcome based and Steves ideas were more process based. I think they are both right in terms of
the leaders they need to be in their current position. I found it interesting that Lori Slings and
Ward Schneider shared similar and different viewpoints when it comes to transparency. Lori
claims that the more transparent a leader can be, the better informed the public will be and the
less friction there will be on some issues. Ward agrees to some extent, but says, People claim
they want transparency, but at the end of the day, they want a good product at a good price.
Ward was implying that his customers value the quality of work, customer service, and
timeliness of their product more than the process of how the work was done and the individual
style involved.
Surprises
An aspect that took me by surprise during these interviews was the responses I received
when I asked the three leaders how they want people to perceive them. School board member
Lori Slings stated she wants people to see the positive things that are happening in the
community. I always put a positive spin on every email I send to people. Information that is
intended for public ear should reflect the great things going on in the community in an uplifting
manner. Lori keeps most of the negative information in house and away from the public ear.
Loris driving force and wants to be perceived as somebody whose number one concern is
whats in the best interest for kids. In terms of how Steve Pettit prefers people to perceive him,
Steve says, I want the community to view me as somebody who insists that students are
engaged in a challenging curriculum delivered through quality instruction. One of Steves goals
as a leader is to prepare students for success in college, career, and civic life. Steves driving
force is quality instruction. Ward Schneider wants people to perceive him as fair, honest, and
someone who treats others the way they want to be treated. Wards driving forces are: providing
a quality service and establish quality relationships with the community.
Big Ideas
When conducting the interviews, the community leaders became a real life illustration of
the four behavior styles we discussed in EDL 270 Personal and Professional Assessment
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Seminar. Theoretically, everyone possesses the four styles discussed in class: (1). Analyzer, (2).
Controller, (3). Stabilizer, and (4). Persuader. However, one or two styles become more evident
and mold the person into the type of leader they truly are depending on the role they are in. My
most significant strengths as an educational leader are my ability to form and maintain
relationships and to motivate a group of people to maximize their potential. A take away for
me was to always keep in mind the four behavior styles when hiring or forming a team of people.
The more I learn about how to work as a team, the more important it becomes to me to recognize
that people are different and people exhibit different behavioral styles. Each style has valuable
insight to add to a team and if used effectively, can take a team from good to great. I have
concluded there is no one best behavioral style, and it is not your personal style that is important.
Whats important is the ability to recognize the behavioral style of others so that you can grow as
a team of professionals to better serve a school district.
In conclusion, by reflecting on and learning from Steve Pettit, Ward Schneider, and Lori
Slings, I will have a better perspective of what it takes to be a successful leader. Each leader
brought insight, experience, direction, and words of encouragement for an aspiring leader.
In my time with the different leaders, I noted many commonalities between their various roles as
leaders, as well as a few topics they shared different viewpoints on. I was pleased to find that
some answers were similar to my own; however, I was also introduced to many new strategies
and ideas based on their leadership experiences and the knowledge they shared.