Dispositions of Leadership

Dispositions of Leadership: The Effects on Student Learning and School Culture stands alone as an approach for developing leaders who are adaptive and can thrive in unpredictable settings. Educational leadership is a domain of its own, apart from business and industry, combining an effective learning environment for students and adults.

Dispositions are acquired in the interactions between skillful thinking and circumstances that defy simplistic solutions. The five dispositions, as illustrated in the book, provide educational leaders with maps of the territory and examples of habits for intelligent responses to complex problems.

Educational leaders must develop adaptive competence, the capability of applying prior leaning to a novel setting, while assessing the impact of potential solutions. This book challenges the utility of traditional command-and-control models that are no longer capable of supporting school leaders. Grounded in extensive research and review of leadership literature. Dispositions of Leadership: The Effects on Student Learning and School Culture describes how an effective educational leader in the Information Age applies dispositional thinking in order to be adaptive, self-aware and responsive to others.

Gary Whiteley’s passion for understanding the nature and implication of effective school leadership spans four decades. His leadership journey continues to be enhanced by thoughtful colleagues who co-authored this book.

Lexie Domaradzki has dedicated her professional career to supporting high needs schools. She is honored to have the privilege of assisting educators in developing the leadership capabilities and practices that assist them in solving complex problems.

Art Costa has devoted his career to improving education through self-directed learning and more thought-full instruction and assessment. He is noted for his many publications and the development of the Habits of Mind and Cognitive Coaching. He is a past president of ASCD.

Patricia Muller provides schools, districts, departments of education, non-profit organizations and foundations with evaluation support, capacity- building and technical assistance. In her two decades with the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy at Indiana University, some of her most rewarding work has been with school leadership programs.