Leading Through Collaboration
Guiding Groups to Productive Solutions
- John Glaser - Napa Valley Unified School District
Pat Wolfe, Education Consultant
Mind Matters, Inc.
Use the power of collaboration to solve problems and resolve conflicts!
Any group has the potential for mistrust, suspicion, and rancor, and so effective leadership involves developing attitudes that guide groups to recognize and work through conflict in order to maximize the potential for collaboration.
Leading Through Collaboration offers practical guidance to leaders encountering conflict in their organizations. Based on years of experience that includes work as an organizational consultant and a superintendent, author John Glaser describes and applies a more effective means of solving problems through the creation of alignment and shared leadership. Part One of this accessible guide presents a framework for understanding the fundamental attitudes that are necessary for success in addressing conflict and change in an organization, while Part Two provides an essential set of problem-solving skills that can make successful collaboration a reality.
This easy-to-use resource will help group members:
- Establish a sense of shared commitment and common goals
- Build higher levels of trust and understanding
- Develop an approach to leadership that responds effectively to changing circumstances
- Understand each other's needs and perspectives
- Set aside differences and work together for the greater good
"Written by a very successful leader, problem solver, and negotiator, the book combines a strong rationale for its practices, well delineated practical strategies, and vignettes from Glaser's extensive background that provide the reader with a clear understanding of how to become a truly collaborative leader."
"What a marvelous blend of theory and practice! Glaser’s writing is so engaging, so personal, and so informative that you will want to read every word. This book should be a requirement for every person who is serious about learning how to lead."
"I love this book! It is practical, readable and wise. With this book, John Glaser has made an important contribution to our field. He has done a wonderful job of both describing the underlying theory of his approach and offering an effective translation into practice."
"One of the foremost practiotioner and trainer in organizational problem solving has finally put his knowledge and experience into a book."
"Educational leaders who hope to foster the shared vision, collective commitments, and collaborative cultures of true learning communities in their schools will require new ways of thinking and skills. Leading Through Collaboration represents a useful resource for those leaders."
"Glaser's conversational style and liberal use of examples from his own work and family life make this an enjoyable and very readable book and fabulous learning tool."