The Intelligent, Responsive Leader

Jump start your roles as "learning leader" and "lead learner!"

Designed for leaders to learn and lead within the "middle space" between the seemingly opposing dynamics of district expectations and practitioner experience, this book advances the concept of the school as a learning organization. This innovative perspective guides leaders through an intentional, deliberate learning process to develop intelligent, responsive leadership practice. Using stories, strategies, and tools, the authors

• Explain the power of "purposeful practice" as a methodology for getting better
• Show how to build the requisite capacities to lead effectively via "influence"
• Describe how to turn adaptive challenges into leadership inquiries for growth

"This important work demonstrates and reinforces the idea that continuous improvement can only come from deep, intentional, focused, and hard work on the part of everyone within an organization. While the examples are rooted within schools and school districts, this work is applicable to any organization that seeks meaningful and specific improvement in their results. This is a must-read for leaders!"

―Lynn Macan

University at Albany - SUNY, Albany, NY

Dr. Steven Katz is the director of Aporia Consulting Ltd. and a professor in Applied Psychology & Human Development at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) of the University of Toronto (UT), where he teaches in the Child Study and Education graduate program. He is the recipient of the OISE/UT-wide award for teaching excellence. His areas of expertise include cognition and learning, teacher education, networked learning communities, leading professional learning, evidence-informed decision-making for school improvement, and leadership for system change. He has received the Governor General’s medal for excellence in his field, and has been involved in research and evaluation, professional development, and consulting with a host of educational organizations around the world. He is an author of several best-selling books, including: Leading Schools in a Data-Rich World; Building and Connecting Learning Communities; Intentional Interruption; The Intelligent, Responsive Leader; and Quality Implementation.

Dr. Lisa Ain Dack is a faculty member in the Department of Applied Psychology & Human Development at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) of the University of Toronto (UT), where she teaches graduate education students. She is also the Vice President, Education, at UJA Federation of Greater Toronto. Lisa has a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology and Education from OISE, UT, with a collaborative degree in Developmental Science. Her areas of focus include the psychology of learning, professional learning communities, building educator pipelines, data-driven decision making, and teaching efficacy. Lisa is a recipient of the OISE, UT award for excellence in teacher education and is an author of two best-selling books with Corwin. She and her husband Jeff have three children: Sadie, Rachel, and Dylan.

John Malloy is the Director of Education for the Toronto District School Board. He has an Ed.D. in educational administration from the University of Toronto (OISE, UT). Prior to being the Director of Education in Toronto, John held senior leadership positions at the Ontario Ministry of Education and in three other Ontario school boards. John′s areas of expertise include leadership development, large scale system change, strategic planning, professional learning, and equity. John has fostered a culture of collaborative inquiry and shared leadership in each of the school districts where he has led, which in turn has produced improved outcomes for students.