Inter.Connect.Ed
reflections on teaching and learning through technology
If you dare…
Aug
25
Leadership Lessons from Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote
Filed Under (21st Century Learning, change, leadership, learning, Professional Learning) by benpaddlejones on August 25, 2012 and tagged change leadership, leadership
Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote represent 2 very common educational leadership archetypes, which are you?
Wile E. Coyote
- Is so focused on a single goal with a single outcome, completely ignoring the bigger picture
- Relies on external entities (ACME) to solve internal issues
- Never thinks strategically
- Looks to short term solutions to long term problems
- Never prototypes or tests solutions before implementing them
- Is blind to the fact that what he has always down doesn’t work
- Tries to solve the problem without building a relationship
- Never looks to the future
Road Runner
- Has the bigger picture and is ready to respond to whatever challenges he faces
- Solves problems using his internal resources and capacity
- Seeks long term solutions to a long term problem
- Never stops working towards the high purpose (running) no matter what gets thrown at him
- Knows who he is working with and how to manage them
There are not only leadership lessons to be learnt from Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote but also team capacity building lessons. My aim this year is to build a team of Road Runners, that way no matter how many Wile E. Coyote we meet, we are ready to keep striving for the higher purpose of awesome student learning.
4 Responses to “Leadership Lessons from Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote”
Leave a Reply
Subscribe for free
August 25th, 2012 at 5:27 pm
Wiley reminds me of the teacher who is trying their best to do what comes naturally to them (in the teachers’ case to teach). They come up with inventive solutions all the time, but they are always being stopped from their task .. well infact their hopes, dreams and visions are squashed into the ground. But do they give up? NO .. they keep trying and trying inspite of knowing they’ll never win the race, but they’ll do their best to see what is needed to be done gets done.
August 25th, 2012 at 5:30 pm
Yes, I the context of the teacher as the Wile E Coyote, they are well intending and trying their best. The challenge for us as educational leaders is how do we help our Wile E Coyote’s become Road Runners so they can see the bigger picture and implement solutions that will work thus reducing workload and frustration?
Ben
September 1st, 2012 at 5:53 am
I think this video is a great example of a leadership lesson! It helps students see that they should be more like Road Runner. Wile E. Coyote likes doing the short cut for things, but does not get very far. If we try helping our students be more like Road Runner, they will meet their goals, and never stop trying to improve themselves.
October 5th, 2012 at 12:27 am
Good Morning,
My name is Jenna Barnes, I am attending the University of South Alabama. I am currently enrolled in Dr.Strange’s EDM310 class. I loved the example of leadership that is shown here. All students should strive to be more like Road Runner. Wile never looks towards the future, and thats what we want our students to look forward to. Wile is focused more on a single goal, Road Runner oversees the bigger picture. Awesome lesson learned. I will be sharing this with others. Thank you.
V/R,
Jenna Barnes