Meet Douglas Reeves, the man behind Creative Leadership Solutions, an organization dedicated to improving educational opportunities for students worldwide. Through innovative solutions for leadership, policy, teaching, and learning, Creative Leadership Solutions has impacted 50 states and more than 40 countries. Reeves is also the founder of FinishTheDissertation.org., a free and non-commercial volunteer-driven initiative to support doctoral students around the world in finishing their dissertations.
A dynamic business leader, Reeves is also a renowned keynote speaker and an author in the fields of education and leadership. He has authored over 40 books and 100 articles on education and organizational effectiveness. He was also named to the Harvard University Distinguished Authors Series and was named the Brock International Laureate for his service to education. Further, Reeves received the Contribution to the Field Award from the National Staff Development Council.
The Inspiration and the Inception
Reeves’ research and writing journey began with studying successful high-poverty schools, which is a vital area of study because most schools in such communities struggle with low student performance. His goal was to identify and find those schools that defied the odds, achieving remarkable success even after getting the same funding and union agreements as low-performing schools. The key difference in these schools was the unending support of their leaders and teachers, which helped students achieve extraordinary success even after facing constant adversity. Reeves’ groundbreaking research not only brought these schools to the limelight but also paved the way for him to speak at large educational conferences, which eventually led to the creation of two companies aimed at sharing his findings worldwide.
Sharing the key inspiration behind Creative Leadership Solutions, the visionary leader stated, “I firmly believe that every student, regardless of their economic and family circumstances, deserves the opportunity to succeed. That only happens with great teachers and educational leaders, and those are the people we support at Creative Leadership Solutions.”
The Crucial Traits of an Effective Educational Leader
According to Dr. Reeves, exceptional educators never make excuses for poor performance, whether by students or teachers. They stay committed to ensuring success for everyone in the school and practice what they preach. They are in classrooms observing teachers and teaching classes as well. They model their values 24/7.
Areas in the Education System that Need Immediate Reformation
Reeves believes education leaders and policymakers need to make choices. It is important to prioritize literacy, and teachers must be given additional time to help a third-grade student who lacks knowledge of letters and numbers. Similarly, middle school math teachers can help students struggle with basic arithmetic like addition, subtraction, multiplying, and division if they are provided with time, such as double or triple periods. As Reeves shares, “Unpopular decisions may be necessary to focus on major subjects like literacy and math over less essential courses.”
What Characteristics Create an Effective Leader?
Reeves believes courage, kindness, empathy, and a solid commitment to students are keys to forming impactful leadership. Good leaders understand that their “customers” may not be voters, parents, or senior administrators, but the true customers are their students 20 years from now.
The Key Challenges of Organizational Leaders
The single biggest challenge is the lack of qualified teachers and leaders. Many teachers feel disrespected by parents and students, and often they don’t feel safe at school. No wonder college students do not want to go into teaching, and more than 50% of today’s teachers would leave the profession if they could.
“Money is not enough, though it is surely important, as we expect students to take on six-figure debt with a five-figure income. We need to challenge parents, policymakers, and society at large to give teachers the respect that they deserve and the respect that teachers in other nations that routinely receive. Other nations beat the United States in international competition not berceuse they have more resources than the United States, but rather because they have a deeply embedded culture of respect for education. Teachers and leaders need to be trained in the latest evidence-based practices—the same way that physicians and other professionals maintain and increase their skills. The reason my organization has succeeded is that we provide evidence, not rhetoric, for teachers and leaders and that we produce results,” shares Reeves.
Developing Successful Leadership Programs
Consistency is the most important element. It involves providing consistent year-round coaching and support rather than one-shot speeches. Reeves even puts his phone number on the first slide of every presentation inviting everyone to reach out for support – an approach his colleagues also adopt. It’s not the speech, the food, or the room temperature that defines the success of leadership programs, even though these are the factors by which they are frequently judged. What truly matters is follow-up.
Advice to the Mentors
According to Reeves, while mentoring is important, it’s not enough. The wise mentor may have experience in a different context and time. Leaders need coaches who will challenge them and ask questions instead of just giving answers.
The Impact of Leadership Training and Development Programs
Too many leadership training programs focus solely on the experience of the training rather than the tangible outcomes it produces within the organization. Effective educational leaders must measure both causes-improved teaching and leadership practices-and results-which include improved student achievement. This assessment goes much beyond state test scores. Instead, it encompasses the daily, weekly, and monthly improvements in student performance.
The Newest Trends: Shaping the Future of Leadership
Reeves firmly believes technology has become an indispensable and irreversible aspect of the education sector. Educators and leaders must use artificial intelligence ethically and effectively. Surveys indicate that two-thirds of teachers and half of school leaders are reluctant to incorporate AI, yet 100% of today’s students will inevitably need to use AI regardless of teachers’ and school leaders’ preferences. Students will need to demonstrate AI proficiency on their job applications. The visionary leader highlights the importance of teaching essentials and ethical AI skills to teachers and leaders for practical classroom use.
Upcoming Books, Articles, or Projects: At a Glance
Reeves will soon launch an entire series on the theme of fearlessness: fearless schools, fearless classrooms, fearless grading, fearless coaching, and fearless leadership. His next project is tentatively entitled Creating a Culture of Caring. Furthermore, the visionary man is actively involved in international work, having presented his research in more than 40 countries.
A Word from the Wise
Reeves observed that many educational leaders attained their positions solely to earn salary increases. According to him, the primary reason to aspire to educational leadership should be the dedication to make a difference in the lives of students and staff members. Additionally, aspiring leaders should consider the impact on their family and other loved ones, as the time demands on educational leaders are exceptional, and the emotional attacks can be devastating. It takes thick skin and moral courage to be an educational leader today. Leaders must be prepared to be wrong. Fearless leadership is about creating a safe space to make mistakes, as mistakes are at the heart of learning for students and teachers. That means that the leader must be willing to admit mistakes and help the entire organization learn from those mistakes. “For the research supporting the psychology of fearlessness, see my books Fearless Schools and Fearless Leadership, available at Amazon or wherever books are sold,” concludes Reeves.