Barbara Turner-Vesselago, the outstanding teacher who has created Freefall Writing will be giving her workshop in a beautiful location near Calgary called the River Rock Studio. The program is residential, and runs from July 7th – 13th, 2001. Barbara is invited to give her workshops in Europe, Australia and Canada.

Last year alone, three of Barbara’s students published books they traced back to their work in the Freefall Workshop: The Crack in the Teacup, Joan Bodger (M&S, 2000); The Big House, Helena McEwen (Bloomsbury, 2000); The Beatles in Rishikesh, Paul Saltzman (Viking, 2000).

It is interesting to see the emphasis being placed on education under the leadership of the new Mexican president, Vincente Fox. He sees education as being Mexico’s answer to the future. How will he actually affect this change? Where do leaders begin the process of introducing public education in a country where poverty and illiteracy are prevalent?

Watching his approach and implementation will be of great interest to all of us who see the strong connection between education, leadership, and creating hope for the future. As Fox is beginning his term of office, President Bush is also making decisions that will potentially change the face of public education in the United States. As he links standards, standardized testing and accountability with funding, he confronts, but does not necessarily begin to address, the complex problems of achievement and schooling.

One of the dynamics will be the roles played by states as opposed to the role of the federal government. The role of the provinces in Canada also creates opportunities and openings for action. John Burger, Alberta Learning, is pursuing his collaboration with the field as he explores the strong feelings around recent policy implementation. This collaboration has taken the form of a paper to be presented at AERA in April 2001.

Using Amanda Sinclair’s article (Sinclair, Accounting, Organizations and Society, vol. 20. No. 2/3, pp.219-237) in which she discusses the five forms accountability takes within the role of senior executives, John and his colleagues in the field have explored the development and implementation of the policy on accountability. Their findings shed some light on the reasons for the emotions, inconsistencies, contradictions, and lack of attention paid to professionalism and personal concerns. I am participating in the study and its writing by interviewing field superintendents and Alberta Learning personnel.

In 1990, I used a concept called ‘portfolios’ to evaluate and set goals with my senior managers. This concept was first used by artists and craftsmen as well as financial planners, and then used creatively with student work in a multitude of subjects. The process involves keeping track of learning, changes, and initiatives, and being able to provide this ‘evidence’ to the audience. The audience is first and foremost, yourself! In complex work situations, it is hard to keep a clear picture of where you started, what and how you’ve changed, and where you’re heading next. Leaders benefit from reviewing the evidence with their staff. Often goals that neither the ‘boss’ nor the employee would have thought of clearly emerge.

In talking with a colleague today about areas that are unexplored in the field of leadership, we spoke of the ‘moments’ of power. There are moments - situations - when individuals speak and act with total personal power. It is as though their identity and something in the outside world have coalesced. Their vision of the future and the present compels them to talk.

This is not the power that derives from the office of position or from expertise; nor has it to do with informal leaders, recognized for their power – but still within the organization. We explored leaders who have no office of position, formal or informal, and yet who rise to leadership, and change our moral imagination and the course of events.

Over the last three years I have interviewed senior executives and other participants on meetings and how they can become more participative. At both the University of Western Australia and Deakin, I have used the research done at the federal level to begin a change process for committees.

The seminars I design cover purpose and intentionality as well as how to engage committee members. I am struck by how unreflective we are about how we talk and proceed in meetings. The stated purpose has much less impact than the intentionality of the chair! The ‘true’ agenda is obvious to all members. It suffices that the chair cut time, interrupt, defer and ‘everyone’ knows what is really happening. It is useful to provide time and space to talk, exchange and consider how these momentary, apparently insignificant acts, shape the culture and the dynamics of the organization. Even more useful would be a ‘committee mentor’ who would give feedback and assist in reducing the time lost. Cynicism would also be diminished.

My mother’s sayings were humorous and pointed. Here’s another one!

“Swallow your pride, its not fattening!”