Book Review: Leadership & Sustainability by Michael Fullan

This week's review is on Leadership & Sustainability: System Thinkers in Action by Michael Fullan.

Fullan is back and better than ever... If it can feel that Fullan's books are the latest cinematic universe - sharing many of the same elements while moving forward at a regular pace - I can't argue with you.

Made with Sora. This would have been an amazing cover.

In this case, Fullan looks at systemness and sustainability approaching how schools, districts, and systems can create environments for continual success less dependent on a single leader. This is a hugely needed goal and I'm not sure if Fullan fully saves the day, but he certainly suggests some paths forward.

Way Less Epic, but still not awful.

Fullan begins by defining his terms:

"Sustainabilitry is the capactity of a system to engage in the complexities of continuous improvement consistent with deep values of human purpose (ix)" and proceeds to detail the strategies that have moved schools forward. At the heart of chapter one (page 6) is the claim that

the strategies have required tremendous energy and supervision, which in their own right cannot be sustained for long (burnout, turnover, overload take their toll). Related to this, motivation to continue was evident as long as results were improving; what happens when improvement plateaus and it takes the same great effort just to stand still?

Having identified the successes and challenge of reform movements and the importance of leadership in such efforts, Chapter 2 addresses sustainability as its focus.

Chapter 2 expands the definition sustainability to highlight 8 elements:

1. Public service with a moral purpose

2. Commitment to changing context at all levels

3. Lateral capacity building through networks

4. Intelligent accountability and vertical relationships

5. Deep learning

6. Dual commitment to short-term and long-term results

7. Cyclical engineering

8. The long lever of leadership

Most of these are clear, but Fullan spend the next several pages outlining each with reference to both his work, the work of other thinkers, and the context of schools. These are linked to the ideas of systemness - the data collected in (4) builds coherence, the networking of (3) and (4) need to consider the loose-tight dynamic, etc. When looking at (7), Fullan is quick to point out that energy is the "fundamental currency of high performance (26). With his definition fully delineated, Fullan turns to leadership.

Chapter 3, "Leadership to the Fore," is an examination of where leadership is now and the type of leadership required for true system-level change, an examination expanded based on levels in chapters 4-7. Change, to Fullan, requires a "thousand small ways and [his emphasis] boardroom policies. Sustainability is a team sport, and the team is large" (29). In this chapter, he highlights Collins' work on leaders - which echos Fullan's distaste for charisma in favor of true knowledge, impact on student achievement, and "how many leaders he or she leaves behind" (31).

These leaders must then harness their energy in a cyclical way to promote high performance and recovery for themselves and their team. This avoids burnout and apathy - over- and under-use of energy in driving innovation forward. These leaders have systems in place that enable recovery as well - rituals which are built into regular routines and periodic which take place over longer cycles of time.

Leaders are the center of systems and system leaders should strive to create thinkers who "gravitate toward strategies that alter people's system-related experiences...thereby contributing to altering the system itself" (40). True leaders then form new leaders, exposing them to the systems that surround them in their site and beyond, through purposeful and thoughtful experiences. This last section engages with Peter Senge's work and applies it to the educational system.

Chapter four then continues the examination of leaders and focuses on their "new work." Leaders must recognize the gap in our schools that demands a response, which will be difficult, because change is difficult. Leaders must also work with people in the system who are both the problem and the solution. They must focus on progressive interactions that are process and people smart - in building momentum for change. This process is uphill because the stress that change triggers promotes regressive or older ways of doing/thinking/being.

Fullan next draws on Kegan, Lahey, and Perkins in examining how to move these changes up that hill. This change can only be more permanent when we focus on commitment, responsibility, constructive criticism, and collaboration; not complaint, blame, prizes, rules, and "coblaboration". In the end, "we need fundamental changes in the cultures of organizations and systems the new work is harder to do, requiring much more sophistication" (52).

Chapters 5-7 then examine leadership at the school, district, and system levels. At the school level, Fullan draws on research from the Hay Group, pointing towards the need for a demanding culture with universal hunger for improvement and a commitment to excellence. Much of this is standard language from Fullan and his generation of school leadership coaches.

The next two chapters show Fullan's focus in this text, building on his work and applying it to the higher levels of the system. Schools can become collaborative and strong despite a district; but they cannot remain so. As such district leaders are called to both embody the principles of school leadership while focusing on all the aspects of the position, which he lists as 10 crucial components. The rest of the chapter walks through these ten, their application, and essential aspects. Leaders must understand and share the concepts of their vision clearly - not just using jargon but deploying it concretely. Daily engagement and working together ensures that problems are identified, learning processed, and changes are made. At the district level, in particular, there is a call for external partnerships and growing financial investments. The chapter progresses with a case study before ending with a couple notes.

The final chapter focuses on leadership at the system (state or broader networks than regional or district systems). Fullan identifies the key here as building leadership capacity and supporting its growth in word, action, deed and policy. Fullan highlights the importance of moral purpose even at this level - it serves as the link "between system thinking and sustainability" (87) producing commitment throughout the system. He walks through the ten components at this level, shifting towards a broader focus and one that instills the principles of leadership from the top down to a day-one teacher.

The epilogue demonstrates the strength and weakness of this short text. Fullan correctly identifies the problem: "regressive interactions are more likely to happen and to have staying power. They are easier to do." (100). Likewise, he identifies the solution which is "to build a critical mass of developmental leaders who can mix and match, and who can surround themselves with other leaders across the system as they spread the new leadership capacities to others" (104). The weakness lies in the limited space to clearly delineate what this might look like outside the text, a challenge that I'm not sure any writer could pick up. There's always a chance for another sequel or spinoff!

Leadership & Sustainability: System Thinkers in Action by Michael Fullan.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Good For: Leaders of school systems, districts, and at higher levels or those working across schools to build leaders and change.

Best nugget: Negative culture is not low-energy culture. It is instead "amazingly energizing (think: rage)" (36).

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