Leadership DISPOSITIONS HaYidion HaYidion is a publication of Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools. It is published three times a year for distribution to Prizmah member schools and other Jewish and general education organizations. No articles may be reproduced or distributed without express written permission of Prizmah. All rights reserved. Editor At Large: Dr. Barbara Davis Editor: Elliott Rabin, PhD Editorial Board Alisha Abboudi, Rabbi Micah Lapidus, Politz Day School, Cherry Hill, NJ Davis Academy, Atlanta, GA Tamar Appel, Helena Levine, Maayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls, Teaneck, NJ Donna Klein Jewish Day School, Boca Raton, FL Rabbi Avi Bossewitch, Rabbi Alexander S. Gross Hebrew Academy Sheva Locke, Miami Beach, FL Valley Beth Shalom Day School, Encino, CA Renee Cohen, Rabbi Mitchel Malkus EdD, TanenbaumCHAT, Toronto, ON Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, Rockville, MD Betsy Forester, Solomon Schechter Day School of Metropolitan Sharon Pollin, Chicago, IL Jewish Community Day School of Greater New Orleans, Metairie, LA Steve Freedman, Hillel Day School, Farmington Hills, MI Yocheved Sidof, Lamplighters Yeshiva, Brooklyn, NY Rabbi Avery Joel, Fuchs Mizrachi School, Beachwood, OH Liat Walker, Martin J. Gottlieb Jewish Day School, Richard Kellner, Jacksonville, FL Shalhevet High School, Los Angeles, CA Prizmah Board of Directors Kathy E. Manning (Chair), Candy A. Berman, Michael Bohnen, Lisa Popik Coll, Paula Gottesman, Jodi Hessel, Bradford R. Klatt, Nathan J. Lindenbaum, Yehuda Neuberger, Gail Norry, Ann Baidack Pava, Yossi Prager, Lynn Sachse Schrayer, Joel Segal, Deborah Shapira, Joseph Steiner, Dara Yanowitz. Leadership Team Paul Bernstein, CEO; Jane Taubenfeld Cohen, Dean, Leadership Academy; Elissa Maier, COO; Jeffrey Savitt, CDO; Marc Wolf, Vice President, Field Advancement and Advocacy. Advertising Information Please contact Elliott Rabin at [email protected] or by phone at 646-975-2807. Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools 254 West 54th St., 11th floor, New York, NY 10019 • 646-975-2800 • [email protected] • www.prizmah.org The views expressed in this journal do not necessarily reflect the positions of Prizmah. IN THE ISSUE LEADERSHIP DISPOSITIONS ELLIOTT RABIN This, then, is the leadership lesson of Moses: to know the limits of one’s abilities, to know the limits of one’s autonomy, and to know the limits of one’s authority. Stephen Garfinkel, “The Man Moses, The Leader Moses” In the burgeoning fields of leadership studies and leadership currently training day school leaders, identifying needs and oppor- development programs, the growing consensus agrees with this tunities for new kinds of leadership programs. lesson that Moses’s example taught thousands of years ago. Until Alongside capacities, the report provides a list of dispositions vital recently, leaders were cast in a heroic mold. They were looked up to day school leadership. For half of the articles in the issue, we to, as if standing on a pedestal, expected to provide inspiration presented this list to a number of day school leaders. Each selected with every word and gesture. Leaders were to be revered as the one disposition, reflecting upon the influence it has exerted over decision-makers, the arbiters, unique possessors of an institution’s his or her career. For the other half, we asked people who work in vision, mission, values. They acted single-handedly, relying primarily leadership training, for day schools, Jewish organizations or more on their own inerrant judgment. All others were cast as followers, broadly, to zero in on a disposition (or a few) that they consider piv- miniature versions of the leader; they were understood to be doing otal and seek to cultivate in their students. The articles are braided a good job to the extent that they internalized the directions laid together to draw connections between perspectives that approach down by the leader. The leader presented the organization’s sole the subject from different angles. face, sole voice; people on the outside identified the organization with the leader. To start off, we invitedPomson and Gonshor Cohen to frame the subject of dispositions with an explanation of Today’s view of leadership could not be more different. The leading how they discovered their importance and arrived at this model speaks of “distributive” or “collaborative” leadership. Like list. Taubenfeld Cohen and Cappell lay out Prizmah’s plan for Moses, the contemporary leader openly admits that he or she strengthening lay and professional leadership in day schools. The cannot bear the burden alone. Given the increasing load of respon- first pair of articles examine qualities that are equal parts elusive sibilities incumbent on leaders, in day schools and beyond, this and foundational: Joel weighs the centrality of trust in his relation- recognition is both true and highly liberating. Today people speak of ship with different stakeholders; Brown considers the elements “leadership” rather than a “leader.” Leadership no longer connotes that compose leadership presence. Next, Jones describes the role an individual but a team of people, with a range of skills and assign- of creativity in his leadership philosophy, and Bernstein and Mali ments, who operate collectively. The leadership team has faith that discuss the need for leaders to develop their creative muscles in their work will be much stronger together than the work of a lone order to stretch beyond their comfort zone. Kasper investigates the individual. Members meet as a whole and in groups, formally and nature of her ambition; Douglas insists upon the importance for informally, in a frequent, ongoing and regular manner, to manage leaders to confront challenging issues directly through conversa- the work of leadership together. Responsibilities, decision-making tion, and Bossewitch applies a Jewish lens to this approach. Two and the spotlight now can be shared among colleagues. authors focus on board leadership—Levy on visionary strategic In various ways, the articles in this issue reflect this paradigm shift thinking, and Decker on planfulness for board management. of leadership. The authors all reflect upon “dispositions,” a catch- Oberman presents the humbling experience of a leader spending all term covering qualities, character traits and commitments, that a day as a student, and Cooks argues that leaders need to be brave leaders of Jewish day schools need in order to succeed and thrive, by showing vulnerability. personally and professionally, in this rewarding but challenging In our spread of short features from schools, we present a range of environment. What is the special sauce to be a day school leader? initiatives developed to cultivate student leadership. The next arti- Can the ingredients be listed, gathered and packaged? Or instead, cles explore the importance of relationships for day school leaders: are we talking about general human characteristics from which, Englander on empathy, Young on collaboration; Stein on emo- through some combination of experience, skillful training and tional intelligence, Feiman-Nemser and Loewenstein on teacher coaching, and most importantly, the artfulness of the practitioner, leaders. Lapidus explores day school leadership as a Jewish calling; a respected leader emerges? Cannon shows how school leaders can be trained to lead Jewishly. The last pair of authors take the long view: Poupko Kletenik This issue grew out of a report that Prizmah commissioned from describes how her passion for Jewish learning led her to day school Rosov Consultants, with funding from The AVI CHAI Foundation, leadership, which in turn stoked that passion; and Levisohn bal- entitled “The Learning Leadership Landscape: Experiences and ances the rush for solutions against the ballast of “sustained focus, Opportunities for Jewish Day School Personnel.” Written by Alex sobriety, maturity, systematic thinking.” Pomson and Freyda Gonshor Cohen, the report summarizes the literature on leadership into a list of five categories of core capaci- May this issue help you to discover and reflect upon your own dis- ties that day school leaders require. Capacities, meaning managerial positions that keep you engaged and passionate for the work that 3 skills, can in principle be taught, and the report surveys programs you do, day in and day out, for your Jewish day school. From the CEO | Paul Bernstein 7 INTRODUCING DISPOSITIONS Strengthening the Ecology of Day Leading with Head, Heart, School Leadership Hand and Soul 10 ALEX POMSON From the Board | Joel Segal FRAYDA GONSHOR COHEN Working Together to bring Jewish 8 Day Schools to the Top Prizmah’s Leadership Academy Addresses the Needs of the 13 Day School Field Spotlight On 24 JANE TAUBENFELD COHEN Atidenu ILISA CAPPELL Commentary 35 Leading Through Change LEADERSHIP DISPOSITIONS IN JEWISH DAY SCHOOLS Recreating Student Council The Advice Booth | Shelly Sadon JOANNE DAVI 43 Opportunities for Growth: Cohort 50 or Coach? The Student Ambassador Program: Building a School through 44 Student Leadership Reshet Roundup | Andrea Hernandez RISE ARKIN Fostering Innovation Throughout 64 the Field Interschool Student Team Leadership in Hebrew 45 MEIRAV KRAVETZ Meet Prizmah’s Staff 75 Innovation Nation: Building Student Leadership Through Models of Israeli 47 On Board Innovators 77 SUE SHACHAR The Key Relationship LIDIA TURNER On My Nightstand Service to Multiple Communities 78 PATRICK VON HAHN 48 Leading by Relationship RABBI JONATHAN BERGER 49 LEADING WITH DISPOSITIONS TRAINING DISPOSITIONS Trust Leadership