Mark Standley

Handheld Leaders Mark Standley

Leaders understand the power of building relationships. They also know that technology cannot build relationships. People do. Technology provides information, communication, and connections. Leaders can use that information and their own knowledge/skills to build relationships with a community of learners. When used well, technology can strengthen leaders' ability to be informed, connected, and caring. Handheld technology allows leaders to take information with them throughout the school and community. Leaders can be connected to information about students, faculty, parents, budgets, policy, and news while they interact. This is powerful. Handheld technology allows leaders to bring relevant information to conversations and decision making wherever it occurs. Leaders can make informed decisions, be current, and focus more on relationships than managing paperwork. Questions are part of the answer. To understand how to be informed, connected, and caring, school leaders should ask themselves and their teams to reflect on building better relationships through access to information. This book isdesigned as a starting point. The way to build powerful relationships is using information to share vision, trust, and experiences in the pursuit of quality education for all children.