Mental Models&

Leadership

Field-Based Superintendents’Program:August Seminar

Mental Models & Leadership

Mental Models of Leadership

• At your tables:–What do you expect from a really

good leader?–What don’t you expect?–If someone is described as a really

good superintendent, what do they spend most of their time doing?

Mental Models

SelectData

Add Meaning

MakeAssumptions

DrawConclusions

AdoptBeliefs

Take Actions

Data

Reflexive Loop

Ladder of Inference - Chris Argyris

Ladder of Inference

• Take Actions• Adopt Beliefs• Draw Conclusions• Make Assumptions• Add Meanings• Select Data• Observable Data &

Experiences

Climbing the ladder• Our experience

influences our ladders• We are often unaware of

this structure in our thinking

• Once we have beliefs in place, we rapidly select data and make judgments

• We have a combination of good experience, bad experience, and no experience

There are two sides to the ladder

• What “A” Concludes

• What “A” Infers

• What “A” Sees

• What “B” Concludes

• What “B” Infers

• What “B” Sees

Mental Models of Leadershipa continuum

• Authoritarian Hierarchy– Boss– Decision maker– Manager– Organizer– Control

• Learning Organization– Designer– Steward– Teacher

The Fifth Discipline developed the foundation for an alternative to the authoritarian hierarchy.

• Traditional authoritarian organizations– Managing– Organizing– Controlling

– Compliance

• Learning Organizations

– Values– Vision– Mental Models

– Commitment

Personal Mastery

Mental Models Team Learning

Systems Thinking

Shared Vision

ASPIRATIONS

CURRENT REALITY

structural

tension

Individual Group

Examining our mental models• We intend to mess with your mental models in

this program• We will be working with you to identify and apply

an INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP theory of action

• We will continually ask the question: “What mental models of leadership will serve the future?

• Reading: The Leader’s New Work: Building Learning Organizations (keep for future reference – Senge overview)

REFLECTION: Pay attention to the ladders in your head

• Become more aware of you own thinking and reasoning

• Slow your thinking down• Open up your thinking• Our mental models shape

how we behave• Often, untested and

unexamined• “Experts” have the

greatest difficulty