If you are a manager and despair at the quality of people that fill your entry level positions, not their attitude, but their skills and basic education, prepare for it to get worse.

Perhaps instead of ranting and whining about America’s loss of global leadership we should look closer to home for the real cause—US education.

The ethnic groups with the worst outcomes in school are African-Americans and Hispanics. The achievement gaps between these groups and their white and Asian-American peers are already large in kindergarten and only grow as the school years pass. These are the youngsters least ready right now to travel the 21st-century road to a successful life.

By 2050, the percentage of whites in the work force is projected to fall from today’s 67 percent to 51.4 percent. The presence of blacks and Hispanics in the work force by midcentury is expected to be huge, with the growth especially sharp among Hispanics.

No, whites and Asians aren’t smarter, but they do have socioeconomic advantages that are lacking for these minorities.

Advantages that our educational system and politicians at all levels are doing little to address.

It’s not always about money, although that is a part of it, nor is it about standardized tests that do little to improve true education, it’s about innovation and educating outside the box.

Harvard Graduate School of Education is creating a new doctoral degree to be focused on leadership in education. It’s the first new degree offered by the school in 74 years. The three-year course will be tuition-free and conducted in collaboration with faculty members from the Harvard Business School and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. The idea is to develop dynamic new leaders who will offer the creativity, intellectual rigor and professionalism that is needed to help transform public education in the U.S.

Creativity, intellectual rigor, professionalism; this leadership isn’t just about visions and influence, it’s about creating people who will roll up their sleeves, get their hands dirty often toil in relative obscurity on the biggest problems facing this country.

Kathleen McCartney, the graduate school’s dean, explained one of the dilemmas that has hampered reform. “If you look at people who are running districts,” she said, “some come from traditional schools of education, and they understand the core business of education but perhaps are a little weak on the management side. And then you’ve got the M.B.A.-types who understand operations, let’s say, but not so much teaching and learning.”

Will it work?

Can the program make a difference quickly enough to change the current downward trajectory of our future?

Will other schools step up to the plate now or will they wait a decade or so and see how the Harvard program fares?

Does anybody care enough about what will happen in 20, 30, 40 years to accept a little discomfort now or should we just build more prisons?

Leadership Turn is ending; its last day is December 29. I’ve enjoyed writing it and our interaction since August 16, 2007 and I hope we can continue at my other blog where Leadership’s Future will carry on.

If you enjoy my views and writing, please join me at MAPping Company Success or subscribe via RSS or EMAIL.

Your comments—priceless

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If you’re looking for a good resource; one that will stimulate your mind as it provides useful information with enough feedback to see a wide range of thought on whatever the subject is, then Harvard’s Working Knowledge has a lot to offer—and not just from it’s own staff.

Here’s a small sample, but it’s worth checking out and signing up for the specific subjects in which you’re interested.

First is Peter Bregman, a global management consultant, who talks about using stories to change corporate culture.

Next are professors Joshua Margolis and Andrew Molinsky in an interview about the effect of “necessary evils”, such as layoffs, on those who have to perform them as opposed to those on the receiving end.

Finally, Here’s a link to my very favorite researcher, professor emeritus Jim Heskett, who asks questions and develops amazing conversations with his followers. His current question is Are You Ready to Manage in an Irrational World? The forum is open until July 29, stop by and add your thoughts. You can find his previous discussions here.

Enjoy!

Image credit: MykReeve on flickr

Today is all about opening your mouth, what happens and what should happen when you do. Although the most of the links are directed at CEOs the information and lessens apply to all levels in or out of management.

Communicating is everyone’s responsibility.

First is a post by Steve Roseler at All Things Workplace who cites four critical reasons to open your mouth and speak instead of wondering if you should. Here they are,

• Never assume that anyone knows anything.
• The larger the group, the more attention needs to be given to communicating.
• When left in the dark, people will fantasize their own reality. Do you want their fantasy to trump your reality?
• Effective leaders are obsessed with accurate, frequent communication.

Next, Mike Chitty weighs in on what’s changed in communication and why changing from “being told” to “finding out” stimulates a wide range of good stuff.

Third is a light look considering whether voice mail is going the way of the dodo bird; the shift seems to be along generational lines…

Finally, phenomenal advice from readers to a question asked by Jim Haskett, Baker Foundation Professor, Emeritus at Harvard Business School. The question was “How Frank or Deceptive Should Leaders Be?” I’m not a big believer that leadership is just the function of the guy at the top and honestly believe that although most of the responses refer to the actions of positional leaders it’s just as applicable to anyone who ever has or will take the initiative to make something happen.

Happy reading and try and remember that real communicating requires more than your thumbs—in fact, that’s why you have a mouth.

Image credit: flickr

In celebration of their Centennial this year Harvard Business School added a discussion section to their website.  The current discussion is Leadership in the 21st Century.

“The Conversation is question- or topic-based dialogue between two conversation leads and our Centennial- site visitors.”

One of the current topic leaders is Nitin Nohria, who says, “Leaders (in business and government) have lost the public trust. … What has caused this loss in trust and how can it be best restored?”

The discussion engendered is intelligent, interesting, and well worth reading.

I find, looking at just the first part of the question, why did I lose trust, that my response is relatively simple.

When I see ego as the trump card, influencing and overshadowing all other considerations, then I no longer trust that person to make valid decisions.

This applies whether

• the person is my neighbor, who only thinks about what works for her;
• the President, who turned a blind eye to anything that didn’t agree with his preconceived ideas;
• the corporate heads, who focused on improving their compensation with no consideration for the fallout; or
• Wall Street, which has deified short-term actions that raise stock prices while gutting the long-term viability of companies.

What actions make you lose trust?

Your comments—priceless

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Image credit: stringbot

A month ago I wrote about HBS’ James Heskett’s research question on deep thinking—or the lack of it—in business and life.

Now, in Heskett’s typically masterful summing up he tells this story and says that it “captures much of the sense of the responses to this month’s question about why managers don’t think deeply.”

“A since deceased, highly-regarded fellow faculty member, Anthony (Tony) Athos, occasionally sat on a bench on a nice day at the Harvard Business School, apparently staring off into space. When asked what he was doing, ever the iconoclast, he would say, “Nothing.” His colleagues, trained to admire and teach action, would walk away shaking their heads and asking each other, “Is he alright?” It is perhaps no coincidence that Tony often came up with some of the most profound insights at faculty meetings and informal gatherings.”

The summing up is valuable, but of far more value are the 136 comments from people around the world.

Take the time to read Heskett’s query and his audience’s thoughts, then ask yourself—how much deep thinking do you do?

Post from Leadership Turn Image credit: stringbot

James Heskett is a Baker Foundation Professor, Emeritus at Harvard Business School and posts some of the most intriguing research questions I see at HBS Working Knowledge (FREE registration).

This week is no exception.

“According to Gerald and Lindsay Zaltman, nearly all research techniques commonly used today probe humans only at their conscious level, though it is the subconscious level that really determines behavior.

Online forum OPEN for comment until June 26. Jim Heskett asks: What is your organization—and what are you—doing to bring more deep thinking into work and life?”

I hope you’ll take a moment and share your thoughts both here and at WK.

Your comments—priceless

Don’t miss a post, subscribe via RSS or EMAIL

Image credit: stringbot

James Heskett is a Baker Foundation Professor, Emeritus at Harvard Business School and posts some of the most intriguing research questions I see at HBS Working Knowledge (FREE registration),

This week is no exception.

“According to Gerald and Lindsay Zaltman, nearly all research techniques commonly used today probe humans only at their conscious level, though it is the subconscious level that really determines behavior.

Online forum OPEN for comment until June 26. Jim Heskett asks: What is your organization—and what are you—doing to bring more deep thinking into work and life?”

I hope you’ll take a moment and add your thoughts to the dialog.