How the Personal Qualities of Great Leaders Transform Organizations

Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Mary E. Streshly is a longtime educational administrator who previously consulted with the San Bruno Park School District. Mary E. Streshly’s late father William was also an academic leader, and he co-edited the research-based book “From Good Schools to Great Schools: What Their Principals Do Well.”

At the outset of the book, the editors discuss the seminal research work of Jim Collins, along with a team of University of Colorado graduate students, into corporate best practices. A particular focus was on how already-viable organizations moved to the next level of profit-defined success, and sustained the gains achieved.

What “great” companies shared was strong, dynamic leadership in the form of CEOs defined as “level 5 executives.” Paradoxically, these individuals combined professional will with personal humility, as they expertly navigated complex market dynamics and motivated those at all levels of the organization.

Looking at principals instead of CEOs but through a similar lens, the editors found that the ability to build lasting relationships was paramount. Exuding a culture of discipline, the level 5 principal confronts challenges and “brutal facts” head on, and builds consensus before taking action. Persistent in selecting exactly the right hires for the organization, this type of principal places the school above personal ambitions. Critically, he or she assigns credit for success to others, while taking blame personally for all failures and disappointments.

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