The Marathon Called Educational Leadership

Book excerpt: In The Marathon Called Educational Leadership: The Twenty-Six Commandments of Success, author and veteran educator Dr. Joe Sinclair describes his lifelong experiences, which ranged from cleaning out sewage ditches to meeting in the Oval Office with President Ronald Reagan. Sinclairs leadership experiences also involved some of the most unusual situations encountered by a school administrator, such as using a goat to predict the weather for school closings, selling a school for profit, and taking a group of students into the Soviet Union as the country collapsed around them. Sinclairs guidance and knowledge helped to turn these and other events into positive situations for his school district. The Marathon Called Educational Leadership offers guidance and insight into education today based upon his more than forty-five years of experience. He explores the challenges facing todays educators as well as the opportunities they have to work with students of different backgrounds. His willingness to share the knowledge, advice, and strategies he used to achieve his own accomplishments in district-level educational leadership is a testament to his lifelong commitment to educational excellence. The 26 Commandments may be applied not only to educational leadership, but also as a guide for leaders in all walks of life. Through practical advice for educators and recollections of his own experiences, Sinclair seeks to make a positive difference in the lives of young people and the educators who serve them.