Summer is finally here and it’s the perfect time to catch up on tasks that might have fallen to the wayside during the school year. It’s also a great opportunity to expand your mind with reads that may inspire you to think differently about how you work within your school.
We’ve compiled our must-reads for Admission and Development Directors to help you review and revitalize your viewpoint and strategies.
Neuroteach: Brain Science and the Future of Education by Glenn Whitman and Ian Kelleher. This is a must-read for all Admission and Development Directors. It is an excellent summary of current education and cognitive science research that gives administrators highly practical and applicable direction. The authors also model many of the concepts covered so the reader experiences the importance of reflection and recall.
The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done by Peter Drucker. There is reason why many call Drucker “the leader of leadership.” This book focuses on the five best practices every professional needs to be effective. From how to manage your time to setting the right priorities, Drucker’s writings read as fresh today as when they first were written. If you only have time for one author, read Drucker—his fresh and creative observations are, at many points, nothing short of profound.
Most Likely to Succeed: Preparing Our Kids for the Innovation Era by Tony Wagner and Ted Dintersmith. This book challenges the basic “why” in how the education system functions today. It examines the creation of the current education system, whether it’s effective in creating global citizens, and proposes a new educational direction focused on the competencies needed to succeed in today’s world.
Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success by Adam Grant. Success in today’s private-independent schools hinges on working well with others, including team members, families, and students. Grant divides people into three separate groups—givers, takers, and matchers—and details how each operates in a professional setting. He then covers how to establish and maintain healthy boundaries, manage individual and team expectations, and positively influence workplace culture by learning to engage effectively with each type. (Fascinatingly, both the most and least successful people in life are Givers, according to Grant.)
Brandscaping: Unleashing the Power of Partnerships by Andrew Davis. Davis proposes a new marketing methodology that focuses on content creation rather than traditional advertising or PR efforts. He stresses the importance of partnerships to reach your intended audiences, leading to more effective marketing (and a stronger pipeline). If you're involved in your school's marketing campaigns, this read may help you reexamine some of your current efforts.
Would you add any suggestions to our 2017 reading list? Let us know what you think in a comment below.
Additional ISM Resources:
The Source for Advancement Vol. 14 No. 10 2016 Summer Reading List for Admission Directors
The Source for Advancement Vol. 14 No. 10 2016 Summer Reading List for Development Directors
The Source for Private School News Vol. 15 No. 6 2016 Summer Reading List for Private-Independent School Administrators
The Source for Private School News Vol. 16 No. 3 Print Books Are Not Dinosaurs … Yet
