Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way: How to Be a More Effective Leader in Today′s Schools

Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way is an excellent book for school administrators specifically in the area of leadership. It identifies the latest research and trends, as well as practical application in the running of a school. This is a modern guide for the school leader.

Ramsey, R.D. (2006). Lead, follow or get out of the way: How to be a more effective leader in today's schools (2nd. ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. We have a perceived crisis in education at present, in that it is harder to find high quality school leaders. As professional educators it is our collective role to mentor the next generation of school leaders and ensure that the students of the future get the best possible education. With that in mind I took a look at Bob Ramsey's book- "Lead, follow or get out of the way". Being a principal is a complex job and I am sceptical of books in the management genre that simplify management to a list of rules and procedures. I was happy to find that Ramsey's book was far better than that. I was buoyed by the common-sense approach that the author has and it is accompanied by an economical and purposeful writing style. I was buoyed too by his observation that apart from authenticity and passion all of the leadership roles are learnable. Clearly this book has an educative role for the neophyte school leader. It is comprehensively informative. The lists and checklists are very useful and provide a great starting point for discussions about specific aspects of school leadership. If I were mentoring a school leader I would find this a useful text. A second role for the text is as a reflective tool for the experienced school leaders. None of us is perfect and it is rare to have a "significant other" in the near vicinity with whom reflection is possible. In a vicarious sense, Ramsey's book does this. What the book does not do, in detail, is address the two key issues of schooling- pedagogic and curriculum leadership. Not withstanding this, the book is a very useful addition to any professional library. This book is my book of choice for our school leaders' reading group. Corwin Press is to be thanked for producing good quality and topical books for educators, at a reasonable price.

This is a very useful and good book to read for educators seeking new admin positions. The fashion in which Ramsey lists things and pin points facts makes remembering and recalling his facts easy.As an educator with 15 years of teaching experience, I thought I'd explore the field of administration in education. I have taken several Principal's courses which are the first steps to getting into a Vice Principal's position, but I've never built the courage to apply for such a position. Several friends who have moved into such admin positions ask me why I don't make a move in that direction and I also ask myself why I'm not taking any steps in that direction. I never had a clear answer until I read this book by Ramsey. It really hit a nerve with me. In simple words it opened my eyes to the fact that at this point in time of my career I need to GET OUT OF THE WAY. The rest is yours to read. I highly reccomend this book to educators seeking positions in the admin areas.