The Listening Leader: Creating the Conditions for Equitable School Transformation

It’s an excellent book for educational leaders and aspiring leaders. I actually think it’s the best book out there. Focuses on empathetic leadership. Read it front to back and will be referring to it many times I’m sure!

As a former principal, I can honestly say that I wish, wish, wish this book had been around when I was navigating the tricky waters of working toward equity in a racially and socioeconomically diverse community. There was so much for us to learn and no guidance or handbook anywhere as clear or compelling as The Listening Leader. The case studies alone would have helped me shift my thinking on some of my own and others' missteps. I love so much about this book, but perhaps my favorite thing is that Safir explains listening and equity work in ways that are intellectually rigorous and emotionally astute. You could not read this book and come away thinking that this is a bunch of touchy-feely approaches but you also couldn't come away from it thinking that Safir doesn't understand people and human dynamics and how relationships in schools work. She manages to make complex concepts accessible and memorable. The tone of the text makes it clear that Safir is a consummate coach; reading it practically feels like you're in a coaching session with the most prepared, knowledgeable coach ever. Equity is so clearly the driving force through all of the work. Safir doesn't slap equity in the title and mention it once or twice--she believes that equitable outcome are possible and that the people in schools can become the leaders to make that happen. It's refreshing and inspiring and so smart. I've been looking for an anchor text to use with the principals I now coach--and I'm delighted to have found one that will reach all of them.

PracticalContain actual "how to" chapters rather than solid theoryEasy to readUp to day and and research supported

The Listening Leader is a great and necessary addition to the education world to help us balance the relational parts of our work with the technical parts that often get focused on. This is really vulnerable work! Instead of “shaking her finger at us” and separating herself from us, Shane Safir joins along side us with the mishaps, fumbles, and growth we have as she shares her own mistakes and learning. She continues to work beside us by including questions she has encountered and her thoughts (instead of the answer). It reminds us there isn’t one perfect answer; it requires listening to begin to think about what work is necessary to transform our schools. In a profession where there isn’t always space created to slow down, Shane helps us to take that space to reflect on our leadership, especially with the Make it Mindful breaks. She continues to connect us through the stories shared throughout the book that support the learning in a concrete, real, and relatable way. It’s such messy work but The Listening Leader gives hope, perspective, and tools that can be used in classrooms, other school settings, and the larger educational communities. Thank you Shane for validating that relational work isn’t mushy stuff but necessary and hard work!

Having been a teacher, coach, and leader in an urban school district, I can honestly say that "The Listening Leader" is a guide that all educational leaders should own. It is full of rich experiences, shared so eloquently and wholeheartedly in an effort to inspire leaders to engage in listening, but with specific structures for the different types of listening we all actively encounter in our work. For years, we have been looking for a next step, something that will allow us to be able to transform our schools using love, equity, integrity and accountability as pillars. The Listening Leader, is our next step. The Listening Leader is a guide that offers us our next step, using tools we already have i.e. ears, and passion for education, to allow leaders to be in tune with ourselves, each other and the greater school community in order to effectively, and gracefully transform it.The Listening Leader is a timeless book that will transcend many phases of public education, because it humanizes our work as leaders and teaches us to do the same.