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Unlocking School Potential

Five Paradigm Shifts with Leader in Me

Transforming the Entire School Community

Every educator strives to create an environment where students, teachers, and staff thrive both academically and personally. The Leader in Me Framework understands that true transformation begins not just with new strategies, but with a fundamental shift in how we see our entire school community—including students, educators, staff, and families.
Through Leader in Me, schools embrace five key paradigm shifts that redefine leadership, potential, motivation, change, and education. These shifts help educators foster environments where every member feels valued, empowered, and equipped with the life skills necessary to lead effectively and build high-trust relationships both personally and professionally.

 

COACHING INSIGHTS

PARADIGM SHIFT

Could our current paradigms or teaching practices be limiting students’ potential?

Change begins with how we see. When we fail to swap our lenses and recognize that everyone is a leader, we lose the chance to empower every member of a community. In this video, FranklinCovey Education Coaches reflect on their own paradigm shifts, and the opportunities that arose for students once they took ownership of their personal perspective.

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The See-Do-Get® Model: The Heart of Leader in Me

By shifting our paradigms—our ways of seeing—we influence our actions and, ultimately, the results within our schools. These five paradigm shifts guide educators in creating lasting, positive change for the entire school community.

5 Core Paradigm Shifts:
  1. Leadership is for Everyone: Moving beyond “a few lead” to nurturing life skills in all members of the community.
  2. Recognizing Unique Strengths: Shifting from the idea that some are “born to excel” to believing everyone has valuable strengths.
  3. Personal Accountability for Change: Encouraging “change begins with me” rather than waiting for external mandates.
  4. Empowering Ownership: Replacing “control their learning” with “support students in leading their own learning.”

  5. Holistic Education and Family Partnerships: Going beyond “focus only on scores” to involving families and fostering whole-person development.

Paradigm One | Paradigm Two | Paradigm Three | Paradigm Four | Paradigm Five

Paradigm Shift One: Leadership

From “A Few Lead” to “Leadership for Everyone”

Reimagining Leadership

At its heart, leadership is about empowering people with the skills to guide their own lives and positively influence others. It’s not about titles or authority—it’s about cultivating resilience, empathy, and collaboration that translate into real-world success. Every student and staff member can grow these life skills, shaping their learning, relationships, and future contributions.

 

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What does this look like through a limiting versus maximizing paradigm?

Limiting Paradigm

Only a handful of people have what it takes to be “true leaders,” while others are meant to follow.

Maximizing Paradigm

Leadership encompasses personal and interpersonal life skills that everyone can develop, enabling them to lead their own lives effectively and build high-trust relationships.

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How might students’ engagement shift if they saw their ideas, voices, and actions shaping their learning environment?

 

Limiting Paradigm

Leadership is about authority—certain students appear “born leaders,” and the rest simply follow.

Beliefs & Expectations

 

Maximizing Paradigm

Each student can learn the skills of self-direction, problem-solving, empathy, and collaboration—i.e., leadership skills.

 

Limiting Practices

Adults assign tasks mostly to naturally outgoing students, assuming they have the only real leadership qualities.

Impact on Daily Actions

 

Maximizing Practices

Teachers coach all students to set goals, manage themselves, and build trust in group settings—enabling them to “lead” their lives and learning.

 

Limiting Results

Many students internalize the idea that leadership is not for them, which undermines motivation and hope.

Outcome

 

Maximizing Results

An inclusive, engaged school culture where every child grows in self-efficacy, interpersonal competence, and a sense of purpose.

How Do the Core Paradigms Influence Academic Success?
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Paradigm One | Paradigm Two | Paradigm Three | Paradigm Four | Paradigm Five

Paradigm Shift Two: Potential

“Some Are Born to Excel” to “Everyone has Unique Strengths”

Reimagining Potential

Teacher expectations significantly influence student achievement, often leading to self-fulfilling prophecies where students perform in line with their teachers’ expectations. The seminal work by Rosenthal and Jacobson (1968) introduced this concept, demonstrating that higher teacher expectations can lead to improved student performance. A more recent systematic review by Wang, Rubie-Davies, and Meissel (2018) corroborates these findings, indicating that positive teacher expectations are linked to higher academic outcomes across diverse educational settings.

 

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What does this look like through a limiting versus maximizing paradigm?

Limiting Paradigm

Certain students and staff are inherently high performers, deserving focused attention, while others will always lag behind.

Maximizing Paradigm

Every individual within the school community possesses unique strengths and great potential. When we recognize and nurture these strengths, all members can grow academically and personally.

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How might students grow if their unique abilities were not only recognized but actively cultivated?

 

Limiting Paradigm

Intelligence and potential are limited resources, with only a select few possessing the innate gifts needed to excel.

Beliefs & Expectations

 

Maximizing Paradigm:

Intelligence and potential are abundant, with everyone possessing unique gifts that, when nurtured, enable them to excel and contribute meaningfully.

 

Limiting Practices

Educators who see intelligence as a fixed trait, often segregate students based on perceived ability and offer some students leadership opportunities while excluding others.

Impact on Daily Actions

 

Maximizing Practices

Educators adopt a holistic view of each person, identifying and leveraging individual strengths beyond traditional academic or professional metrics. This approach involves personalized learning plans, diverse project opportunities, and recognizing various forms of intelligence and talent across students and staff.

 

Limiting Results

When schools segregate students and limit leadership opportunities to only a select few, they reinforce self-fulfilling prophecies, where students labeled as less capable internalize those expectations and underperform as a result (Gamoran, 1992).

Outcome

 

Maximizing Results

When schools see potential in everyone, it fosters a school environment where individuals develop confidence and self-worth, leading to greater academic and personal growth for the entire community, while ensuring that everyone feels seen and valued for their unique contributions.

How Do the Core Paradigms Influence Academic Success?
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Paradigm One | Paradigm Two | Paradigm Three | Paradigm Four | Paradigm Five

Paradigm Shift Three: Change

From “Wait for Others to Fix It” to “Change Begins With Me”

Reimagining Change

Change is often seen as a top-down process in schools, driven by mandates, policies, or external experts. However, research on sustainable improvement in education has found significant differences in education settings where educators see themselves as empowered agents rather than passive recipients of reform. In schools, this means creating a culture where every teacher, student, and staff member feels capable of influencing outcomes.

 

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What does this look like through a limiting versus maximizing paradigm?

Limiting Paradigm

Improvement hinges on top-down mandates or outside experts; individuals feel powerless to influence real change.

Maximizing Paradigm

Every educator, student, and staff member can drive positive change by adopting proactive mindsets, taking initiative, and collaborating for shared goals.

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How could small, intentional shifts in mindset and practice create a lasting impact on learning and well-being?

 

Limiting Paradigm

Change is determined by external factors and others, leaving individuals feeling powerless to effect meaningful change on their own.

Beliefs & Expectations

 

Maximizing Paradigm

Change begins with individual actions and beliefs, recognizing that everyone possesses the power to influence and drive growth.

 

Limiting Practices

Educators and students wait for directives before implementing proactive changes, and default to maintaining the status quo by strictly adhering to established routines.

Impact on Daily Actions

 

Maximizing Practices

Teachers and students experiment with new ideas, push for improvement, and share responsibility for progress.

 

Limiting Results

A sense of helplessness and stress, raising the likelihood of burnout.

Outcome

 

Maximizing Results

Greater teacher satisfaction, resilience, and a nimble school culture ready to adapt and innovate.

How Do the Core Paradigms Influence Academic Success?
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Paradigm One | Paradigm Two | Paradigm Three | Paradigm Four | Paradigm Five

Paradigm Shift Four: Motivation

From “Control Their Learning” to “Empower Students to Lead Their Learning”

Reimagining Motivation

Motivation is a cornerstone of engagement and success, yet traditional models of education often prioritize control over autonomy. Deci and Ryan’s (2000) Self-Determination Theory emphasizes that autonomy, competence, and relatedness are critical to intrinsic motivation. Schools that foster student agency by empowering learners to take ownership of their education see higher engagement, better academic performance, and greater well-being. In the classroom, this means shifting from teacher-directed instruction to collaborative, student-centered learning environments.

 

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What does this look like through a limiting versus maximizing paradigm?

Limiting Paradigm

Students and staff need strict guidance and control to stay on task and achieve goals.

Maximizing Paradigm

Individuals thrive when they are empowered to take ownership of their learning and professional development, set their own goals, and develop self-directed habits.

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How might students approach challenges differently if they had more opportunities to take ownership of their learning?

 

Limiting Paradigm

Students are passive recipients of knowledge, needing external guidance and control to learn effectively.

Beliefs & Expectations

 

Maximizing Paradigm

Students are active agents in their education, capable of making decisions and taking responsibility for their learning.

 

Limiting Practices

Teacher-centered instruction prioritizes lectures, direct teaching, and rigid curriculums, leaving little room for student exploration or autonomy.

Impact on Daily Actions

Maximizing Practices

Teachers act as coaches, facilitating self-directed growth through strategies like inquiry-based learning, student-led projects, and flexible assignments that emphasize choice and accountability.

 

Limiting Results

In over-controlled environments students often disengage and show diminished intrinsic motivation, which negatively affects their academic outcomes and overall well-being (Deci & Ryan, 2000).

Outcome

 

Maximizing Results

Empowering students to take ownership of their learning fosters greater engagement, critical thinking, and academic success while helping them develop skills like self-regulation and responsibility.

How Do the Core Paradigms Influence Academic Success?
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Paradigm One | Paradigm Two | Paradigm Three | Paradigm Four | Paradigm Five

Paradigm Shift Five: Education

From “Focus Only on Scores” to “Build Both Skills and Growth with Family Partnerships”

Reimagining Whole-Person Education

Research in developmental psychology and neuroscience highlights the interconnectedness of cognitive, emotional, and social development. Immordino-Yang and Damasio (2007) argue that learning is deeply influenced by emotions and relationships, making it essential to view education as a whole-person endeavor. Involving families as active partners in this process amplifies these benefits, as highlighted by the Harvard Family Research Project (Weiss et al., 2006). For schools, this means moving beyond a narrow focus on academic achievement to include personal and interpersonal growth, with families playing a central role in student success.

 

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What does this look like through a limiting versus maximizing paradigm?

Limiting Paradigm

The primary function of education is to deliver academic content and improve test scores, with little regard for personal development or family involvement.

Maximizing Paradigm

Education is about developing the whole person—academically, socially, and emotionally—and partnering with families to support this holistic growth.

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How could greater collaboration with families enhance students’ academic growth, self-confidence, and ability to navigate challenges?

 

Limiting Paradigm

Educators see the primary function of school as the delivery of cognitive skills and knowledge, and it is the exclusive responsibility of educators to ensure students meet these academic goals.

Beliefs & Expectations

 

Maximizing Paradigm

Educators view students as holistic individuals whose academic, emotional, and social development greatly benefit from collaboration with students’ families.

 

Limiting Practices

Curriculum focuses narrowly on core subjects, with minimal integration of social-emotional skills or meaningful family engagement.

Impact on Daily Actions

 

Maximizing Practices

Schools adopt a whole-child approach, incorporating personal and interpersonal skill development into curricula and engaging families through goal-setting, open communication, and collaborative activities.

 

Limiting Results

Overemphasis on academic performance can create high-pressure environments that lead to stress, anxiety, and a lack of support for mental health (Husky et al., 2020).

Outcome

 

Maximizing Results

Students experience balanced growth in academic and personal skills. Stronger family-school partnerships foster a sense of belonging and trust, leading to improved well-being and academic performance.

How Do the Core Paradigms Influence Academic Success?
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Real transformation doesn’t require throwing out everything you know. It starts with a shift in mindset: noticing what might be holding your school back and daring to see new possibilities. Embrace these paradigm shifts through Leader in Me, and watch engagement, achievement, and well-being soar.

Putting It All Together: A Comprehensive Transformation

These five paradigm shifts—

  • seeing leadership as a set of life skills for everyone,
  • recognizing unique strengths,
  • embracing personal accountability for change,
  • empowering learners, and
  • partnering for whole-person development

—form the bedrock of the Leader in Me approach.

 

By adjusting how we see, we transform what we do, and ultimately improve what we get: students who thrive, teachers who feel fulfilled, and a school culture that continually evolves toward excellence.

 

Final Thought:

Transformation doesn’t require a complete overhaul. It begins with small shifts in perspective and daily actions. Embrace these paradigm shifts with Leader in Me, and watch your school’s true potential unfold.

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