Description
Book SynopsisPrioritizing Health and Well-Being: Self-Care as a Leadership Strategy for School Leaders is focused on the importance of health and wellbeing for the nation's school superintendents. This book is based on strategies developed in the author's professional role as superintendent. Each chapter highlights a key self-care strategy and is grounded in the day-to-day work of superintendents. Prioritizing Health and Well-Being explores the importance of health and well-being through both personal and professional perspectives. With the national focus on social and emotional well-being and work and life balance, a discussion focused on the superintendency with simple and practical strategies is offered. This book is written for any aspiring, novice, or veteran superintendent to utilize and gain an appreciation for the importance of their own health and well-being in terms of their overall effectiveness as a leader.
Trade ReviewPrioritizing Health and Well-Being: Self-Care as a Leadership Strategy for School Leaders is a timely, must-read book for superintendents and other executive leaders. Countering the common and dangerous notion that executive leaders must give everything to the job, Brian K. Creasman reminds leaders that their own health and well-being is central to their ability to lead well, and cautions us that we owe it to ourselves, our families, and the people and organizations we lead to take care ourselves and model self-care. The Voices from the Field and Practical Strategies sections for self-care make this book a valuable resource for all current and aspiring school district superintendents.
-- Wayne D. Lewis Jr., president, Houghton College; former Kentucky Commissioner of Education
Brian K. Creasman’s Prioritizing Health and Well-Being is the book that you need to read whether you know it or not. As superintendents, we are always called on to care for others, but we rarely attend to our own self-care. This book provides practical strategies and real superintendent testimonials that are applicable to all of us. Every school leader should read this book because each of us deserves the wisdom that it provides and each of us deserves to be healthy.
-- Nick Polyak, superintendent, Leyden Community High School District 212; co-author, "The Unlearning Leader: Leading for Tomorrow’s Schools Today"
Creasman does it again! This is a must-read and must reference book for superintendents, boards of education, educational leaders, and community members. Prioritizing Health and Well-Being is a call to action for superintendents to take back their health so that they can better lead their school districts. If we are learning anything from the events of the past few years, it’s that we must take care of ourselves so that we may serve and lead others. This book is an outstanding call to action and how-to guide.
-- Michael Lubelfeld, superintendent; co-author of "The Unfinished Leader: A School Leadership Framework for Growth and Development"
The job of a school superintendent is important but keeping the job in perspective requires recognizing that so is your health and well-being. Brian K. Creasman has captured the practical strategies that can help all superintendents improve the quality of their work and personal lives by taking care of themselves.
-- Jack Hoke, executive director, North Carolina School Superintendents Association
As challenges and difficulties increase, it becomes exceedingly difficult for superintendents and educational leaders to endure in the work. Once-promising leaders fail to achieve their potential and crumble beneath the pressure to be all things to all people. Their fortitude and longevity are weakened by a lack of focus on their well-being and ultimately students, schools, and districts suffer through a leadership churn as leaders come and go. In his latest book, Brian Creasman offers hope to leaders and provides the tools to build endurance and the ability to sustain in the work. Self-care is a leadership strategy that all superintendents need in their arsenal.
-- Rob Jackson, superintendent, Carteret County Public Schools, North Carolina
Table of ContentsForeword by Kerry Robinson
Preface
Acknowledgments
All Call to Action by Dan Domenech
Introduction
Chapter 1: The Transformative Three
Chapter 2: The Sun Will Rise Tomorrow
Chapter 3: Be Comfortable in Your Skin
Chapter 4: Put Your Oxygen Mask on Before Helping Others
Chapter 5: Use the Chisel
Chapter 6: Value Your Scars
Chapter 7: The Importance of Mondays
Chapter 8: The Rejuvenating Walkabout
Chapter 9: The Healing and Rejuvenating Power of Faith
Chapter 10: Disconnect to Connect More…With Yourself
Chapter 11: Don’t Believe You Must Have All the Answers
Chapter 12: Don’t Be So Hard on Yourself
Chapter 13: Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
Chapter 14: Discover Your Release
Chapter 15: Listen to What Your Body is Telling You
Chapter 16: Embrace Personal Accountability
Chapter 17: You Are Only the Superintendent, Not Superhuman
Chapter 18: The Missed Art of Happiness
Chapter 19: Never Lose Hope or Abandon Your Dreams
Chapter 20: Exercise and Leadership the Missing Connection
Chapter 21: Prevention, Not a Reaction
Chapter 22: Life After the Superintendency
Conclusion
Afterword by Susan Enfield
Appendix
Bibliography
About the Author
