 Welcome to the K-12 online conference and the presentation entitled The Promise of Leadership, which is part of the Leading Learning Strand. I am Julia Osteen, and after teaching in K-12 for over 25 years, I currently work as the Technology Integration Specialist for the Ayres Institute for Teacher Learning and Innovation on the Lipscomb University campus in Nashville, Tennessee. Leadership is a word that is often used in a variety of ways. Traditionally in education, we have used the word to mean those few individuals in a school who have been placed in positions of supervision. John C. Maxwell, an internationally respected leadership expert in his book Developing the Leader Within You, defines leadership as influence. Influence then is the action or process of producing effects on the actions, behavior, opinions of others. Therefore, leadership is making a difference in others' beliefs and actions. Linda Lambert, in her 1998 book entitled Building Leadership Capacity in Schools, defines leadership as learning. She states, leadership is about learning together and constructing meaning and knowledge collectively and collaboratively. Lambert goes on to say that this co-learning and co-constructing is the core of leadership. So let's examine some myths and promises of leadership. Leaders have all the answers, but the promise is that leaders build capacity for others to uncover answers. Great leaders are always in the spotlight. The promise is that great leaders are others focused, service-oriented, and when we do things for the benefit of others, then blessings naturally flow into our lives. What we pour into the lives of others comes back into our own. Leaders are born not made, but the promise is that leadership is a skill and the capacity for it can be built. Leaders tell others what to do. The promise is that leaders lead by example. Just read through the International Society for Technology and Education's National Educational Technology Standards for Administrators, and you'll see words repeated such as model, facilitate, participate, promote, engage, and collaborate. All of these words imply walking the walk and not just talking the talk. Great leaders follow their own agenda and plan, but the promise is that great leaders are committed to a cause greater than themselves. This is why truly great leaders are so passionate about their work. Leaders are few and far between. The promise, though, is that everyone has a capacity for leadership that can be unlocked. Consider a quote attributed to Gordon Donaldson, Professor of Education at the University of Maine. We must start by disposing of our old assumptions about leadership and about who can lead. We have placed too much responsibility and too much power with the few individuals whom we label leaders in our school systems. Superintendent, curriculum directors, and principals cannot on their own generate leadership that improves education. Donaldson in 2007 notes, strong leadership in schools results from the participation of many people, each leading in his or her own way. So as we transform leadership in order to transform education, we should consider the roles of those involved in the educational process. When principals and others in supervisory roles see themselves as chief learners, then leadership truly becomes transformational. These leaders of position connect and are highly visible models of connected learners for faculty and students. Many principals cultivate connected teachers as leaders, as stated by Cheryl Nusbaum Beach and Lanny Ritter Hall in their book, The Connected Educator. One of my colleagues, Karen Markline, puts it this way. The promise of leadership in transforming education lies in the hands of the leader who realizes he or she cannot lead alone. True transformational leaders realize the capacity of leadership in all others and seek to build that capacity through collaborating with others. In the truest sense of that word, leaders become partners in the work harnessing the brain power and collective motivation of those they seek to lead. Teacher leaders are most importantly expert learners. I will never forget a statement a high school teacher made to me following professional development session that I facilitated. He said, the most important thing I learned today was that I need to keep learning. This may sound trite or even like a cliche, but all too often educators feel their work is done when they are finished with their education preparation program. Nothing could be farther from the truth. One thing that the influx of technology has done for our schools already is position everyone in the building to be a learner. Due to the mere fact that technology changes at such a rapid pace, we all assume a learning stance when dealing with technology tools. Teacher leaders build collaborative cultures and lead for change. They know how to leverage the wisdom of the crowd and the technology of the day to provide authentic engaging and connected experiences for students. Students are all too often ignored as part of the leadership in the school building. Meaningful student engagement and conversations about teaching and learning can work to strengthen a commitment to education, community, and democracy. Meaningful student leadership is intentional and guided by more experienced voices from connected educators. A culture of collaboration with students encourages student voice and ownership. Just step back and watch a group of students work. You'll see the leaders emerge and the others will be affected in their beliefs and actions by those leaders. A powerful relationship exists between learning and leading. So what is the promise of leadership? It is building capacity in people to think differently, to be open to new ideas, to test new innovative concepts, to link diverse people in collaboration, and to consider issues within a future context. As capacity is built, then the promise of leadership in transforming education can be realized.