Five Elements of Collective Leadership for Early Childhood Professionals - by Cassandra O'Neill & Monica Brinkerhoff (Paperback)

About the Book

Collective leadership is based on shared decision-making, transparency, and involving the people affected by change

Book Synopsis

Collective leadership is based on shared decision-making, transparency, and involving the people affected by change in the process. Current research shows that a collective approach to leadership is advantageous to organizations and Five Elements of Collective Leadership for Early Childhood Professionals helps teachers, providers, administrators, and system change leaders think differently about opportunities available to lead, and incorporate a collective approach into programs.

Review Quotes

Delivering on the promise of early childhood education requires leadership in the classroom, within systems, and in the public square. By challenging assumptions and nudging us outside our comfort zones, the authors show us how to lead effectively and inspire others to see themselves as leaders, too.--Rhian Evans Allvin, Chief Executive Officer, National Association for the Education of Young Children

Five Elements of Collective Leadership for Early Childhood Professionals articulates an elegant model of leadership that inspires and motivates each of us, regardless of title or position, to embrace our role in leading change that positively impact the lives of young children and families.--Lynette Aytch, PsyD, director, Leadership Development Institute, ZERO TO THREE

Five Elements of Collective Leadership for Early Child Professionals is a revolutionary manual spelling out how leadership in any human endeavor needs to be redefined and re-enacted as a collective rather than individual activity. This single shift has the potential to reinvigorate stalled democracy, and educate citizens in participatory democracy from the very outset.--Mary Hartman, founder, Rutgers Global Women's Leadership Institute The timing could not be better for O'Neill and Brinkerhoff's well-written and accessible book. It offers a helpful starting point to collective leadership, explaining how we can harness the capacity within and across our organizations to achieve significant and lasting impact. Included along with a generous array of theories are resources and practices that are meaningful to any professional eager to adopt more innovative and effective approaches to sustainable and systemic social change.--Nancy Kranich, past president of the American Library Association, lecturer, Rutgers University School of Communication and Information

"Five Elements of Collective Leadership for Early Childhood Professionals will change the way we think, discuss and practice leadership in the field of early childhood education. It's a resource for leaders that will be used over and over again. Part literature review, part resource-guide, part handbook, part conversation-starter--100% insightful.--Elisa Mongeluzzi, MEd, early childhood coach/mentor and advocate

As an early childhood professional, I'm always looking for opportunities to engage and collaborate with other community stakeholders to improve coordination of services for young children and families. Our amazing coalition known as the Santa Cruz Birth to Five Partners has been in existence since 2013 due in large part to what we've learned about collective leadership from Cassandra O'Neill. It's made all of the difference in the world.--Francisco J. Padilla, regional director, Santa Cruz Regional Partnership Council, First Things First

"At this pivotal time in early childhood education, it's imperative that we develop systems that not only generate better outcomes for children, families, and communities, but systems that are built on diversity of thought, action, and leadership. Five Elements of Collective Leadership for Early Childhood Professionals offers a framework to reflect upon when leading change in your community, including real life examples of how to put the beliefs in to action."--Amber Jones, independent early education and systems thinking consultant

About the Author

Cassandra O'Neill, founder and CEO of Leadership Alchemy LLC, has over 25 years of experience building leadership capacity in the social sector. She has worked with leaders in over 200 organizations including libraries, schools, government agencies, foundations, and a variety of nonprofit organizations. O'Neill uses models that focus on getting more of what you want; creating a learning environment that is optimistic and enjoyable. Learn more about her at www.cassandraoneill.com.
Monica Brinkerhoff, MSW, is the Organization and Employee Development Director at Child-Parent Centers, Inc., the Head Start grantee for southeastern Arizona. With over 20 years of experience in early childhood care and education, she has worked in the early childhood profession in many capacities, including preschool teacher, preschool director, coach, consultant, and administrator.