Unfinished Leader - by Michael Lubelfeld & Nick Polyak & Pj Caposey (Paperback)

About the Book

To be the best version of yourself you must be driven deeply by something and believe that you have a legacy to leave. You must know that the work will never be done. If you care deeply about making an impact and are willing to do anything for your students and community, admi...

Book Synopsis

To be the best version of yourself you must be driven deeply by something and believe that you have a legacy to leave. You must know that the work will never be done. If you care deeply about making an impact and are willing to do anything for your students and community, admit that you are unfinished and strive to become better every day.

Review Quotes

Combining years of experience as effective leaders Lubelfeld, Polyak, and Caposey provide aspiring and practicing leaders with a call to be a better leader by embracing the state of being unfinished. Truly this book includes valuable insights for everyone, not just leaders. It is a call to be reflective, to be honest with yourself, to be empathic, to be open to change. Accepting that being a work in progress, or unfinished as the authors say, is intimidating. It means accepting the uncertainty that comes with it. To be an unfinished leader may take some unlearning, but in the end the unfinished leader will be a role model for their students and their staff. While we tend to think that finishing something is an accomplishment, this book argues that being an unfinished leader is an accomplishment. Being an unfinished leader is really about creating that constant culture of learning, creating a drive to continuously improve, and advocating for your school community.

Throughout this book, the authors provide an argument as to the importance and benefits of being an unfinished leader. They give the reader actionable steps, key takeaways, and reflective questions to help them to become unfinished and to use this book as a tool for growth. The authors address issues at the micro, meso, and macro levels of analysis. In other words, the authors focus on the leader needing to look inward and think about relationships but then also discuss the implications and applications for schools, districts, and beyond. There is a constant back and forth between looking inward and outward. You have to be honest and reflective with yourself but also recognize that you are working with others and for others.

Being an effective leader is not just about reading the right books and trying to replicate them. It is about being reflective (who you are, who you are not, who your students/staff need you to be), owning your core values, and living them. Lubelfeld, Polyak, and Caposey challenge leaders to take the time, courage, and commitment to be that reflective, unfinished leader.

High-performing leaders understand that all great journeys remain Unfinished. As Lubelfeld, Polyak, and Caposey have highlighted, the work in public education continues to need polishing. Though public education has made remarkable advancements in the areas of achievement gaps, equity, technology integration, and personalized learning, the journey remains Unfinished. The authors highlight critical and timely elements in education that all school and district leaders face in 2021 as we navigate the complexities of a global pandemic and the quest for social justice in America. Mike, Nick, and PJ communicate well that every leader can become change agents. The key, as they point out through practical examples, is to transcend status-quo thinking and focus on never arriving at the finish line, but always looking toward the Unfinished horizon of possibilities for students!

The Unfinished Leader: A School Leadership Framework for Growth and Development is a detailed Rosetta Stone translation of how to be an effective and significant school leader, from the district office to the classroom; a rich source of both inspiration and guidance in these turbulent times. Every current and aspiring educator who hopes to help lead their schools through the inevitable changes of the coming years will want this book not just on their bookshelf, but on their nightstand.

About the Author

Michael Lubelfeld, Nick Polyak, and PJ Caposey are authors, presenters, superintendents, and friends. They are accomplished leaders who, like us all, are unfinished works in progress.