Name: Dr. Bob Gragg

Title: Superintendent / Chief Executive Officer

Organisation: Seminole Public Schools (Seminole, Oklahoma)

50+ years as a professional educator/ superintendent/ceo for the majority of over 40 of those years in school administration. I have also enjoyed roles as an instructional coach for administrators and worked with the state school board association, conducting superintendent search guidance and whole-board team workshops.

Thank you to the 2,000 leaders who’ve generously done the 7 Questions on Educational Leadership!

I hope Dr. Bob's answers will encourage you in your leadership journey. Enjoy!

Cheers,

Jonno White

1. What have you found most challenging as an Educational Leader?

"Change" is the constant operative facing educational leaders. During my master's work at the University of Oklahoma in the late 1970s, Dr. John Seaburg used this phrase often: "Change & Conflict are closely associated. When you face one, the other is right behind, and they seldom ever come in a balanced package." That phrase has resounded for me time and time again.

The takeaway has been that when we face conflict, we should be proactively prepared to embrace and deal with the changes that are going to follow. We can lead those changes or ignore them and be trampled by the changes. The other side of the phrase is that when we lead new initiatives and changes, we must be proactively prepared to navigate the pushback of changes that will occur. Dr. Seaburg, you were right on target -- "Change & Conflict are Closely Associated for Educational Leaders!"

2. How did you become an Educational Leader? Can you please briefly tell the story?

Being a professional teacher has led the way for me all these years. It felt more like a calling to give back to a system that gave me opportunities to grow as a lifelong learner. Right out of college, I said "No" to my wife's uncle, who offered to set me up in a retail grocery business that I would have owned in ten years, and would have started out earning over $20,000 annually (1973).

I chose to teach and coach, earning a grand total of $7,300 with no paid benefits other than the required employer matching for state retirement. Making that decision then has reminded me all these years that being a professional educator was and still is so much more than earning a paycheck.

3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

Normal wake time is around 4:30. I have quiet devotional time, being a person of faith and prayer for my family and my school/ community. I have coffee, usually read 3 online newspapers, and enjoy a light breakfast and a few minutes with my wife before heading to the office. My office is always open to staff, district employees, students, parents, and the community.

I plan for interruptions and that usually means taking work home with me in the evenings and weekends when there are fewer interruptions. I love visiting our school sites and being involved in the school events and community events. I do not have any trouble going to sleep -- and often do a "news-snooze" before realizing I need to get up and go to bed.

4. What's a recent lesson you've learned for the first time or been reminded of as an Educational Leader?

Local, State, and National - politicians have started inventing some really peculiar rules, regulations, and laws that do more harm than good for public education.

5. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your journey as an Educational Leader so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted you?

"Good to Great" by Jim Collins is one that stands out. There are many over the years that have had a positive impact. Stephen Covey's 7-Habits and Stephen M.R. Covey's "Trust" books are right there as well. These and a few others have built a steadfast library for my journey, especially the past 20 years. They have given me the courage to be an administrator, professional executive coach with solid principles that point us in a true-north moral compass as leaders.

They give me standards and an administrative rubric that I can depend on in communications, trust-building, and sharing these with others. One takeaway is that we implement what I call the "4-C's" process in our administrative meetings and actions at my current district: Communicate (Including being a great listener), Collaboration, Calibration, and Celebration.

6. If you could only give one piece of advice to a young educator who aspires to be an Educational Leader, what would you say to them?

Be a lifelong learner, and make certain that you are a genuine listener. Make others feel that you are listening to them. As Stephen Covey says in Habit 5, "Seek first to understand (listen), then to be understood (heard)."

7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as an Educational Leader, so far?

Initiating a student leadership advisory council sponsored by the superintendent's office. Along with our deputy superintendent meet with a group of student leaders at least once per month. The student organization started about five years ago following a conversation with a student who had asked me for a letter of recommendation to serve on the state superintendent's advisory council.

During the conversation, I was able to share my vision for the local advisory council, and 2 weeks later, this young lady had organized our SSLAC (Superintendent's Student Leadership Advisory Council and called our inaugural meeting. It is very unique in that there is no nomination criteria as we find in the norm for student council groups and other student organizations. Student leaders self-nominate, and there are only 2 qualifiers: (1) you must believe that you are a leader, and (2) you want to make a positive impact on the school and community. Any student in our high school can be a member (grades 9 -12).

They are making a positive impact, including starting our first African-American Student Organization, raising funds for state and local cancer campaigns, pushing out random acts of kindness, mentoring students in the lower grades, and making an annual trip to our state capital during the legislative session. All student-led, student-run. Our Deputy Superintendent and I are advisors and sponsors. They are worth my agreeing to stay on for another contract year!