Name: Edward Gordon

Title: Chief Executive Officer

Organisation: Gordon Leadership Academy

Edward W. Gordon, II is a native of Montclair, New Jersey. He is the proud father of Edward W. Gordon, III. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Music from the University of South Carolina in 1998. Edward also earned a Master's in Music Education from New Jersey City University in 2002, and a Master's in Educational Leadership in 2003.

Edward holds Standard Certification from the State of New Jersey Department of Education as a Principal, Supervisor and Music Teacher. He also holds a Certificate of Eligibility from the State of New Jersey Department of Education as a School Administrator. He is a Certified Principal for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Mr. Gordon has over 25 years of experience in education and has led staff and students from preschool through high school. He was one of three graduates of the PhillyPLUS School Turnaround Program, a selective residency program focused on serving underperforming schools.

He completed the Dale Carnegie Course and received a Certificate in November 2017. He has been a member of Toastmaster International and became a Founding Member of the Business Networking International Matrix Chapter. In August 2019, he became a John C. Maxwell certified Speaker, Coach and Trainer. He is a graduate of the Black Entrepreneurs Institute.

He serves as the Advisor to the Board of Directors of Crowned International, a non-profit organization that helps women achieve Vision, Purpose, and Excellence and on the Board of Trustees for Family Rebuild of New Jersey a non-profit organization that helps displaced families. Edward has been a guest on Talk Leadership With Cedric Lafluer, Win With Willie and The Black Entrepreneurs Institute Show. He has also been a guest on the Introverted Queen Podcast, where guests discuss living in an extroverted world.

Despite this hectic schedule Edward hosts a bi-weekly broadcast entitled The Principal's Office where he highlights educational stakeholders who are making a difference in their lives, the lives of others and with others. He is the CEO of Gordon Leadership Academy, LLC, a company that coaches and mentors aspiring and current school leaders globally. His motto is, “If I can help somebody, then my living shall not be in vain.

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

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

Cheers,

Jonno White

1. What have you found most challenging as a leader?

What I have found to be the most challenging as a leader is the ongoing changes in initiatives and expectations. The constant changes causes leaders to become distracted and sometime loose connection with their Why. Why did they desire to become an educator and school leader originally?

In my work as a coach, I help school leaders identify the time wasters and distractions in their schedule. Once identified school leaders can work towards delegating these tasks or implementing systems that will reduce or eliminate these distractions. Once done they have a renewed energy to do the work they are intended to do.

2. How did you become a leader? Can you please briefly tell the story?

I became a leader by being a person of influence as a teacher. That later created an opportunity to become a lead teacher of the BRAVO Academy, a fine and performing arts smaller learning community that was established within a larger comprehensive high school. After years of leading this program, I developed as a recruiter, scheduler, instructional leader and connector of community partnerships. I later became a School Leader in traditional public schools and charter schools. I had the ability to lead schools from preschool through high school in various urban school districts.

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

I wake up in the morning with prayer. Then I transition to getting ready for the day, eating breakfast and spending some time studying a new concept that will help me as a school leader, coach, speaker or trainer. As a school leader I would spend my morning greeting students and parents as they entered the school building. Then I would begin with a morning inspirational message to my students and staff.

I would continue through my morning with classroom walk-throughs and observations. During lunch times I would be visible and use the time to make connections with students. After lunch periods, I would continue with classroom observations, professional learning community meetings and preparing for afternoon staff or teacher meetings. In the afternoon, I will use the time to meet with individual or groups of teachers.

When I am home, I believed it is important to focus on family. I do not believe there is a concept of work-life balance. You do not spend 8 hours at work, 8 hours at home and 8 hours sleep. But I believe it is important that when you are at work you focus on work, when you are home you focus on family. This is important for school leaders to model for their staff.

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

A leadership lesson that I was recently reminded of is that the people I am leading will not grow if I do not continue to grow as a leader. It is important for me to continue to read, attend workshops, conferences, webinars and receive coaching and mentoring.

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

15 Invaluable Laws of Growth written by Dr. John C. Maxwell has been an influential book in my life. That book has helped me understand the importance of growth and various ways I can position myself as a growth minded individual. As a Maxwell Leadership Team Certified Coach, Speaker and Trainer I now use this book to facilitate mastermind groups and help teams I lead improve their growth mindset.

6. If you could only give one piece of advice to a young leader, what would you say to them?

It is important for you to have a coach and a mentor in your life. A coach is a person that is able to ask you questions and bring to your awareness what is already inside of you. The coach assigns actionable tasks that will move you from where you are to where you desire to be. A mentor is a person that has done what you aspire to do. This person is usually 5 years or more into their career then you are. This person helps to guide you, share ideas and be a thought partner. Both are needed to be a highly effective school leader.

7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a leader, so far?

There was a time in my career when I hit a wall. I was terminated as a School Principal. I was embarrassed. I could not understand why I was so successful in previous school assignments and now I am stuck. It was revealed to me that the reason I became stuck was because I did not have a coach or a mentor in my life. I had to learn what a coach was and what a mentor was. Once I learned what they are, I got both in my life and re-entered the opportunity to lead a school. If you do not have a coach or mentor you will not perform at the level you desire.