| | December 20159CIOReviewtheir respective classrooms to change what is fundamentally making them successful takes more than simply rolling out a vision statement and telling them here is what we want.So what does it take? As a transformational leader you must spend time defining the "WHY". Too often leaders be-lieve they are defining the "WHY" but in reality are simply telling their employees "HOW" the transformation will occur. Defining the "WHY" is about engaging all your stakeholders in a conversation with the goal being simply an understanding of your vision. To understand your vision, you should explain the driving factors, the problem(s) you are solving and the ben-efits you see in the transformation. During the "WHY" defini-tion phase you set out high level realistic expectations. You let the organization know that transformation is a journey and one that will take time. You must also be forthcoming about the risks. Talking about the risks will give your stakeholders a sense that as the leader you have thought about all aspects both good and bad. Finally, acknowledge there will be bumps along the way. Transformation is never easy and there will be many course corrections along the journey. By letting your stake-holders know this up front, it helps to manage expectations and will lay the foundation for creating an environment where peo-ple will take risks, will be willing to fail, but most importantly, when failure occurs, will continue the journey with fidelity.Once the foundation of "WHY" has been established and a solid level of understanding has occurred within your stake-holders, as the leader you can start talking about "HOW" you want the transformation to occur. Your goal in defining how is all about building a level of acceptance from your stakeholder group. Focus on keeping the discussions still at a high level but clearly articulate the key actions that must occur in order for the transformation to really happen. For our digital transfor-mation, the "HOW" was simply changing the way instruction is delivered in the classroom. As we began talking about the various elements involved in allowing this to occur, the focus was on marketing, not communicating. Our goal was to build excitement from our stakeholders. In defining the how, you must also talk about the cross-functional collaboration that is necessary from the entire organization. This gives your stake-holders a strong sense of the organizational commitment as well as the interdependencies required for true transformation to be obtained.Finally, your initiative must have a brand. Creating a brand for your transformational initiative gives it an identity. This is critically important when thinking about the various stake-holder groups you want engaged and creating their sense of involvement. The brand should have a direct linkage to your "WHY' definition, it must be easy and it has to be something that will stick! Your brand becomes the foundation of your elevator speech. Something that quickly defines not only the initiative but the associated transformational qualities. For ex-ample, in HISD, our digital transformation initiative has been branded as "PowerUp: Transforming Teaching & Learning". Our stakeholder base includes staff, community and business sectors. All of them can clearly define what PowerUp in Hou-ston looks like and what the transformation really is.In closing, as a leader, when you embark on transforma-tional change, you have to embrace the cultural impact and emotional response associated with this type of initiative. Adoption cannot be forced and support mechanisms must be in place to assist your stakeholders on this journey. Stating early transformation is a journey and a multi-year endeavor will make everyone more willing to engage and support the vision. Finally, be patient, supportive, and consistent in your messaging, management and actions.Transformational leadership is all about creating a vision, one that is going to be viewed as radical or impossible and getting people to buy inLenny Schad
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