Closing Out The Listening Leader Book Study: Seeking Diversity

This summer my family and I found a monarch caterpillar on one of our perennials at the front of the house. This was a surprise for me: these types of caterpillars only eat milkweed plants. The perennial it was chomping on was what I believed to be a Joe Pye Weed. “We should move it indoors and put it in a jar with milkweed leaves,” I announced to the family.

My assumption was that the monarch butterfly had accidentally laid its eggs on this plant. Really. I was questioning the instincts of millennia of nature. It wasn’t until my wife posted a picture of our plants on Instagram that I was convinced it was milkweed. (A former parent at my school and environmentalist commented that it was in fact swamp milkweed the caterpillar was eating.)

Moments like this remind me it is not enough to be presented with new information to change one's mind. We have to actively be seeking new ways of thinking and have an interest in different perspectives. Being a "lifelong learner" is an intentional process; it starts with ourselves.

Reading resources like The Listening Leader affirms for me that professional renewal is not as natural as it is for the monarch. Yet there is a need. Having a safe environment, an open mind, and supportive colleagues are critical in creating these conditions for change. The strategies and tools in the book shared during this online study can help foster this type of culture.

Thank you for joining us this summer, either through quiet reading or active participation. A big thanks to all of the contributors as well as to Shane Safir for sharing their knowledge with us. You can read all of the posts at this page. In addition, check out the newsletter for curated lists of blog posts plus links to related resources. If you have suggestions for future books studies or recommendations for this site in general, please leave them in the comments. Have a great start to another school year!