Programme 378, Michael Moriarty on Leadership in Education (6-11-19)

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney This week on the podcast I speak to Michael Moriarty, who has been leading in education and other sectors for a number of decades, as a teacher, a principal, Head of Education and Training Boards Ireland and as CEO of a local radio station. His new book, Every Leader's Reality Guide: Strategies to Release Your True Leadership Potential has been released and it distills the lessons about leading that Michael learned through mentorship, training and self-reflection on his various roles. Among the topics we discuss on the podcast are the following: How leadership begins with self-awareness and self-reflection. How leadership in education differs to other leadership roles The source of authority How he looked to leaders he admired for inspiration Power comes from respect rather than position His experience of being bullied in post-primary school and how he learned the importance of standing up for himself Being isolated in his professional role The importance of allies and alliances Building a media profile Establishing credibility as a leader and the ability to communicate The importance of having mentors How a leader shows they value people Reading leadership books and biographies (e.g. Boris Johnson’s book on Churchill) Leadership and influence The stance he took in a job interview for a leadership position Why you should hire people who are better than you Why leaders need to be able to say “sorry” Learning leadership through union politics How he came to head up a radio station His ongoing pursuit of challenges in his work Michael mentioned a number of inspirational resources during the interview, including the following:   Senator Ted Kennedy’s 1980 Convention speech Stephen R. Covey The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Dale Carnegie How to Win Friends and Influence People John C Maxwell Talent is Never Enough Search for the Hero by M People