PLANK ELEVEN:
ESTABLISH A CULTURE
OF EXCELLENCE

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

ARISTOTLE

An organization's culture is the critical element in the successful execution of strategy. It is the binding agent that makes everything hold together. Becoming the best at something at a point in time requires a lot of blood, sweat and tears. Staying the best over a long period of time requires a culture that is imbedded with enormous amounts of "excellence DNA."

This "excellence DNA" takes many forms: open and honest communication; teamwork; the elimination of bureaucracy; a shared vision and passion for the work to be done; a unified view of wanting to be the best; a commitment to constant improvement; the elimination of the attitude, "That's not my job."

Applied to the world of education, "excellence DNA" might reveal itself in the following ways: a focus on delivering the best education product to the customer; individuals who are empowered and take ownership for their respective roles, and "Level 5 leaders" at the key posts of Superintendent of Public Instruction, superintendent of schools for each school district, and principal for each school.

In his book, Good to Great, Jim Collins defines a Level 5 leader, and what differentiates an individual at the highest level of the executive hierarchy from a Level 1 leader at the bottom:

"A Level 1 leader (Highly Capable Individuals) makes productive contributions through talent, knowledge, skills, and good work habits. A Level 5 executive builds enduring greatness through a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will." [Jim Collins, Good to Great, New York: HarpersCollins Publishers Inc., 2001, pg. 20.]