Cohesion is the degree to which a group or community works well together to achieve a common goal. To distribute such is to teach and show others how to methodically and collectively focus on shared purpose, principles, and growth in return for significantly more progress over the long term.

Do you have an ambitious and humble mindset?


What people are saying

We fully endorse Rich as a specialist in building culture based on our collaboration on multiple projects.
— Organizational development authority Ann Rhoades is the author of the best-selling leadership book, Built on Values (with the foreword by Stephen Covey) and founder of the consulting firm, People Ink. For over 25 years, the team has helped like-minded leaders to collaboratively build sustainable environments through shared purpose, behavioral-based values, and corresponding trust. Clients include leading organizations across numerous service-oriented sectors. Ann has also been a pioneering chief people officer across multiple organizations, served on numerous boards, been quoted in countless publications, and is a long-time member of the Washington Speakers Bureau.
Follow your next strategic planning process with the work of aligning your community accordingly. Speak to Rich!
— Education authority Christopher T. Cross is a past senior fellow with the Education Commission of the States and the Center for Education Policy, president of the Council for Basic Education, assistant US secretary of education, president of the Maryland Board of Education, director of the Business Roundtable Education, and co-founder of FourPoint Education Partners, formerly Cross & Joftus. He has been a highly trusted resource to local, state, and federal educational officials for decades.

About Us

Rich started LSF with support from UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke University, K-12 authorities, and mentor People Ink to make access to great, enduring education cultures contingent only on the commitment of each community. In the words of longtime and international education authority Michael Fullan, “Culture is the hallmark of effective leadership.”

As a leader and partner to others, Rich has helped elementary, middle, and high school communities to create culture, and a medical center. He has also assisted district authorities in increasing their associated capacity, conducted parallel Ph.D. studies on cohesion, and done the same work at the classroom level with students to develop their authority and related performance. Before this, he led the turnaround of four schools, P-12 (student behavior, achievement, overall operations, and enrollment), and the refinement of a top international college preparatory program. The values that guide his behavior and decision-making are rooted in diverse cultural experiences, instrumental mentorships, and a steadfast dedication to great cultures. When not at work, Rich enjoys spending time with Amy, who works statewide in rural philanthropy, and their son Cole, a first-year student at CU Boulder.

As a co-founder of People Ink, Rich’s mentor, Gayle, has helped create cultures across many professions, including patient-centered medicine and higher education. She has over 30 years of experience working in and partnering with numerous U.S. and global organizations. Before that, she was an experienced chief learning officer for a large organization where she was responsible for culture transformation, organizational and leadership development, and talent management. She is also a national leader for women entrepreneurs, having served as Board Chair for the National Association of Women Business Owners and as a board member for the Center for Women’s Business Research. Gayle lives in Bella Vista, Arkansas. She is an avid golfer along with her husband Grant. To learn more about Gayle, Ann, and the rest of their team, go to www.peopleink.com.


What others are saying


Differentiated Services

Facilitation & Assessment: What is your community’s ideal future, and how well are you collectively aligned to that shared vision?

Coaching: Assuming an already established culture, do you need support during a significant leadership transition, period of growth/scale, or other major shift?

Purpose

To make access to great, enduring education cultures contingent only on the commitment of each community.


Behavior-Based Values

1) Goal INTERDEPENDENCE: succeed through transparency.

  • Maintains a disciplined focus on student, family, employee, and/or community-centered progress.

  • Demonstrates a significant desire to discover what others can offer.

  • Goes the extra mile to help others succeed and fill any void.

  • Recognizes the contributions of others and affirms and celebrates their successes.

2) PURPOSE: always do what is right.

  • Greets others with eye contact and a genuine smile.

  • Takes the time to develop, support, and maintain positive relationships.

  • Contributes to the best of their ability for the good of the collective.

  • Never compromises the values.

3) GROWTH: focus on organizational and individual goals.

  • Thinks big, thinks differently, asks why, why not, or what could be; explores all challenges with an attitude of curiosity.

  • Promotes diversity of thinking in return for the best results, particularly long-term continuous improvement.

  • Thrives by developing [her or himself] and others, learning from past successes and failures.


Key Performance Indicators

  • Short-term: Student academic resilience and related rates of well-being, family involvement, faculty/staff enthusiasm, community support, and transformational leadership.

  • Long-term: Student academic growth, family enrollment, employee cohesion, community investment, and shared leadership.

 

Note: Schools and systems can gauge cohesion through measures of inclusivity, trust, pride, and camaraderie, in addition to, KPIs such as those referenced above. Student academic resilience - represents the degree to which she or he can maintain or achieve success despite significant challenges or setbacks - depending on underlying levels of family involvement, educator enthusiasm, community support, and transformational leadership. Transformational leadership refers to the extent to which someone motivates and inspires community members to achieve a goal or vision of shared significance.


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