“Having experienced another language, another culture, another way of life really opens doors and opens your eyes. We all may be different in many ways, but really people are people no matter where you are. The outside part might look different, because that’s the culture part, but the inside part is going to look just the same, because we’re all people.“
In Episode 8, we can see clearly how my guest, Debbie Callihan-Dingle, has been providing quiet, collegial, effective educational leadership in the USA for years. I invited her to be a podcast guest because she demonstrates that, in challenging times such as we find ourselves right now, leadership is about skill, insight, patience, clarity, focus, and kindness.
There are many aspects I’ve meditated on in Debbie’s quote, above, that are about language and culture as human phenomena in general. But it also struck me that effective leadership can more fully be understood by looking at it through the lens of language and culture.
An effective leader is embedded in a culture — a school, business, organization — and has experienced more than one language: the language of the novice group member who can feel lost and alone in the vocabulary and practices of a profession; the language of the intermediate-level staff member who, having learned how to stay alive in the profession, may be in a position to grow but not necessarily know the steps to get there; the language of the veteran employee who demonstrates advanced skills and who really can be trained to contribute in a collaborative and leadership position.
Effective leadership, that is, is about proficiency, and providing modeling, pathways, and practice to those under one’s charge so that they may develop their leadership proficiency, also.
Yes, leadership is about skill, insight, patience, clarity, focus, and kindness. We in the world language education community are blessed to call Debbie Callihan-Dingle our own. But our podcast conversation will demonstrate to you, no matter your own personal formal or informal link to language and culture education, how powerful leadership comes from knowledge of how humans express themselves and are connected to community.
Listen to this episode to learn about the culture and language of leadership in challenging times, so that you can reflect on the leadership you see around you and on your own leadership in your own “culture.” And, as you will see in Debbie’s bio, she invites all of us listening to take a simple leadership step: find five people to thank.
So, come, meet Debbie Callihan-Dingle, yes, but also think about those you know who have taken up leadership positions: How proficient are they in the language needed to support and grow those whom they lead? How well do they understand the community culture of the group? What is your leadership proficiency?
Interested in learning more about proficiency, and its application for students and teachers? Looking to learn more about and/or apply Gallup Strengths in your team or organization? Check out the Services tab to see how I can be of help to you.
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You can also find this week’s episode on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Or subscribe to Fluency Online on YouTube.
Want to hear more? Access previous episodes, and get to know the wonderful people I talk with through the It’s About Language page, or by clicking on the Podcast tab above.
You can also connect with me for presentations and workshops. Also connect with me for presentations on what language proficiency is, how we grow it, measure it, and apply it effectively in life and work. Educators, organizations, and businesses will all find these topics highly relevant and practical.
Guest Bio
Dr. Debbie Callihan-Dingle has spent her adult life in the realm of education and world languages–first as a French teacher and then as the Program Director for the world languages program in North East ISD. As the program director, she is responsible for developing all professional development for the world language teachers, implementing the world language program, giving support to teachers, and providing vision for the program. She is currently serving as President of the National Association of District Supervisors of Foreign Language and has served as President of the Texas Association of Language Supervisors. During this pandemic, she has been working to make sure the world language teachers in her district are feeling supported and cared for.
Resources provided and recommended by Debbie:
Are you a supervisor (or the equivalent) of a district world language program? Connect with www.nadsfl.com to see what the National Association of District Supervisors of Foreign Languages can do support, empower, and involve you.
Debbie speaks about developing proficiency in the new language in students, and of the “Proficiency 101” program for students so that they understand the purpose and approach of proficiency. If you wish to find out more about proficiency, performance, and the point of proficiency, check out these documents and charts.
Both formal and informal advocacy are critical for families, communities, and the nation to understand the central role languages and language learning play in the development of well-educated and integrated citizens of the 21st century. For much more information and to see how you can take part in advocacy actions small and large, please visit the national advocacy organization JNCL-NCLIS.
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