Leading with Inquiry Part 1: Getting Curious about Inquiry

What does it mean to lead with inquiry? And what does that actually look like in a classroom or when working with other adults? Today, we begin a four-part series exploring those questions and more about leading with inquiry. 3Ps host Paula Watkins and Jessica Vance, the author of Leading With a Lens of Inquiry, will lead us through this exploration, setting the stage in our first episodes about what inquiry is and how to integrate it into leadership. In the final two episodes, you’ll hear Jessica and Paula engage in an inquiry-focused coaching conversation as an example of how others can use a lens of inquiry in their coaching and leading.

In this first episode of this series, Jessica shares about her background and current work as an inquiry leader. She makes clear that being an inquiry leader is not exclusionary of being a managerial leader but that leaders can use both approaches in tandem and when most appropriate.

Jessica details the need for inquiry leaders to understand their values and for a critical friend to help keep your inquiry leadership focused. She also suggests having the sentence frames “What would happen if…” and “How may/can I…” ready to use in an inquiry process. 

Throughout the episode, Jessica and Paula reference the work of Trevor MacKenzie, who you can listen to in previous 3Ps in a Pod episodes on “Cultivating Inquiry,” “Creating a Culture of Inquiry with Kass Minor and Trevor MacKenzie,” and “Diving into Inquiry.” Jessica also mentions these additional resources:

• “The Inquiry Leader” sketchnote, “Managerial Leader, Inquiry Leader” sketchnote, and “The Ripple Effect” sketchnote can be found at leadingwithinquiry.com/sketchnotes

• Elena Aguilar’s work with the core values of leaders, such as “How Core Values Foster Resilience in Educators,” and other resources available at brightmorningteam.com 

• Brene Brown and her Daring Leadership Assessment at brenebrown.com/hubs/dare-to-lead/

• Kimberly Mitchell’s book Experience Inquiry and other resources at inquirypartners.com

• Jessica Vance’s website at leadingwithinquiry.com

• Jessica Vance’s Instagram at instagram.com/jess_vanceedu

• Jessica Vance’s Twitter at  twitter.com/jess_vanceedu

Learn more about the Arizona K12 Center at azk12.org.