LM Sept. 2023_final

Wed. 4pm—Opening General Session Dr. Jill Siler Thrive Through the Five: Leading Through Challenging Times

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How would you describe your speaking style? My goal is to value the work that our leaders are doing, understanding how challenging it can be—and then to empower, equip and inspire! I speak from the heart, tell a few stories that have helped me grow, and share voices of some of my favorite leaders through a fast-paced, multimedia presentation. What are you looking forward to most when you present at the IASA Annual Conference? I count it a privilege to speak to any group, but my heart is with school leaders. I’ve served in almost every position in education—from paraprofessional to superintendent. And I cannot wait to work with the leaders in Illinois! What’s one thing about you that people should know before your keynote presentation? I can’t ever say just one thing. I am a mom; a daughter; a wife; a former Division I athlete, an author, a speaker, a teacher, a lover of spreadsheets and hot brownies and a student of stellar leadership. Can you share a piece of leadership advice for superintendents? The landscape for teaching has changed so much in the past five years, yet the truth that we are only as good as our people remains true. So our responsibility to create

an environment that people want to be a part of has never been more critical. As leaders, we can’t compromise our standards or expectations, but we do get to choose how to do this work; how to lead. By keeping a pulse on the people we’re leading and, in turn, serving and leading them well— our students will benefit! Was there an educator in your life who helped you become the person you are today? The word “mentor” comes from Homer’s Odyssey as Mentor was the person who took care of Odysseus’ son when he went off to war. I love that metaphor for mentorship—to grow up under someone’ s leadership. And I have been blessed to grow up under so many incredible leaders. One of my favorites was David Manning who led my principal program. He helped me see that, while the tasks are important, it is the people that we need to pour into in order to best serve our students.

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6 LM September 2023