What You Need to Lead an Early Childhood Program

Holly Elissa Bruno, MA, JD, attorney and keynote speaker, hosts the online radio program Heart to Heart Conversationson Leadership: Your Guide to Making a Difference on bamradionetwork.com. She teaches graduate leadership and law courses at Wheelock College and National Louis University’s McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership. Having served as assistant attorney general for the state of Maine, assistant dean at the University of Maine School of Law, and dean of faculty and associate professor at University of Maine–Augusta (UMA), she was named UMA’s Outstanding Professor.Holly Elissa’s keynotes engage and inspire audiences from Reykjavik, Iceland, to Budapest, Hungary, and from Honolulu, Hawaii, to Anchorage, Miami, Chicago, Austin, San Diego, Tulsa, and Spearfish, South Dakota. She believes early childhood leadership is one of the most powerful positions anyone can hold.

“By connecting emotional intelligence to leadership, Holly fills a void that exists in the field. Her case studies and real life scenarios allow the reader to relate to and solve everyday problems in a manner that supports how early childhood practitioners think, feel, and practice.”—Sue Offutt, Executive Director, McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership“Holly Elissa Bruno comes alive in every page. As a nationally recognized speaker on challenging topics, Holly brings a fresh perspective on the strategies and practices that emerging and seasoned organizational leaders seek. With her unique style and voice, Holly clearly sets a framework for success and quality. All leaders will find Holly’s approaches applicable and refreshing.”—Luis A. Hernandez, Early Childhood Education Specialist, TTAS/Western Kentucky University“Both the novice leader of a small group and the seasoned director will find this book to be useful and provocative. Inspiring and practical, this book is a must-read for anyone with the heart and courage to lead.”— Valora Washington, CEO, Council for Professional Recognition

• PrefacePart I—Forming: Setting Up the Program and Yourself for SuccessChapter 1 Five Essential Leadership Competencies: You Heard It HereChapter 2 Smart Heart-to-Heart Leadership: Honoring Emotional IntelligenceChapter 3 Making Tough Decisions: The Art and Science of Decision MakingChapter 4 Leading on Purpose: The Road to Making a DifferencePart II—Storming: Identifying, Preventing, and Addressing Resistance to ChangeChapter 5 Getting Started: Wherever You Are Is the Place to BeginChapter 6 Partnering with ChangeChapter 7 Preventing Legal Issues: Policies and ProceduresChapter 8 Creating a Community of Problem Solvers: Winners, Not WhinersPart III—Norming: Establishing Management SystemsChapter 9 Supervision and Staff Development: Social EQ in ActionChapter 10 Financial Management: Holding the Purse StringsChapter 11 Do No Harm: Building Safe, Sustainable, Healthy Learning EnvironmentsChapter 12 Curriculum Choices: Roots and WingsChapter 13 Marketing and Development: If You Build It, They Will ComePart IV—Performing: Putting Principles into PracticeChapter 14 Every Child’s Family: Building PartnershipsChapter 15 Quest for Quality: Professionalism Isn’t Just a 15-Letter WordPart V—Re-Forming: Renewing, Refreshing, Dreaming of What Might BeChapter 16 Leadership Principles to Take with You: Learning to Love the Questions