What would "How Stella Saved the Farm: Prologue" bring?

Thanks to the new school leader, the book "How Stella Saved the Farm" would be introduced as a professional learning materials... very timely... and really hope that it is going to spur the school to the next turning point (of the S curve). 

- I hope that it would re-ignite our passion and excitement and help us to leap far from where we are now

In my humble experience, anxiety, uncertainty and tsunami-like come-and-go action are part of the process as we rise above our status quo. 

Looking back, when the school first started, all of us came from different places. We brought with us our dreams and hopes, and probably somethings that we knew might not be easily attainable through the normal circumstances (i.e. mainstream context). At least, I did. There were things that were difficult to move quickly or tried in "set" contexts - which means introducing changes & new things to rock the status quo. 

One advantage to start a new context was from ground zero, there were no existing proven practices that we would hold tightly (because of its value, or because it had played an important part in our past, when we grew). At the same time, all of us came with our knowledge from the previous contexts that we were ready to value-add or choose to 'try again' - something we thought worked well and might help the new entity to grow? or ideas that we learnt from the past - to be carried differently. More importantly, we all knew that we were embarking a new beginning, and our energy level was hight. Strong visionary leadership was definitely a critical success criteria.

Now, to move on and leapfrog, compared to the beginning, would mean having to manage another element, which could be seen as an obstacle, indeed, sometimes. It's the "baggages" that we have created over these years as we grew to who we are today. It's scary! (Isn't it?) Now, with the established practices and what had proven to be working, and working well... They had brought us to where we are today. They are the ones that others (external) would probably recognise or know who we are because we had done it so well. So, are we going to drop them? What's the price that we would have to pay.

On another note, is there a price to pay if we just continue to hold on to these "baggages" tightly - including our practices? Yes, definitely... 

• we need to maintain our status quo to survive while others are catching up - as others surpass us, we are actually lagging behind as days go by, despite this 'maintenance' of effort. It is not sustainable
• when other move forward, they become responsive to the environment and changes around, and would have picked up the momentum as they move, gathering new knowledge and capabilities as they grow. On the other hand, if we were to remain in the 'maintenance' mode, to what extent are we responding to the new needs and new changes out there? An important question that we need to ask ourselves. However, the dilemma is, how to manage this "change" - the need to keep up with the pace (the change) yet not to lose what we are doing well and recognised for?

From Google Search... Bypass Strategy or Leap Frog strategy is defined as way to surpass or overthrow the superior competition in the business field by usually by engaging in one enormous, determined, ruthless, brilliant leap of mastermind that results in extraordinary growth, profit, and management position....

Hopefully, we could gather enough courage and sharpen our sensing - to move forward yet keeping true to what is uniquely us, uniquely our niche.