About the Author

Who is Perry Wiseman?

Hello everyone! My name is Perry Wiseman and I only recently started sharing some of my writing within this world everyone calls blogging. Not only is it a great forum for networking and sharing my thoughts, but it also a tool I can use to get some ideas out of my head and onto paper.

It all started in August of 2008 when I had the fond opportunity to open a new middle school in a large, urban district located in Southern California. All of this while raising a young family and wrapping up the coursework/dissertation for my doctorate in organizational leadership from the University of La Verne, California. Talk about perfect timing; a chance to move many of my learnings to practice.

As I completed many of the typical duties in opening a school (e.g., hiring certificated and classified staff, communicating with district personnel, purchasing materials, furnishing the place, etc.), I saved the best “stuff” for last. What I mean by “stuff ” is the meat and potatoes of a successful school—the structures, systems, programs, vision, etc. I knew that if I wanted a committed staff then I knew that I had to involve them in the process. So I did.

Together we all participated in teambuilding events, community events, home visits, board presentation, and systems planning meetings—to name a few. Excitement was in the air. I thought to myself, “Hey, this organizational leadership material is making so much sense. It really does work.” Don’t get me wrong; there were definitely stumbling blocks along the way. But what’s leadership without them.

As time progressed I kept record of my experiences by writing down bits and pieces. This, in turn, led to the idea of writing a book. My friends, family, and colleagues thought I was crazy—especially my wife. I had just finished my coursework and dissertation, as well as opened a new school. My “honey-do” list was already a mile long. Maybe I was crazy.

Either way, one year later my book, Strong Schools, Strong Leaders, was completed and ready for submission to the publisher. Talk about some weight off my shoulders. I had already been communicating with a publisher prior to completing the entire project and their interest led to a book contract. They recently shared with me a release date of November 30, 2009, which is much sooner than the previously scheduled December 28, 2009.

Briefly speaking, the book shares four of the most critical “foundations” (e.g., listening to people and the environment, building agreements, co-creating purpose, and fostering effective teams) I believe school principals must attend to in order to build successful schools. Not only are each of these “foundations” explained in detail, but I also provide specific activities and processes to bring each of them into fruition.

Although the stories sprinkled throughout the book are from the perspective of a school leader, all of the ideas are parallel to leadership in general. This book would be insightful for anyone in a leadership position.

Why did I start blogging?

I shared earlier that blogging is a great vehicle for networking and solidifying new ideas. This was, in all honesty, not what originally led me to blogging. When my book was in its latter stages of publication I was spending a lot of time thinking about how to market it. When I Google’d “How to market your book?” the majority of the hits spoke of getting the word out online through blogging.

This is what initially got me here, yet I now see much more meaning in it. Of course selling more books would be great (smile). In the end my ultimate goals are two-fold:

1. I want to build a community filled various leaders from all over the world—creating a medium where everyone can tap into the strengths of others.
2. I also would like to continue my own writing, learn from others’ blogs and comments, and maybe write a few more books. Yeah, I guess they were right. I am crazy.

About my family

First and foremost, I am a dad and husband. I have three youngsters at home (Nick Tyler, Matthew Taylor, and Andrew Tanner). I know what you’re going to ask. Is it, “What’s the significance for the letter ‘T’ in their middle names?” Maybe you weren’t thinking that. Either way, the answer is no. My wife, Samantha, and I just thought they were fitting.

Nick is three and a half years old. He recently started pre-school and it is exciting to see him learn to write, recognize shapes, and listen to his teachers. What I can’t understand is, on the one hand, he listens so intently at pre-school, during swim lessons, and at his gym and, on the other hand, he doesn’t listen to anything we say at home. I guess that comes with the territory—his age and the fact that he is a Gemini.

Matthew, our second born, is almost two years old. He is just as cute as his older brother. Poor little guy was born on December 27, 2007. We have all heard of people getting the short end of the stick when their birthday falls so close to Christmas. It is true. In the end Matthew may end up being the tough guy out of the group. Nick prods him all day, every day.

Our last son is Andrew. One of my most memorable moments thus far as a father was when we brought Andrew home. Nick and Matthew held him so delicately, caressing his precious head. What a sight.

I am going to be dabbling with a another blog titled, Final Score: Boys 3 and Girls 0, that illustrates some of the odd, funny, and cute things my three boys do. If you want to check it out or subscribe to it, click on the title or here.

About my hobbies

I have a handful of hobbies that keep me occupied during my free time. Health has always been important to me. Throughout high school and college I kept active by playing sports, running, and working out with weights. Because my obligations with work and family are much greater than before I now just get to the gym 3-4 times per week. On workout days I typically wake up at 3:30 a.m. to have my first cup of coffee. After that morning “boost” I head to the local gym that opens at 4:30 a.m. Waking up this early was tough at first, but now it is not uncommon for my natural alarm clock to ring even on the weekends. This brings me to my second hobby.

This may sound cliché, but another hobby of mine is napping. After work, family, and waking up at the crack of dawn I am tired. Nothing can beat a refreshing 1-2 hour nap on the weekend. Of course before this can be possible everyone else in the house has to be napping.

The last hobby that I would like to share is reading nonfiction and writing about leadership. What is so ironic is the fact that in my younger years I considered these activities a chore. I guess that was why I chose to earn a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. It is interesting to see your likes and dislikes change over the years. I’m also a fan of broccoli now.

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