In this opening case we feature a highly successful African-American woman who founded a nonprofit organization to develop leadership skills in public schools. Lorraine Monroe was the principal of Harlem's Frederick Douglass Academy from 1991 to 1997. When Monroe started the new high school, the goal was to create a special college preparatory high school. The prior school was well known for its violence, its poor attendance, and its persistently low level of academic achievement. Within five years, student test scores ranked among New York City's best, and 96 percent of the school's graduates went on to college. How did she turn an inner-city school around? Through great leadership. Monroe restored order and discipline primarily through her "Twelve Non-Negotiable Rules," which are based on respect for oneself, for one's associates, and for property. In order to develop school administrators' leadership skills, she founded the School Leadership Academy at the Center for Educational Innovation in 1997. She went on to found the Lorraine Monroe Leadership Institute (LMLI) in July 2001. She is its director and continues to consult to develop leaders. The Mission of LMLI is to develop and support public school leaders who view solid education as a necessity for transforming children's lives and who are committed to leading consistently high-achieving schools where all students, beginning with kindergarten, are prepared to enter and graduate from college. The Lorraine Monroe Leadership Institute impacts over 17,000 students in the United States. The work of Dr. Monroe and the Frederick Douglass Academy has been featured on 60 Minutes, Tony Brown's Journal, and The McCreary Report; in Ebony Magazine, The New York Times, Reader's Digest, Parade Magazine, Fast Company Magazine; and in her book Nothing's Impossible: Leadership Lessons from Inside and Outside the Classroom.1

Opening Case Questions:

1. What Big Five personality traits does Lorraine Monroe possess?

2. Which traits of effective leaders does Lorraine Monroe possess?

3. Does Lorraine Monroe have the personality profile of an effective leader? And what does she say in response to businesspeople who continually ask her, "What makes a good leader"?

4. How did "attitude" help change the performance of Frederick Douglass Academy?

5. How did Lorraine Monroe's self-concept affect her leadership?

6. What role did ethics play in changing the performance of Frederick Douglass Academy? Can you answer any of these questions? You'll find answers to these questions and learn more about LMLI and its leadership throughout the chapter. To learn more about Lorraine Monroe and LMLI, visit LMLI's Web site at http://www.lorrainemonroe.com.