"It's all about the conversation, and Jennifer Abrams is a master of that! In Swimming in the Deep End, Abrams focuses on the leadership skills necessary to dive into any initiative and gives readers all of the talking points they need to help them negotiate the uncharted waters."
--Peter DeWitt, author and educational consultant, New York
"Reading Swimming in the Deep End felt like having a coaching conversation with the author. Her honest, funny, and direct writing style was engaging and made me feel confident about planning for and executing change of any magnitude.
Swimming in the Deep End begins with reflective questions for four areas of change: thinking before you speak, preempting resistance, responding to resistance, and managing oneself through change and resistance. The book includes one chapter for each of these topics, and the chapters include a section related to each question. The organization made it very easy to personalize my reading experience, focusing on the sections where I, as a leader, have the most opportunity to grow.
Swimming in the Deep End includes a chapter about managing oneself through change and resistance. This sets Jennifer's approach to change apart from others' by helping us be mindful of and deliberately planning for our health and wellness while leading a change. She prompts us to identify relationships that will support us in leading change, expressing gratitude, living with a growth mindset, laughter, seeking inspiration, and giving back. I feel like Jennifer wrote this chapter just for me as a reminder to plan for self-care; to be an effective leader, I need to be emotionally and physically healthy."
--Barb Novak, literacy consultant, Wisconsin
"Graduate school doesn't teach leaders these necessary skills. Swimming in the Deep End helps any leader (aspiring, new, or veteran) keep his or her head above water while swimming through the change process with fellow educators.
Jennifer has done it again! Her latest book gives you the confidence and direction to dive in wearing a life jacket of leadership skills, to swim in the deep end of change and keep you healthy and happy as you lead staff in a positive direction.
The book provides practical advice to confidently prepare for the many aspects of change: socially, psychologically, and cognitively. Readers will benefit from an enormous amount of online resources providing needed support for leaders. I look forward to attending a professional learning session on the book with Jennifer."
--Kyle Rhoads, education author and principal, Windham Primary School, Maine
