The Cow Thief: A Narrative Analysis

Narrative Summary This episode demonstrates the mindfulness that one must have when facing judgment decisions. The complexities of decision-making and leadership require a continuous cycle of synthesis and analysis. From the onset the stakeholders are bombarded with information that is both meaningful and irrelevant. Synthesis begins as the thoughtful leader needs to first find the true issue, which in the case of “The Cow Thief” was a cow thief. The more difficult task is gathering meaningful data and dismissing irrelevant information. The skill of that task is seen when Andy looks beyond the obvious data and finds the information hidden in the footprints. This can be paralleled by school leaders that seek to improve capacity, but then fails only to realize that the collective efficacy of the school is poor or there is a structural problem that hinders the capacity. Once the data has been identified as meaningful it is then useful to see what the data says in context to the problem. The analysis begins here but raises more questions that begin the cycle again with synthesis. Only through praxis can leaders really have a true understanding of the decision making process and consider all the alternatives that exist. Andy is perfect example …show more content…
One most notable aspects of this problem was the political aspect. The town mayor from the beginning saw this problem as a threat to his standing. He was very emotional and crass and often showed absolute ignorance and lack of leadership skill. He set time demands on the decision that made the process more difficult and politicalized it more by bringing in the interloper. In school leadership this politics often begins with the parents of the school children and can be as irrational and emotionally charged as the mayor. This sometimes calls for tough decisions but as we see in the show, tough decisions, if right can make the organization

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