In this book, Dr. Davis discusses how leaders experience many failures over their careers and create false narratives about themselves. Because of this narrative that has been formed on the inside, it becomes very difficult for leaders to create and maintain a positive school or office climate. Through personal reflections and concrete examples from his 32 years in public education, Dr. Davis shares his research on 15 leadership characteristics that promote psychological safety in the workplace. When leaders demonstrate these characteristics on a regular basis, they are modeling leadership maturity - a phrase coined by Dr. Davis as a leader who understands that every action impacts the culture of the people they lead. Leadership maturity is ultimately about modeling a comfort for your purpose rather than a validation of your title.

About the Author

Dr. Eric Davis serves as Chief of Administration for Harford County Public Schools, where he oversees all operational departments and is responsible for implementing customer service and community outreach initiatives on behalf of the district. Dr. Davis’ experience is broad and deep – over 32 years in public education, he has held strategic leadership positions from building to district levels, across both rural and urban school districts.

Throughout his career, Dr. Davis has always expressed an abiding passion for family and community engagement. In 2010, he wrote the widely acclaimed and popular book … I hear you knocking – but you can’t come in! A framework for creating a welcoming environment in schools, which has been leveraged by schools across the nation in support of progressive school partnerships. As the former Director of Family Engagement for Montgomery County Public Schools (the 14th largest district in the U.S.), Dr. Davis has extensive experience in collaborating with hundreds of educational leaders and family-facing professionals to advance fair and equitable family engagement strategies that are directly tied to increasing student achievement.

As a speaker in high demand, Dr. Davis has presented at numerous district, state, and national conferences on how we may best initiate policies and practices that bring all families into the educational fold. He is widely considered to be an expert practitioner in the field, judging by the consensus of this peers. In January 2023, he will be releasing his new print and audio book entitled Leadership Maturity – Creating a Culture through Introspection and Reflection. This promises to be an up-to-date, essential resource for aspiring and current leaders to enhance their effectiveness and, most importantly, to enhance students’ success in an intentional manner.

In his spare time, Eric loves fitness. A former aerobics instructor, he enjoys getting his audiences up and moving during his animated presentations. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees, respectively, in Educational Leadership from the University of Lynchburg, as well as a doctoral degree in Education from Liberty University.