THE ART OF

EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
BALANCING PERFORMANCE AND ACCOUNTABILTIY

Chapter 3
MENTAL PRISMS OF LEADERSHIP

Presented by
William Allan Kritsonis, PhD
The optical prism: the premise for mental leadership

In optics, a prism is a
transparent optical element with
a flat, polished surface that
refract light.

Prisms can be used to break up,

reflect or split light into various
components.
THE ART OF LEADERSHIP
 TACTILE VS. MENTAL

OPTICAL PRISM MENTAL PRISM

TRANSPARENT A LEADER IS SEEN BY HIS
ACTIONS
A LEADER MUST STICK TO
POLISHED HIS BELIEFS
A LEADER MUST HAVE
DIFFERENT SIDES
MULTI-DIMENTIONAL
DEPENDING ON THE
SITUATION
REFRACTIVE (HOW IT REALITY IS DISTORTED BY
DISTORTS LIGHT) A LEADERS SITUATIONAL
INTERPRETATION
 Diagrams are great because they
communicate more efficiently
than a bunch of text. But some
diagrams fail because of the
sloppy positioning of their
shapes.

A messy flowchart Positioning shapes on the page

and an orderly one expertly and neatly will not only
make your diagrams look good,
but will also help communicate
the information within them
more clearly.
Use the grid and the rulers

If a diagram contains many

shapes, it has the potential to get
cluttered. One way to fight the
clutter is to arrange shapes by
using the grid and the rulers.

When you first add shapes to the

page or position shapes, use the
grid lines to keep them straight. And
The grid and rulers
keep an eye on the grid to make
sure your shapes are evenly spaced.

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Use the grid and the rulers

The rulers are also invaluable. Use

them to see the exact distance
between shapes or to know just
how big a certain shape is.

By default, shapes snap to the

grid lines and the measurement
lines on the rulers. So you dont
The grid and rulers have to do fussy hand work to
position a shape: It puts itself
where you want it and then stays
there unless you move it.

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Follow the guides

Even more visible than the grid

lines are the guides: vertical or
horizontal lines that you can place
on a page.

You drag guides from a ruler, and

by default they appear blue, as in
the illustration.

Guides: another way

to keep things orderly

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Follow the guides

Guides help you organize your

diagrams according to their content.

For example, if you know that

your flowchart shows three
processes, you can evenly space
three vertical guides on the
page. Then you can position the
shapes running down each one.
Guides: another way
to keep things orderly

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Open the Size & Position window

Sometimes using a mouse to position or size

a shape can be difficult. What if Visio snaps
your shape to a location you dont want, or
you cant seem to let go of the mouse
button at the right time?

The cure for these woes and the key to

positioning shapes precisely is the Size &
Position window, and it is found on the
View menu.

The Size & Position

window with X and Y
coordinates

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Open the Size & Position window

The location of a shape is stated

in terms of X and Y coordinates:
The X coordinate is the
position on the horizontal ruler
at the top of the page.
The Y coordinate is the
The Size & Position position on the vertical ruler at
window with X and Y the left of the page.
coordinates
The point where these meet is
the shapes pin .

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Open the Size & Position window

To move the shape, type in new

numbers for the coordinates.
The shape will automatically
shift to that exact location.
To size the shape, type new
numbers for width and height. The
shape edges change to those
The Size & Position exact dimensions, while the shape
window with X and Y pin stays where it was before.
coordinates

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Command shapes to align themselves

The grid, rulers, and guides are

great when you create a diagram
in a planned, organized way. But
sometimes youll prefer to work
more freely and spontaneously,
organizing as you go.

So while youre working freehand

The Align Shapes or when youre finished, you can
command can be a tidy up your diagram by using the
real time saver. Align Shapes command on the
Shapes menu.

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Command shapes to align themselves

Align Shapes makes it simple

to line up your shapes: Select
the shape you want the others
to line up with, then click the
alignment option you want.
In the example you see here, a
vertical alignment button got
The Align Shapes these shapes in line. Its like a
command can be a
real time saver.
sheepdog for shapes.

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Distribute shapes evenly

You can use the grid, the rulers, and

guides to position shapes one by
one, but what if youve got dozens
of shapes in your diagram?

The Distribute Shapes command

on the Shapes menu will get you
home in time for dinner.
Space patrol: the
Distribute Shapes
command

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Distribute shapes evenly

Lets say youve got the shapes

you want on the page, but one
is too close to another, and
another is too far away.
The ideal arrangement is to
have an equal amount of space
between all the shapes.
Space patrol: the
Distribute Shapes
command

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Distribute shapes evenly

You can do this in three steps,

without any fussy mouse work:

1. Select three or more shapes.

2. On the Shapes menu, click
Distribute Shapes.
Space patrol: the 3. Choose a distribution option.
Distribute Shapes In this example, a horizontal
command distribution option evened
things out.

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Rotate shapes

Sometimes a shape is placed

right and sized right but still
needs one good turn.

For example, you might want to

rotate an arrow to point where it
Rotating 1-D and 2-D should. Or you might want turn
shapes a desk in an office layout to get
more light from a window.

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Rotate shapes

To rotate 2-D shapes, use the

green rotation handle . Just click
and drag the handle to the new
position.
To rotate 1-D shapes, click and
drag either the beginning point or
the ending point, swinging the
Rotating 1-D and 2-D shape around to where you want it.
shapes

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Flip shapes

And now for a different kind of rotation.

Sometimes you need to rotate a shape,
not by turning it around, but rather as if
you were turning it over, to create a
mirror-image reversed version.

This is called flipping a shape. Yes, just

like a pancake.

When rotating wont

do, simply flip.

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Flip shapes

You can flip shapes horizontally

or vertically.

1. When you flip a shape

horizontally, the flip action
occurs from side to side.
2. When you flip a shape
When rotating wont vertically, the flip action
do, simply flip. occurs from top to bottom.

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Suggestions for practice
1. Take a look at the practice diagram.

2. Use the rulers and create some guides.

3. Position shapes using the guides and grid.

4. Use the Size & Position window.

5. Try nudging a shape.

6. Align shapes and distribute spacing.

7. Rotate shapes and flip a shape.

Online practice (requires Visio 2003)

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Test 1, question 1
How do you access the Size & Position
window? (Pick one answer.)

1. Select a shape, and then double-click the

Width or Height value in the status bar at the
bottom of the program.

2. On the Shape menu, click Size & Position

Window.

3. On the View menu, click Shapes Window.

4. On the View menu, click Size & Position

Window.

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Test 1, question 1: Answer

On the View menu, click Size & Position Window.

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Test 1, question 2
Suppose you have a shape of a house with a tree on
the left side. If you flipped the shape vertically, what
would the result look like? (Pick one answer.)

1. The house would be upside down, the roof

would be pointing down, and the tree would be
pointing down as well.

2. The house would be tipped sideways with the

roof and tree pointing to the left.

3. It would look the same, because flipping

returns the shape to the original position

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Test 1, question 2: Answer

The house would be upside down, the roof would be pointing

down, and the tree would be pointing down as well.

When you flip vertically, the shapes flip from top to

bottom or vice versa.

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
 Lesson 2

Stack shapes to relate

shapes
Stack shapes to relate
shapes
Sometimes the position of
shapes isnt enough to convey a
relationship. Additional visual
information is required.

This network diagram contains

shapes placed under and on top
of each other in a particular
stacking order. Using stacking
Relationships become
clearer when you use order the right way can make
stacking order. complex relationships easier to
understand in your diagrams.

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
How shapes stack up

Take a look at the illustration, and the

concept of stacking order will be more
clear to you.

Although youll never see stacked shapes

from the side in Visio, imagining them like
this helps you get the picture.

Shapes viewed from

the side to show
stacking order

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
How shapes stack up

By default, Visio puts shapes in a

stacking order as you add them to
the page. The rule to remember for
how Visio establishes the stacking
order is: The last one wins.

What that means is, the last

shape you place on the page is
the highest in the stacking
Shapes viewed from order.
the side to show
stacking order

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
How shapes stack up

But this rule doesnt always work to

your advantage. For example, what
if you added the computer, and
then added the circle? The circle
would hide the computer, and
thats no help.

Obviously, knowing how to

change the stacking order will
Shapes viewed from
help tremendously.
the side to show
stacking order

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
How to change the stacking order

To change a shapes position in

the stacking order, select the
shape, and then point to Order
on the Shape menu.

Youll see four options. Bring to

Front or Send to Back moves
Changing the stacking a shape all the way in the
order for a shape stacking order.

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
How to change the stacking order

If your stacking order includes

many shapes, however, you
may not want a shape to go all
the way to the front or back of
the order.
In that case, you can move the
shape forward or backward a
Changing the stacking
step at a time, by choosing
order for a shape either Send Forward or Send
Backward.

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Suggestions for practice

1. Take a look at the practice diagram.

2. Add the rectangle and change its stacking order.

3. Add the circles and change the stacking order in other ways.

4. Connect the Accounting and Sales circles.

Online practice (requires Visio 2003)

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Test 2, question 1
Why might you want to specify a stacking
order for shapes? (Pick one answer.)

1. To show a sideways view of how boxes are

stacked in a storeroom.

2. To show relationships by placing shapes in

front of or behind each other.

3. So that you can number shapes in specific

sequence.

4. So that you can arrange the shapes in an

even and orderly fashion.
Expertly position, stack, and group
shapes
Test 2, question 1: Answer

To show relationships by placing shapes in front of or behind

each other.

Stacking order lets you indicate which shapes belong

logically with other shapes, and makes separate
categories visually distinct.

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Test 2, question 2

How do you move a shape to the back of

the order? (Pick one answer.)

1. On the Shape menu, click Lay Out Shapes, and

then click Shallow or Deep for the Depth option.

2. On the Shape menu, point to Order, and then

click Send to Back.

3. On the Format menu, click Behavior, and then

click Send to Back.

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Test 2, question 2: Answer

On the Shape menu, point to Order, and then click Send to

Back.

You can also right-click a shape and follow this same process. After
right-clicking the shape, click Shape on the shortcut menu. Then point
to Order, and then click Send to Back. But here's one more tip: The
keyboard shortcut is CTRL+SHIFT+B.

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Test 2, question 3
You add a square to the page, then a circle, and
then a triangle. Which shape will be on the top
of the stacking order? (Pick one answer.)

1. The square; since it was added first, it wins.

2. The triangle; since it was added last, it wins.

3. The circle; because it doesnt have any corners, it

wins.

4. The smallest shape; because it mustnt be

covered, it wins.

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Test 2, question 3: Answer

The triangle; since it was added last, it wins.

The triangle will be on top in the stacking order.

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
 Lesson 3

Group shapes together

How to group shapes together

Suppose youve made a map

with several buildings clustered
together. But oopsThe cluster
of buildings is on the wrong
street. You need to move all
the buildings down one block.

You could select each one and

To move all the move it down separately. Or
buildings, group them more efficientlyyou could
first. group the buildings so that the
cluster stays bound together,
and move them all at once.
Expertly position, stack, and group
shapes
Select, then group

The first step in grouping shapes is to

select the shapes.

You can do this by holding down the

SHIFT key while you click them, or by
dragging a selection net around them.

Grouping shapes

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Select, then group

When youve got the shapes

selected, click Group on the
Shape menu. Thats it: The
shapes are now grouped.
You can do anything to a group of
shapes that you can do to a single
shape: resize, rotate, align it with
others, and so on. Visio treats a
Grouping shapes group as one big 2-D shape.

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Change just one shape within a group

Even after youve grouped shapes, you

can still edit just one of the shapes in the
group.

1. Click the group to select it.

2. Click again to select a shape within

the group.
Selecting a shape
within a group

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Change just one shape within a group

When one shape is selected, it

appears with green handles, but
these handles have Xs in them.
This is a signal that the shape
you selected is part of a group.

Now you can change that one

Selecting a shape shape any way youd like.
within a group

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Ungroup shapes

Sometimes you need to ungroup

a group of shapes. The process
is simple:

1. Select the shape.

2. On the Shape menu, point to

Grouping, and then click Ungroup.

Ungrouping shapes

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Shapes that are grouped from the start

You might have worked with

grouped shapes without knowing
it: Many of the shapes in Visio
are actually groups already.

How did the shapes get grouped?

Designers made each shape by
hand, and then grouped the
Many Visio shapes,
shapes to make them easier for
like this factory
shape, are grouped you to work with.
from the get-go.

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Shapes that are grouped from the start

This factory shape is a perfect

example.
1. This is what the factory shape
looks like when you put it on
the page.
2. But if you ungroup it, youll
Many Visio shapes, find its actually a group of
like this factory several component shapes.
shape, are grouped
from the get-go.

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Suggestions for practice

1. Examine the practice diagram.

2. Select and group houses.

3. Select and group cars.

4. Change a single shape in a group.

5. Ungroup shapes.

6. Take a look at a shape that was grouped for you.

Online practice (requires Visio 2003)

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Test 3, question 1

Which of the following is a reason why you would

group shapes together? (Pick one answer.)

1. To move or resize several shapes as one.

2. To make particular changes to each shape on

the page.

3. To connect several shapes with arrows.

4. To save shapes for later use.

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Test 3, question 1: Answer

To move or resize several shapes as one.

Grouping is useful when you need to modify several

shapes as one.

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Test 3, question 2

True or False: Every shape in Visio is

actually a group. (Pick one answer.)

1. True.

2. False.

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Test 3, question 2: Answer

False.

Although many shapes are complex and are actually many shapes
grouped together as one, this is not always the case. Some shapes
consist only of one shape. One shape is not a group.

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Test 3, question 3

You might ungroup shapes when you needed to

do which of the following? (Pick one answer.)

1. Make a simple change to one shape within the

group.

2. Add text to the group.

3. Connect the group of shapes with a line.

4. Move one shape independently from the others in

the group.

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Test 3, question 3: Answer

Move one shape independently from the others in the group.

You would also ungroup shapes if you need to make

extensive changes to one of the shapes.

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes
Quick Reference Card

For a summary of the tasks covered in this course,

view the Quick Reference Card.

Expertly position, stack, and group

shapes