LEADERSHIP How to create and support educational leadership

LEADERSHIP How to create and support educational leadership in schools

Plan for session ■ We will identify and discuss some of the key characteristics of effective leadership ■ We will explore some differing approaches and styles to leadership and discuss their application ■ We will relate the concept of leadership and leadership styles to ourselves and to the current project

Considerations ■ Who do we perceive as being (will be) leaders in the current project?

Reflective Task Select a person you believe portrays effective leadership skills/styles. Think about this person for a few minutes: What characteristics does this person portray? Why do you perceive them as having an effective leadership style?

Characteristics of an effective leader ■ Reliable ■ Dependable ■ Systematic ■ Human principles ■ Intelligent ■ Experienced/knowledgeable ■ ■ Active Flexible ■ Realistic ■ Accurate ■ Self-confident /decisive ■ Personal – Charisma/confident – Objective – Creative/out of box ■ Management – Communication – Evidence based – Willing to work with broader community – Administrative and contextually aware ■ Managing workload/delegate ■ Merciful/understanding ■ Firm but kind ■ Affective

Autocratic ■ Domineering ■ Emphasis on control and power ■ Close-minded ■ Can work from afar ■ Makes all decisions ■ Emphasis on obedience, loyalty, and following the rules ■ Ensure decisions have been carried out as requested ■ Emphasis on punishment, threat, demands, rules

Democratic ■ Emphasis on collective decision-making, active participation and distribution of power ■ Offer choices and support ■ Reflects democratic principles and processes including inclusion, equality, fairness and participation. ■ Empower and involve others ■ Autonomy

Task ■ Consider times when you may need to adopt a democratic style? ■ Consider times when you may need to adopt an autocratic style?

Activity ■ Assign each group a leadership style ■ Read the descriptions of some different leadership styles ■ Discuss each of the leadership styles and identify: – Pros and Cons of this style – Can you provide any examples of people who portray this leadership style?

Charismatic ■ Leaders with a special charm or appeal, popular ■ Strong communicator and performer, ability to inspire others ■ Can vary depending on culture and gender: Humility, compassion, endurance…… ■ part hero part… superman/superwoman ■ Examples? Pros/Cons?

Managerial ■ More authoritative approach: more top down relationships ■ Focus on targets and goals ■ Control and performance are key ■ Decisions are functional; running the school is main priority ■ Examples? Pros/Cons?

Transactional ■ Both the leader and team gain from the process: ‘transaction’ ■ Priority placed on targets & performance to motivate ■ Use of rewards (positive) or punishment (negative) ■ Promotion or resources used to encourage people: self interest/gain can take over (Yang Jen-Te, 2007; Nanjundeswaraswamy & Swamy, 2014) Examples? Pros/Cons?

Transformational Priority placed on: – Modelling the way: integrity, honesty – A shared vision and creates shared dreams – Challenge the way of doing things – Empowers others – Focuses on peoples feelings (the heart) – Changes motivations and values – Focuses on peoples needs – Has charisma ■ Responds to environment and change ■ Get people to ‘buy-in’ to their vision rather than force them ■ Trust Examples? Pros/Cons?

Relational ■ Dialogue and encourage others to dialogue ■ Respect for others ■ Care for others and their best interests ■ Forming collaborative learning organisations ■ A ‘way of being’; ‘in’ leadership: awareness and responsive (Giles & Palmer, 2015) ■ Examples? Pros/Cons?

Distributive ■ Shared approach to leadership: multiple leaders within a group (Mehra et al. , 2006). ■ Sharing of power ■ More team and collaborative approach to leadership ■ Trust in each other is very important (Barry, 1991) ■ Examples? Pros/Cons?

Pedagogical/instructional leadership ■ Focus on setting clear educational goals ■ Focus on curriculum planning ■ Focus on teaching and learning and students outcomes

Considerations ■ Who do we perceive will be leaders in the current project? ■ Describe the leadership style currently evident in most schools? ■ Next: How can we change this, if needed?

The conditions for leadership ■ Consider the conditions that are required for the appropriate leadership styles to flourish in the current project: – What are these conditions? – What can we do to help create these conditions?

Conditions for leadership

Scenarios ■ In groups read the following scenarios – Identify the issue/problem – What ideally needs to change? – What leadership approaches could you draw on to solve/address this issue? – What conditions are needed to address this issue? How can these conditions be created? – How could you encourage the person/people to adopt a different leadership style if needed? – Feedback to the larger group

Feedback ■ Scenario 1 1. The problem; leader is not systematic, no plan, cannot determine priorities The solution; determine problem at first, draft priorities, appreciate input and ideas of the group, empower teachers to research problem, 2. 3. Not a leader at the beginning – manager Priorities – leader needs to be decisive Teachers vote to choose to decide problem – democratic - Setting rules

Reflective Task Think about yourself and your own leadership style. Identify the differing leadership characteristics you believe you possess. Looking at these, where would you position yourself in terms of the above leadership styles? Where/how could you improve? Does your style support the work of the current project and your work with teachers? If not, what can you change?

Effective leaders always lead from the front – Is this true? – When does a leader need to lead from the front? – When do they need to lead from within the group? – How can a person still show leadership from within the group?

■ “It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership. ” (Nelson Mandela)

■Great leaders don’t set out to be a leader…. . they set out to make a difference. Its never about the role – always about the goal

■ ‘There is no one-size-fits -all solution, but the choice of the most appropriate leadership style is relative to the specific innovation goals to achieve’ (Kesting et al. 2015, p. 35)

One Final Question to Consider ■ Who are the leaders in this project?

Identify key learning from this session