Dynamic Leadership
Essential Questions
● What are the characteristics of
admired leaders?
● What does it mean to be a learning
leader?
● How are connected and total leaders
similar? Different?
● What kinds of leaders do we need in
schools today?
● What does a total leader do?
● How do/can teachers lead?
As time is spent
considering the essential questions related to what a leader is and what
leadership is needed in schools, I found myself first reflecting on the many
definitions given to the word: leader.
Even now, it feels heavy and a bit righteous in relation to the work of
an educator, but it is absolutely essential that we as educators keep that word
and all of its connotations in mind as we proceed with our practice every
day. I myself am still trying to define
what it means to me to be a leader in education. Does it mean I have to change the
system? Am I responsible for producing
learned students? Is it enough to change
just one life, each [year, week, day]?
If I am working from my own definition, “Leadership is purpose driven
risk taking best characterized by removing roadblocks and leveraging strength
in pursuit of a common aim,” then the answer to my questions is yes.
After taking the
“Admired Leaders”[1]
survey, the seven values/traits I identified as priorities to me were:
intelligent, supportive, cooperative, imaginative, courageous, having
integrity, and competent. What I found
interesting was that when I delved further into the core values and professional
roles of the Total Leader [2],
the values I chose were actually a mix of the five pillars of Total Leader
framework. Two are Visionary Leader
qualities, two are Quality Leader, and there is one each from Relational,
Service and Authentic Leader qualities.
Although I appreciate the simplicity of Kouze and Posner’s Exemplary
Leaders[3],
it feels more like a step-by-step path than the foundation the TL framework
provides. One similarity between the two
is the underlying need for authenticity. A ‘Total Leader” can only be effective
if their integrity is palpable. I think
a key factor in effective leadership, found in both examples, lies in the need
to work with people and seek resources that help to fill in any leadership gaps
any one person might have.
For instance,
after watching Ben Zander’s TED Talk[4], I found the gaps that have
occurred my whole leadership life. I get
ideas or vision and because I have very little fear of change or being
uncomfortable, I immediately set wheels in motion to plan and implement whatever
I am aiming to do. What I learned from
Ben Zander, as he talked about the C note being there just to make the B note
sad, which helps those not into classical music to better relate to it, it
clicked what’s been missing in my leading.
Like Mr. Zander, I have passion for what I do and I don’t doubt the
ideas, but what I often fail to do is provide relatability and comfort for
those who aren’t inside my head or are uncomfortable with change. [5] I need to take the time to help others feel
good about an idea and understand it enough not to fear it, and then I will
have the momentum, support and collegiality that I need to be successful in new
endeavors.
Adding all of the
theoretical leadership, it began to feel like I would never get to a common
understanding of leadership, let alone find the right way to put it into
educational context. “Leadership
rhetoric,” which I know is important to consider, is entirely different in
education because in business leadership, there are key motivators that are, at
best, theoretical in education, especially to students. Also, we rarely have the luxury in education
to implement real change based on the world/US view of education- the lack of
value ($) put into education. The world
wants us to improve education from within, but it’s not willing to invest in
that improvement. The idea of a “
bounded Community of Practice or Inquiry (CoP)[6] connection and collaboration
helps in that at least schools, educators and students are there for each
other.
One idea for how
teachers could or should lead might be the better real-world connections we can
foster (as encouraged in The Connected Learner, and in Project Based
Learning), by bringing in experts, encouraging interviews, requiring work or
service learning. It helps the community
invest in a school and it helps students invest in their own learning, makes
them more likely to be change leaders in their place and time in life.
Ultimately, the
best phrase I read this week was, “Who you are is how you lead.”[7] This fit well with the ideas behind
Transformational Leaders, which I think might be most effective in schools
where, “Leaders have a clear vision, walk the walk, set and maintain high
standards.”[8] The fast pace of a school day is still based
in a time and place that is no longer relevant, the Industrial Age. What we need is change leadership that can
dissolve long-standing process and mindsets in order to a) put students first,
and b) prepare students to be truly lifelong learners. Since this is a daunting prospect,
formulating a collective knowledge, sharing a common language, and nurturing
ideas based in diversity and broad perspectives might make the seemingly
impossible task plausible. Educators can
lead if we leverage the strength that comes with such a passionate, intelligent
population combining dynamic forces for the ever-changing future.
[1] Kouze, JM. "The Leadership Challenge.pdf -
Leader Presence." 2008. <http://www.leaderpresence.com/resources/The%20Leadership%20Challenge.pdf>
[4] "Benjamin Zander: The transformative power of
... - YouTube." 2008. 12 Jun. 2015 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9LCwI5iErE>
[5] "Benjamin Zander: The transformative power of
classical ..." 2008. 11 Jun. 2015 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9LCwI5iErE>
[6]
Nussbaum-Beach, Sheryl; Ritter Hall, Lani (2011-11-01). The Connected
Educator: Learning and Leading in a Digital Age (Kindle Locations 1023-1024).
Ingram Distribution. Kindle Edition.
[7] Schwahn, Charles J.; Spady, William G. (2010-04-16).
Total Leaders 2.0: Leading in the Age of Empowerment (p. 89). R&L
Education. Kindle Edition.
[8] "Transformational Leadership - Mind Tools."
2013. 11 Jun. 2015 <http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/transformational-leadership.htm>
This was an EPIC and outstanding first post. I love how you were able to connect the dots between all the readings and exercises. You are just where you need to be - there is no "one" definition of leadership especially within educational contexts. However, as you discovered, there are frameworks that can help us get a better picture of a very complex concept. No one framework will work for everyone but I like how you were able to see the pieces of each framework in terms of how they relate to your leadership style and practice. Bravo!! This is exactly the level of depth and connection I was hoping for. You went way beyond summarizing to synthesis and integration. :)
ReplyDeleteAs I read your blog post, I realized just how opposite we are on the leadership spectrum. It made me realize why I am always so impressed with what you write: it is because you say and feel things that I would never even think of. You wrote: "I have passion for what I do and I don’t doubt the ideas, but what I often fail to do is provide relatability and comfort for those who aren’t inside my head or are uncomfortable with change." You once called me insightful and I took that to be a very nice compliment. Insightful has become my new favorite way to think of myself. I would like to return the favor by saying that the statement that I quoted above from your blog post was incredibly insightful. It is not always easy to see our own shortcomings as a leader but you seem to be owning it (or at least acknowledging it) here. In Total Leaders 2.0, Schwahn and Spady wrote, "This dimension (of Figure 4.2) is about identifying what the job is, describing what successful implementation would look like, and putting in place the skills and resources to get it done. It's basic nature is rational, technical, and achievement oriented." I feel like you are especially strong in these areas and this is where I could learn a lot from you. Conversely, I am that person who is uncomfortable with change and this "self doubt" makes me hesitant to make changes. I don't see myself as a leader in the same way that I see you (or Chelsea) as leaders. I find myself to be less likely to come up with the big ideas for change but once the change is introduced, I think that I would be good at supporting those changes and relating to the people who are being asked to change. If we worked together in the same school, we would either compliment each other's style or I would totally get on your nerves. LOL!
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