Articulating The Importance Of Leadership On School - Essay Example

Articulating The Importance Of Leadership On School Introduction Having power and a title does not qualify you to be a leader. Leaders are supposed to motivate those who follow them to set standards that are high and attainable to help realize product outcomes successfully. Most schools have higher roles that demand for people who have the ability to portray leadership skills. It is a must for one to fulfill those roles in a confident and competent manner in order to comprehend what it takes to be a leader (Bass & Avolio, 2007). Most professional educators often find themselves working under several effective leaders. For instance, just like in the case of administrators, teachers should be able to set good examples even if they are not the leaders of their school. This is because they serve as the classroom leaders, and this is a very essential role (Chiappetta, 2004). This paper will illustrate traits that an educational leader should possess in order to establish and support a positive school community and culture. Traits of an Educational Leader An educational leader should have the ability to understand himself and develop sufficient self-confidence. Whenever a person develops believe in himself, he or she has the ability to fulfil many things. Those educational leaders who have self-confidence do not get scared or nervous when placed in a position that challenges them to make decisions. In this perspective, they should know how they are supposed to start each day to lead the school, the students as well as their fellow teachers. This way, they would be able to help them accomplish the desired goals of a classroom as well as the school (Chiappetta, 2004). A good educational leader should be in possession of excellent communication skills. It is not possible for a leader to head a particular group if he is unable to communicate with them. A good leader is able to reach a large number of people through various ways. For example, the principal may have a face-to-face conversation with his subordinates every week as well as send them email updates every day (Chiappetta, 2004). An education leader is supposed to be resourceful and open to new ideas. For example, with the improvement of technology and the prevailing economic times, educators should be open to new concepts for them to change the classroom or educational environment. Additionally, an educational leader should learn how to use the resources that available. A good leader does not just set his own way, but he uses the information available to him and applies to the future resources (Bass & Avolio, 2007). Most of the best leaders in an educational system ensure that they lead by example, and not simply by giving instructions. It is not possible for one to make the rules and dictate them while sitting on an ivory tower. This type of leadership at school to speak while using a kind tone, then he should make an effort and speak kindly to others as well. This method is an effective one in terms of helping students to learn life lessons (Bass & Avolio, 2007). Teachers should believe in the system that they are using to teach their students. In case the teacher does not believe that the students will understand what he is teaching, then everyone in the educational system is likely to fail. Therefore, educational leaders should have an inherent belief on the accomplishments that the school is trying to realize every day. In case the educational leader is not a believer, then the school suffers from low morale. This means that people do not get motivated if leaders do not believe that it is possible to make a change (Palestini, 2012). Though there are many different characteristics that dictate a good leader, a person who can embodies these traits can emerge as a good leader in a school setting. Regardless of whether the leader is a coach at a particular high school or a principal, these traits can be applied in a wide range of circumstances. Therefore, it is appropriate for one to understand that becoming a respectable leader should not be left to the administrators alone. As a result, it is appropriate for educational leaders to strive to emerge as the best leaders in their classrooms, and teach their students how to become effective future leaders (Palestini, 2012). Analyzing Traits and Improvement Mechanisms Based on the leadership traits for an educational leader, the author believes in his abilities to handle tasks and make decisions. The choices that he makes are based on self-assessment and those of others so as to ensure that he does not misdirect his followers. However, before accepting the suggestions that other people suggest, he evaluates them carefully to ensure that they are relevant to the ideas that he is willing to put across (Palestini, 2012). In order for the author to deliver appropriate content to his followers, he undertakes significant research to ensure that the points that he is willing to put across are in line with the expectations of the students. He always finds out new ways in which to approach a particular concept in order to make sure that his students are equipped with the relevant skills of approaching a particular task. He also guides his students on the relevant ways in which to cope with new ideologies of handling tasks that seem challenging to them (Bass & Avolio, 2007). However, though self-confidence plays a crucial role with respect to helping build an effective leader, the author portrays lack of self-confidence while handling particular tasks. For instance, in case a student presents a challenging task to him, he fails to address it on his own and seeks the assistance of other members of staff to help him with it. This has made most of his students to regard him as incompetent in the roles that have been assigned to him. To improve his self-confidence skills, the author makes adequate preparations before going to address a class in order to ensure that he can be able to handle almost all of the challenging tasks that his students present to him to solve (Palestini, 2012). With respect to communication skills, the author is incapable of participating in a crowd because he does not know how to address a large number of people. As a result, his colleagues at school look down on him since he does not talk with his colleagues frequently, and he only does so while making a request. To improve his communication skills, the author joins various group discussions that are held in meetings to air his views regarding particular topics (Chiappetta, 2004). This way, he has been able to understand the manner in which other people think and behave, and is therefore developing abilities that are enabling him to approach his colleagues when he wants to highlight a particular topic that interests him. Evaluating Traits against ISLLC Standards ISLLC standards are effective in terms of helping to address various leadership issues that prevail in an educational environment. These standards present high-priority themes which educational leaders should possess to ensure that their students excel. In line with ISLC standards, the author has developed a school culture as well as an instructional program that aims to address the needs of the students and professional members of staff to ensure that they realize significant growth in their career. The author is also effective in terms of ensuring that he manages the operations and resources of the learning environment in order to ensure that all the students realize their potential and succeed in the activities that they undertake (School Administration Publishing, 2013). Moreover, the author collaborates with other community and faculty members by responding to their needs and mobilizing the resources that they use to ensure that they address their needs effectively (Palestini, 2012). This way, the author has managed to improve the overall performance of the students, school administrators, and his colleagues. Conclusion From the paper, it is evident that becoming a leader is a task that demands one to perfect particular skills that can allow him or her to demonstrate professionalism in the tasks that activities that he engages in. A leader should not just believe in becoming a powerful person, but should focus on the ways in which he can help other people, regardless of the social setting to realize their goals and objectives successfully. References Bass, B. M., & Avolio, B. J. (2007). Improving Organizational Effectiveness Through Transformational Leadership. New York: Sage. Chiappetta, S. (2004). Framework for Leadership: Tools and Resource. New York: iUniverse. Palestini, R. (2012). A Commonsense Approach to Educational Leadership: Lessons from the Founders. Boston: R&L Education. School Administration Publishing. (2013). ISLLC Standards. Retrieved from http://www.schoolbriefing.com/isllc-standards/ Read More