Leadership Style Of A School Administrator Influences The School Environment

Throughout this entire course we have learned many concepts and strategies to synthesize and use leadership as a means of working in a group setting. These concepts allowed us to learn not only how to lead other

On that note, it is the responsibility of the principals and all school administrators to advance educational systems and provide positive changes for their students.

Abstract: There are numerous definitions of leadership, all of which contain elements related to people (the leader and the follower(s)), communicating in person or by the written word, actions (organizing, directing, coaching, and/or motivating), and for a purpose (meeting a goal(s) or accomplishing a task(s)) (ADP 6-22) (Fisher 2015) (Bolden 2013) (Hogan 2005). Additionally, everything done occurs within a given context. Effective leaders are poised, proficient, pertinent, and practical in the application of the art of leadership. This means leaders are ready to engage the group with effective methods and

The staff within this organization is seasoned which reflects the style of the democratic style leader. For the younger staff, the leader utilizes a more authoritative approach and provides direction and support. Throughout the organization, retention is strong and the school experiences very little turnover. The leader is seen as a hand’s on leader who seeks input from others during the decision making process. That said the leader makes the final decision. During the work week communication to all staff is distributed to inform the group of a variety of topics, with group discussion of those topics identified take place mid week. This inclusion creates an environment of trust and motivation within the group. (Cherry, K. 2016).

Leadership is venturing out into unknown territories and making new pathways, using knowledge, experience and wisdom to motivate followers to accomplish a shared vision. My leadership hall of fame showed me that leadership style dominates my Hall of Fame list. The three words most prevalent on my list were dependable, conscientious, and trustworthy. My list included mainly teachers and coaches from my youth and the main reason they are the ones that come to mind has to do with the relationships that were built. I am still in contact with two of my former teachers and enjoy and learn from our conversations. In a study by Andrew W. Halpin, he states “effective or desirable leadership behavior is characterized by high ratings on both Initiating Structure and Consideration” (Wren, 1995, p. 146). Structure has to do with the task at hand and consideration deals with relationships. I believe relationships in education are a strong characteristic need for team building.

... the success record in education is still. not encouraging; in fact, the way most

When school leaders communicate effectively, and allow for collaboration students learn, parents and community members understand and support what the school is doing. In order for the process of teaching and learning to move forward or to evoke change school leaders must be effective communicators, by being articulate, and having a shared vison with their staff. School leaders have the ability to impact the school culture, and student achievement through their setting the teaching and learning conditions in their school.

Through StuCo, I was given many opportunities to attend various leadership programs, the most noteworthy being the BASIC Leadership Workshop sponsored by the Oklahoma Association of Student Councils. At BASIC, I learned how to be the most efficient leader I could be through performing group tasks and solving problematic situations, including creating a hypothetical school with its own song and chant and addressing the struggles of student involvement in the form of a skit. I was trained to apply the concept of consensus to group decision-making by listening to and considering everyone’s ideas and reaching a solution through discussion. I was introduced to new ways to promote school spirit and unity within my own school through pep rally activities, class competitions, and service projects. I was also taught skills for success in life, such as setting goals, dealing with obstacles, and staying motivated. It was an unforgettable week full of friendships, positivity, and self-improvement—one of the best weeks of my

Building leaders are tasked with creating and sustaining a culture of learning. School culture is built through administrators stewarding a school vision. As an administrator, the vision is crucial to leading change. This living vision provides a focus and gives intentional direction to the organization. All stakeholders have to be involved in the developmental process, only then will stakeholders be vested. A principal has to articulate the vision through their actions and words. Leaders

In order to make a difference in schools, we must first assess our problem areas and determine which weaknesses need support in order to ultimately boost student achievement. West Middle School suffers from a lack of innovative and research-based teaching strategies. It is not uncommon to walk up and down the halls and observe students sitting in straight rows and working on decade-old worksheets or drowning in the traditional lecture setting. This problem is compacted by our current administrator, who regularly demonstrates a Laissez-Faire leadership style. He tends to be hands off and trusts that his staff is making the best possible decisions they can for the students they serve. However, our achievement data and school culture are suffering as a result of this “status quo is dandy” approach. Administrators are becoming less managerial, and alternatively are required to take on a more significant role of instructional leaders. An instructional leader would serve West well. In order to make a real difference in my school, I need to possess teacher-leader traits that are grounded in leadership research, as I strive to inspire and direct action of my colleagues during times of change

After tallying up the responses and reflecting on the interpretations of my findings, I was somewhat surprised to learn that my directive and collaborative approach to supervision was equal at 40% each and my nondirective approach was much less than I would have desired at 20%. My initial amazement comes from the fact that I typically learn and grow best in collaborative and nondirective settings, and I believe most students, educators and others in different fields do as well. These are the types of learning environments that I fostered as a classroom teacher and continue to do in my current role as a Library Media Specialist. Most of my professional growth and inspiration to become a leader is attributed to working in environments where leaders were open to ideas, trusting, caring and transparent and to think that my beliefs and practices may not be parallel is a bit startling. However, this inventory has encouraged me to deeply reflect on the bases of my beliefs and provided me with a different frame of self-awareness that will be beneficial as I move into my role as a school leader.

Continuous Improvement The current data is what drives continuous school improvement. Leaders must look at the school's programs using the key questions. Leaders should answer the questions as honest as possible to get the most out of it. Once a school determines where they are they can decide what is going to get them to where they want to be. Assessment data, and school processes need to be reviewed to answer they key questions effectively.

“While many school leaders focus on improvement, sustaining such improvement is their main challenge (Muijs et al., 2004).” According to standard ten of the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (2015), school leaders are to seek continuous improvement for students, families, staff, and the community. School leaders must use the data from previous years and the current year to determine specific areas of improvement that are needed to sustain or exceed previous success rates for all stakeholders. “A school may be seen as effective today but fail to move to the next level. This is because sustainability is a continuous process (Crowther, 2011), and not a once-off event.” Administrators must also engage themselves and

& Curtis, K. (n.d.). The Art of Leadership. 5th edition. McGraw Hill Education. 15-98. Retrieved from https://www.betheluniversityonline.net/cps/default.aspx?SectionID=4868&tabid=154#3

According to our textbook, “leadership is an influence relationship among leaders and followers who intend real changes and outcomes that reflect their shared purposes” (Daft, 2014, pg. 5). In another word, leadership is not defined by what one individual does, but as the ability to form an alliance, motivate, empowered, coach, and to build relationship with others. Leadership is a set of skills that leaders can practice over time. In addition, there are different leadership perspectives one can develop in order to become an effective leader. Furthermore, there are a number of leadership styles leaders can adapt to. Among them are micromanaging, coaching, democratic, delegating, and many more. All these leadership styles can be added to a