My perspective on leadership has grown tremendously since entering the UNCC school administration program. Educational leadership is continually evolving, requiring those who pursue it to have a fluid definition of the term leadership. My definition of leadership is constantly developing due to past experiences, self-reflection, and being surrounded by some of the best educational leaders in North Carolina. Participating in the self narrative and you at your best activities were vital catalysts to my evolving definition of leadership and how I view myself as a leader. I feel my initial definition — leadership is influence — still reflects my beliefs of what encompasses a great leader. What has evolved from that definition is the way I define influence. I have learned that how, and to what extent, I influence those around me is the true measurement of a great leader. In an effort to build upon my leadership development, which will always be an ongoing process, my response to the following topics will help provide clarity to my leadership platform.
How will I effect organizational leadership? To be an effective organizational leader, I must be the primary catalyst for positive relationships in my school. This requires the right attitude to establish strong social relationships. Peter G. Northouse, a leadership consultant and author, states that “Leaders who show sociability are friendly, outgoing, courteous, tactful, and diplomatic… Sociable leaders have good
There are two kinds of people in this world, followers and leaders. Followers are the people that never take a leadership role in any activity. "They are more valued by followers and have higher performing teams." (Cherry 2014) However, leaders are the ones that use their leadership skills to make a difference in this world, such as presidents, teachers, or even college graduates. Leadership is not something you can learn from a book, but you have to gain this skill through experiences such as holding an office, organizing an event, speaking in front of people, or participating in a leadership program.
As a teacher-leader, I have been assigned a number of wide-ranging and important informal roles in my career thus far that have enabled me to support and contribute towards the success of not only my students, but also my department and my school as a whole. By assuming these diverse leadership roles, I have been able to develop professionally, improve student attainment, positively influence the teaching and learning practice of my peers and contribute towards the culture and ethos of the schools I have worked in.
Leadership is, and always has been, a vital aspect of social and economic constructs. It is essential to the survival of societies, industries, organizations, and virtually any group of individuals that come together for a common purpose. However, leadership is difficult to define in a single, definitive sense. As such, theories of leadership, what constitutes a great leader, and how leaders are made have evolved constantly throughout history, and still continue to change today in hopes of improving upon our understanding of leadership, its importance, and how it can be most effective in modern organizational cultures.
Before going through this journey of self-discovery, my view of leadership was accurately described by John C. Maxwell “ Leadership is influence.” (Maxwell, para. 25, 2012). I believed, before taking this class and Northouse’s (2013) assessments, leaders were defined by the extent to which they could influence others to achieve company goals. I thought that, when discussing leadership, the leader was the most important aspect of the leader-member dyad and that it was the leader who had the greatest influence over how successful the organization was. Leaders themselves, in my view, should have been the focus of leadership studies and it should have been up to the leader to develop his/her skills in
For many years, I have been told by teachers, family, and friends that I am a good leader. Until fairly recently, I had never truly thought about what it means to be a good leader and just took it as a compliment. Leadership is an intangible concept which cannot be properly outlined in a dictionary, but one which must be formed and explained only through one’s own philosophies and experiences.
Leadership has been examined and defined by several theorists through the generations. The Webster dictionary defines the word as followed, “a guide, conductor; a person who directs a military force or unit, a person who has commanding authority or influence…” This paper will provide other viewpoints summarized by various theorists. The main purpose is to review the interview conducted with Dr. Marilyn Roseman, the head of the education department of Mount Aloysius College, and analyze what leadership model she seems to follow.
Above all else, I view leadership within the school system as essential for its success. My cumulative experiences provide a strong background that will allow me to excel as a school leader. I possess an understanding of the challenges and intricacies of a wide variety of school systems, ranging from small rural programs to inner-city and sub-urban high schools to research universities. My experience teaching at the college level gives me a unique perspective that will allow me to guide a program aimed at cultivating high school students capable of excelling in their educational endeavors. In addition, I believe that to be a truly successful leader, one must have a clear understanding of the challenges faced by educators. My years as a high school teacher have provided me a keen perspective in this regard. University of Northern Colorado’s Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Program will be an invaluable avenue for me to learn from experienced educators as I hone my leadership abilities with the goal of using my life to lead improvements in the public education system. I look forward to the opportunity to develop as an educator,
Leadership is a privilege that carries with it many responsibilities to inspire others, and to direct individuals to attain the vision and goals of an organization. As an effective leader it is my job to be flexible, be an excellent communicator, be a person who leads by example, and is an individual who is committed, resourceful, and reflective. Achieving the characteristics above, I have developed a definite purpose in mind; one that is shared and modeled in and outside of my school environment. With such growth mindset, I teach, present workshops and empowers others to make decisions that will develop future leaders. To lead by example, I became a mentor for first-year teachers. Furthermore, I orchestrate educational committees, encouraging
Every person who enters the field of education has both the opportunity and an obligation to be a leader (Dufour, Marzano, 2011). Leadership defined by Owen (2002) is, “A journey of discovery. It is the expression of a person at his or her best whose aim is to transform something for the better and to develop this potential in others. It is not a solitary pursuit but one that harnesses the energy of those around you. Leadership is a process in which leaders and followers engage to achieve mutual goals. Prentice (2004) defines leadership as the accomplishment of a goal through the direction of human assistants. A great leader is one who can do so day after day, and year after year, in a wide variety of circumstances.
At the beginning of this class, leadership was something I hoped to enhance throughout the duration of this course and in the next few years. Through the course, I have learned more about myself and the type of leader I am through the relational leadership model. Learning about the strengths I have as an individual, the leadership skills and styles, working with other people through communication and listening. I have learned relevant concepts that served as the foundation to leadership philosophy. Leadership has a lot to do with relationships. One thing that has stood out to me is that they see the definition of leadership as a relational and ethical process of people together, attempting to accomplish positive change (Anderson&Bolt, 18).
In developing this idea of what leadership is, I examined what was most important to me in being a leader. Since leadership is such a broad term, this could not be a process whereby I could generalize leadership for everyone. Rather, the task is to determine who I am as a leader. I asked myself, what is it that shapes the vision? What are the factors that comprise a leader, and what makes these things add up to create something larger than ourselves as leaders? Thoughtful reflections on these things lead me to generate the following definition of leadership: Leadership is about more than simply having followers; it is not a title, and it is not achieved by just following a few principles. Leadership is complex, though at its
School communities must have leaders that continually strive to learn, grow, and reflect on their experiences to make a significant impact. I plan to incorporate these same ideas when embarking on my new role as a supervisor. I have expanded and refined my experiences as a teacher since I embarked with cohort four on this leadership journey, and I feel equipped to be the effective leader that will truly make a difference in our schools. This year’s courses and high expectations from our faculty have provided me the opportunities to reflect on my strengths and weaknesses on a scale larger than that of the classroom. Our projects and meaningful discussions have helped shape my leadership philosophy.
The privilege of working with highly influential individuals, and having the opportunity to be continually challenged, are boons to one’s career; consequently, success accompanies failure, and growth as a leader begins. Positive behaviors are reinforced by prompt open recognition, while adverse behaviors are addressed privately and are a cause for self-reflection. Learning from these incidents has shaped the leader I’ve become. Leadership as a definition continually evolves in my world. Notwithstanding, there are elements that remain permanently anchored in this definition, such as respect, purpose, collaboration, heart, trust, and spirit. Carefully managing team synergy, harmonizing their dynamics, and maximizing the advantages of their diversity in order to achieve collective success signifies leadership.
Leadership can be difficult to define because it has different meanings dependent on the audience. As an administrator, it is important to assist teachers in educating students’ growth of knowledge and help them understand that learning is a continuous process. Learning is not something that happens overnight, but something that happens as a result of continuous practice and the development of skills in a classroom. In my experience, teachers act as guides to field questions, provide logical directions to assignments, and help students have confidence. These are three important factors that have influenced my decision to become an administrator. This positive leadership philosophy of education believes that the purpose of schooling is to provide an opportunity for all students to acquire a quality education in a safe, nurturing, and positive environment. Education is the sole means for breaking down barriers. Finding the appropriate leadership style
This student has held a lifelong interest in the area of leadership. From as early as age 8, this student has been intrigued with the sense of exuberance, found in personal success and achievement and began to wonder if others could be made to feel the same sense of excitement and belief in themselves. Thus, began this student’s endeavor to helping others “become”, “believe”, “expand” and “succeed”. But, was that leadership or the expression of a trait, or perhaps it was something spiritual or maybe it was an exertion of power over my life or the life of another. To answer the question, “What does leadership mean? ”, this student has selected the article “Leadership is about What We Deliver; Shaping culture, Creating Patterns of Success.”