Abstract The modern educational leader must understand that their role is no longer to run the day to day operations of the school district or school. The role has been transformed to incorporate motivating students and teachers alike as well as creating visions and mission for the direction the leader would like to take with the organization. Leaders challenge and inspire people to go above and beyond their comfort zones. They have the ability to influence and enlist the support of others towards accomplishing specific goals. To sustain this relationship between themselves and the people they inspire they must have integrity, loyalty, a positive attitude, strong communication and planning skills and should not be afraid to …show more content…
Integrity Integrity is the number one quality desired in potential employees, it is not exclusive to religious organizations and most secular businesses also regard it as a must have for leaders. “The fact that integrity is mutually desired by both employers and employees should come as no surprise. Leadership is ultimately based on trust. Since people choose to follow leaders they trust, their confidence must have a foundation.” (Blackby, 2001 1941-44) That foundation is honesty and credibility. Without these there would be no integrity. The decisive test of credibility is if a leader practices what they preach. Many leaders are comfortable giving directions, but are not willing to take their own advice. Leaders who are unable to or do not have the discipline to practice what they preach are not credible and will not have the trust and respect needed to inspire others to follow in their footsteps. “Integrity is not automatic. It is a character trait that leaders consciously cultivate in their lives.” (Blackby, 2001 1990-93)
Selfless Service / Servant Leaders A leader must be prepared to put his needs last and God’s wishes first. Through prayer, direction will be revealed for the good of the organization and the people. Many educational leaders have greater concern with what they can accomplish individually and not so much what
Integrity is more than being honest. Integrity is one of the values employers look for when selecting employees; a person with integrity carries their values with them in everything they do. To act in a manner that is morally and legally right is being a leader or person of integrity. This type of leader is consistent in doing what is right, legally and morally (Dees, 2014). One a person loses their integrity, it is almost impossible to get it back. Linnartz (2012) said integrity can be understood by how well we live and meaningfully connect our values into our daily life and work. Having integrity and having a leadership philosophy in line with good personal values will improve the relationship a leader has with colleagues. Having a leader that lacks integrity is a recipe for workplace chaos or conflict. According to Schachter (2013), a leader with integrity will walk the talk; their deeds match their words. The leader will be honest, moral, and
The importance of effective leadership and its impact on improving student achievement are evident in today’s schools (Leithwood, Louis, Anderson, and Wahlstrom, 2004). While the school principal is traditionally thought to be the school leader, Glickman (1989) proposes that “the principal of successful schools is not the instructional leader but the educational leader who mobilizes the expertise, talent, and care of others” (p. 8). Lumpkin, Claxton, and Wilson (2014) contend that helping “each school fulfill its mission and energize and expand the professionalism and professional contributions of teachers, the expertise of all teachers, especially teacher leaders, is needed” (p. 59). Teachers directly impact student learning, and
Who school leaders are – what they do, attend to, or seem to appreciate is constantly watched by students, teachers, parents, and members of the community. Their interests and actions send powerful messages. They signal the values they hold. Above all else, leaders are cultural “teachers” in the best sense of the word. (Deal & Peterson, 1990, p. 201)
As one leads with integrity, fairness and in an ethical manner, they lead by modeling those values and beliefs that belong in an educational setting. They show concern and care personally for the students, staff and communities learning, behaviors, and lives. Leaders promote a culture of openness and trust. They model appropriate behavior and skills to improve learning and engage others to share in this process through collaboration.
Being an Educational Leader is where I have chosen to land. Educational leadership will often bring me back to the classroom, helping teachers, coaching students and planning curriculum. A master’s degree in Educational Leadership will deliver a fresh perspective
Research tells us that the school leader are the second most important factor contributing to the success of scholars. While we know that that school leaders may not have a direct impact on students, they do however have a direct impact on teachers. As a teacher, I know how meaningful and empowering it is to have a school leader who supports you. As a leader it would be my goal to invest in my teachers and ensure that they feel equipped to put their best foot forward each and every day. Whether it is trough professional development, weekly observations and check-ins, or various interactions throughout the school day, it would be my goal to help develop and grow the skill of my teachers, so they can then do the same for our students. Schools are only as strong as their teachers. When teachers feel valued and appreciated, like in other professions, they stay in the career longer. More experienced teachers, lead to better results for students. Investing in teachers would be a top priority of mine as a school
Integrity is a core character of being a leader. Employees want to know that their leader is worthy of their trust. A leader with integrity will likely be highly respected and withstand the test of time. As described by Dees (2013), “integrity on a higher plane is the seamless integration of faith, family, and profession
From the group Biblical Integration Paper, it was understood that servant-leadership is not only a gift of purpose that God places in the hearts of His people, but it is also a calling in one’s life to truly touch the lives of others in need. Living a successful life, as a servant-leader is not one that focuses on self-fulfillment, rather it is in seeking a fulfillment that comes from Christ when one pours him/herself out for the sake of others. It is through servant-leadership that one is able to bring hope into hopeless situations (Group Integration Paper,
Educational leaders play significant roles in the modern society. Their effectiveness depends on their strengths. Primarily, it is vital having a comprehensive understanding of who is an educational
Since its development in 1994 the standards of Educational Leadership have pursued promoting an understanding on what is expected from the educational administration field.1 The goal of this paper is to present a personal appraisal of a connection between the ELCC standards and my own experiences in district leadership and a reflection on my professional practice of the standards. It is implicit that an educational leader should promote the success of every student by advocating and effectively implementing the 6 standards of Educational Leadership. 2
I think and every successful teacher will agree with me that promoting the success of every student is the main value of any educational professional and it is very important for a leader to demonstrate these traits. What is leadership? Some people think that it is good to be a boss and it is easy to rule any organization. Leadership is more than just to rule any organization. It is the development of a practice around a mission or vision and an ability to inspire others to do the same. There are three sets of practices make up this basic core of successful leadership practices: setting directions, developing people and redesigning the organization. Foster (1989) says, “Leadership differs from conventional administration in much the same way that education differs from training (p.10).” This speaks to results- to the why of teaching. And the value of a leader can be determined by their results. If their aim is high-quality education (an admittedly vague term), academic success, and well-being of each student then this is the standard by which they should be judged. Burns admonishes that “power and leadership are measured by the degree of
Integrity is an essential character quality that defines an effective leader. Integrity is a unifying element; it means more than telling the truth. Integrity is concerned with right and wrong, and adherence to a set of values (Satterlee, 2013, p. 7). In that, integrity speaks on the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles – moral uprightness. A resilient leader should hold steady to their morals when faced with an ethical dilemma. “Leader integrity matters because it plays a significant role in the decision process used by followers when determining who they will follow, who they will trust, to whom they will be loyal and committed, and ultimately for whom they will perform” (Moorman & Grover, 2009, p.107). A leader’s integrity goes beyond their personal character make-up, subordinates will feel a sense of connection to a leader who acts with
As the leader of a 21st century school one must embody the qualities that best reflect the ever-changing face of education. Traditionally, the leader of a school focused a large portion of time and energy on typical managerial functions within the school. These tasks, although important, will not propel a school to achieve excellence. Today’s school leaders must be visionaries who create a sense of purpose driven unity. As a transformational leader, one must also be the beacon of learning in establishing and effectively cultivating professional learning communities. One must recognize and further develop the leadership skills of those within the school in order to ensure the vision and mission of the school is achieved. Keeping in
An effective leader needs to be genuine and true to the values he holds. If the leader is not honest with those he interacts with, they will not trust him for long. Being clear about values allows the leader to help establish a solid setting for the community to build upon. Strong leaders demonstrate the following values: being trustworthy, caring, focused, flexible, direct, knowledgeable, and approachable. By having a foundation that focuses on the importance of education an instructional leader can focus on clarity and purpose. Through having this clarity of focus, a leader is further prompted to be a lifelong learner (Robbins, 2009).
Those who learn to be instructional leaders acquire many characteristics that are beneficial to their schools and communities. The writer concurs that Instructional leaders exhibit a clear sense of direction for their schools and prioritize and focus attention on the things that really