Mr B’s Masterful Space

From the perspective of a teacher, it would seem the world is changing.

Harris and Muijs (2003) point to the fact that schools now face the challenge not of simply “how to improve”, but of “how to sustain improvement”. They suggest that teachers must become leaders within their faculties and school heads must become leaders of leaders. They point to three important factors influencing this sustained improvement – empowerment, time and opportunities for professional development.

With more and more pressures faced by teachers to meet government minimum standards, to teach ever changing curricula, to act as surrogate parents, etc, etc, becoming leaders in their schools is another pressure and as suggested by the research, another time consuming activity.

The role of the school leader, the principal, director, superintendent, headmaster has become less about leading a school and more about leading the staff within the school to be leaders themselves. At the same time, the headmaster must lead the school. Harris and Chapman (2002), in a study of leadership of schools recognized that successful school leaders possessed a range of leadership strategies to address the diverse sets of issues and problems they faced.

With so many changes affecting schools at this time, effective leadership would seem to be a prerequisite for effective teaching and learning.

References:

Harris, A, & Chapman, C (2002). Democratic Leadership for School Improvement in Challenging Contexts. International Electronic Journal, 6, Retrieved March 17, 2008, from http://www.ucalgary.ca/~iejll/volume6/harris.html.

Harris, A, & Muijs, D (2003). Teacher Leadership: principles and practice. National College for School Leadership, Retrieved March 17, 2008, from http://www.ncsl.org.uk/media/DC8/39/teacher-leadership-summary.pdf.

As I have been reading through the text and the module notes I can’t help but think back to those managers and leaders who have managed and lead me – some of whom appeared on the list we were asked to quietly ponder at the beginning of the module. Some were good leaders and bad managers, some were bad leaders but good managers, some were good at both and well, let’s just say there were some that I’m glad I don’t work “under” any more!

One of the distinguishing factors of those I consider proficient at both leading and at managing is their interpersonal skills.

As a teacher of 15+ years experience ranging from preschool to university, now in charge of an IT department and staff at an international school, I find myself considering people skills, or more specifically, people-management-skills (and now I’m wondering if I should be writing people-leadership-skills?) as one of the most defining characteristics of an effective leader and manager. I highlight the “and” for the fact that the text and module notes seem to downplay this aspect for the manager.

If, as the text promotes, “leadership is the ability to inspire confidence and support among the people who are needed to achieve organisational goals” (Dubrin et al., p.3) and “effective leaders also manage and effective managers also lead” (Dubrin et al., p.5), then surely interpersonal skills play heavily in both areas.

I agree, as the text suggests, that the difference between the two may be one of emphasis, but not necessarily that the emphasis is determined by the job title on the name card. In my experience, the emphasis required is determined by the situation. The good leaders/managers that I have worked with have been the ones who have been able to respond to situations with the emphasis that brings about the most efficient and effective solution/resolution/conclusion.

Again, I find myself in agreement with the comparisons listed in the module notes (1.3.1) – there are these differences – but in order to be truly effective, one cannot exist without the other.

References:
Dubrin, A, Dalglish, C, & Miller, P (2006). Leadership: 2nd Asia-Pacific Edition. Milton: John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.