What is the best leadership style for the classroom and the school? The consensus is that there is no single one that will be right all the time. Yet similar leadership styles are found in virtually all quality-driven schools.
Once upon a time school leadership resided solely in the principal’s office. This all-knowing, wise person would lead the school and everyone else’s role was to carry out his or her instructions. But these fairytale views of leadership are fantasy in the 21st century quality school.
These days leadership is a shared role. There are, of course, times when the principal is the undisputed leader. Yet others take on leadership roles, too. Every teacher is a classroom leader, and many learners lead in roles such as class and sports captains.
Maintenance, professional and secretarial staff members lead the school in their areas of expertise, and parents make their leadership contributions as members of the parent association and the school governing body.
Leaders turn the vision, mission and values of the school into reality. Although different leaders do things differently, they should have similar values.
There is a vast range of leadership styles, but the following six have been identified as creating whole-school quality:
Assertive leadership
No matter how friendly and happy a school is, there is always a strong work ethic. Learners learn diligently. Teachers teach well. Everyone strives to reach their full personal potential. The leaders get followers to focus on the task at hand. Assertively, but not aggressively, they guide their team members towards excellence.
Breakthrough/maverick leadership
Few people like change, because a comfort zone is a comfortable place and change can involve upheaval. Breakthrough leaders challenge the present reality. They ask: “Is there a better way? Why don’t we try something completely new?”
A quality school is always in a state of continuous improvement. Breakthrough leaders rattle the cage of complacency – and people in the cage can get very rattled! As a result breakthrough leaders often experience a sense of isolation. They need to accept that critical comments are made during the change process and that cynics make unpleasant comments. But leaders soldier on. They persevere and develop thick skins.
Emotionally intelligent leadership
A school’s staff interacts daily with emotionally immature people of all ages, and staff are expected to be emotionally mature. Leaders display qualities such as compassion, empathy, intuition, kindness, perseverance and tact. Interpersonal conflict happens in every school, but the emotionally intelligent leader keeps personal emotions under control even when surrounded by volcanic eruptions.
Ethical leadership
This leadership style is linked to values, which is the first pillar of a quality school. All decisions made and actions taken are guided by an ethical code. The golden rule applies of treating others as one would like to be treated. Qualities such as fairness, honesty, openness and respect would be evident in the ethical leader.
Invitational leadership
Invitational leadership has two aspects. Firstly, the leader accepts that the school is part of the wider community. It is a welcoming school and visitors sense this spirit. Where the school can help the community, for example, allowing the use of its facilities, it does so.
Secondly, the leader invites everyone to provide new ideas and viewpoints. The thinking is: “Help us become an even better school. Please share your suggestions with us.”
Servant leadership
One South African headmaster annually gives his students a powerful display of servant leadership. In front of the entire school he washes the feet of a number of the students. This gesture reminds everyone that being a leader includes being a servant. Servant leadership is about selfless service. The leader does not expect perks or privileges. The one-liner states it neatly: “A real leader shows true greatness by bending down to help the smallest child.”
The South African Quality Institute has school leadership and management programmes. Contact Vuyi Segoa on 012 394 3400 or [email protected], or Richard Hayward on 011 888 3262 or [email protected]