learning matters (nz)
Saturday, June 27, 2009
The Challenge of Leadership
My time as principal draws to a close and it has been interesting.
So much happens in a school, and it happens at pace. Large or small, the academic year is not long and the regular checkpoints such as reports home seem to come all too fast. In this environment, it is easy to see time slip away ... and to become reactive. Responding to the needs and agendas of others.
The challenge is to shift from the reactive to the proactive. The challenge is striking the balance between doing the more mechanical (and typically reactive) parts of the job, and doing the leadership (proactive) parts of the job. The challenge is getting the correct balance between serving the needs of others (reactive) and guiding the work and vision of others (proactive).
This can be hard. It is easy to assume the responsibility of others, when in fact your job is to ensure they are playing their part in the team. There is always someone with a monkey to place on your shoulders. There the multiple agendas to negotiate, and the different attitudes that exist within the team.
The challenge is to bring all this together to meld a team.
So much happens in a school, and it happens at pace. Large or small, the academic year is not long and the regular checkpoints such as reports home seem to come all too fast. In this environment, it is easy to see time slip away ... and to become reactive. Responding to the needs and agendas of others.
The challenge is to shift from the reactive to the proactive. The challenge is striking the balance between doing the more mechanical (and typically reactive) parts of the job, and doing the leadership (proactive) parts of the job. The challenge is getting the correct balance between serving the needs of others (reactive) and guiding the work and vision of others (proactive).
This can be hard. It is easy to assume the responsibility of others, when in fact your job is to ensure they are playing their part in the team. There is always someone with a monkey to place on your shoulders. There the multiple agendas to negotiate, and the different attitudes that exist within the team.
The challenge is to bring all this together to meld a team.
posted by learning matters (nz) at 1:03 AM
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