I think I have mentioned this before and I know in one post I used a copy of my Kindle screen to show you what I was reading. If you would look at my Kindle, and my bookshelves you will find that they are predominantly made of up books about education and leadership. While I have also written that CEO's and educators are very different at the same time the need for teachers and educators to be leaders is super important, and the qualities needed to be a good leader more often than not are the same to be a good educator. Once again, my leadership PLN has supported this theory. Frank Sonnenberg's post titled "Leadership Scorecard" mentions key qualities of a great leader. As you look at the list these same qualities are what make good educators and teacher leaders.
Here are some of the qualities mentioned in the post
" Straightforward and transparent • Honest and trustworthy • Ethical and principled • Focused • Determined • Realistic • Decisive and action-oriented • Fair and open-minded • Knowledgeable and experienced • Consistent and dependable • Confident and optimistic • Passionate • Empathetic and selfless • Flexible • Humble • Courageous • Hardworking"
I am sure there are others, but I think this is a great place to start. Let us remember that we are all leaders and the qualities that make up great leaders make great educational leaders as well.
I really appreciate you taking the time to reflect & think critically about what qualities are most needed in leaders in this day & age... from each & everyone of us if we are leading by example.
ReplyDeleteI think being a life long learner & leading by example are missing for me personally as a leader... I think that good leaders model the qualities they would like to empower & inspire in others...
True leaders know and understand that the role morphs over time... and that they need to ensure that as a collective the TEAM is working towards the same goal. Kids matter most and so do relationships.
A co-worker recently suggested that I join a Leadership program in our district and my immediate reflex action was to laugh and say "I'm not a leader." Then I realized that I am the best cheerleader I have and that I need to advocate for me. You're absolutely right! These are qualities that I have and when I was in the business world I thought of myself as a leader. Being in the classroom doesn't mean I don't have a voice. I just need to try a little harder to make it heard. I'm turning in my application this week! Great inspiration, thanks for this post :)
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