You can use this study guide before or after you have read the book, or as you finish each chapter. If you have not read the book already, you may wish to scan the guide quickly and highlight questions and activities that are designed to prompt your thinking prior to your reading the text material carefully. The study questions and activities are not meant to cover all aspects of the book but, rather, to address selected ideas we thought might warrant further reflection.

Most of the questions or activities in this study guide are ones you can think about on your own. But you might also consider pairing with another colleague or forming a group of people who have read (or are reading) Finding Your Leadership Style. If you wish to share your ideas with the author and others, e-mail comments to jglanz@wagner.edu.

For those of you who have not yet read the book, answer the following questions:

1. How would you describe yourself as a leader?
2. Would you characterize yourself as dynamic or creative? Aggressive or assertive? Supportive or adaptive?
3. How do you know that you actually act the way you have described?
4. What does effective school or district leadership mean to you?
5. How has ineffective leadership in your school or district thwarted educational progress?
6. How has effective leadership in your school or district improved educational progress?

For those of you who have read the book or have taken the surveys in Appendixes A and B, consider the following questions.

1. Did the results in the survey in Appendix A match how you perceive yourself as a leader?
2. What surprised you about the results of the survey in Appendix A?
3. What more would you like to know about your leadership quality?
4. Which of the educational virtues in the survey in Appendix B clearly personify you?
5. Which virtues do you need to work on?
6. How do you intend to do so?
7. What more would you like to know about your leadership virtues?

Activity

Administer the surveys in Appendixes A and B to three of your colleagues or friends. Match the results with their perceptions of themselves and your assessment of their leadership qualities and virtues. Please complete the questionnaire in Appendix C and forward the results to author Jeffrey Glanz.

Part One: Seven Quality Types of Educational Leaders

Chapter 1: Dynamic Aggressives

1. Why is a dynamic aggressive leader important in a school or district?
2. Identify a dynamic aggressive leader you know and describe how she differs from your leadership quality.

Chapter 2: Dynamic Assertives

1. Why is a dynamic assertive leader important in a school or district?
2. Identify a dynamic assertive leader you know and describe how he differs from your leadership quality.

Chapter 3: Dynamic Supportives

1. Why is a dynamic supportive leader important in a school or district?
2. Identify a dynamic supportive leader you know and describe how she differs from your leadership quality.

Chapter 4: Adaptive Aggressives

1. Why is an adaptive aggressive leader important in a school or district?
2. Identify an adaptive aggressive leader you know and describe how he differs from your leadership quality.

Chapter 5: Dynamic Assertives

1. Why is a dynamic assertive leader important in a school or district?
2. Identify a dynamic assertive leader you know and describe how she differs from your leadership quality.

Chapter 6: Adaptive Supportives

1. Why is an adaptive supportive leader important in a school or district?
2. Identify an adaptive supportive leader you know and describe how he differs from your leadership quality.

Chapter 7: Creative Assertives

1. Why is a creative assertive leader important in a school or district?
2. Identify a creative assertive leader you know and describe how she differs from your leadership quality.

Chapter 8: Using Leadership Qualities Effectively

1. How does knowledge of the seven leadership quality types assist you in better understanding school leadership?
2. If you were asked to put together a team to solve a problem in the school (e.g., massive overcrowding during lunch duties or developing and implementing a school wide curricular program), who would you include in this team and why? Relate your response to the leadership theories presented in the book.

Part Two: Virtues All Educational Leaders Should Possess

Chapter 9: Courage

1. Why is courage an important leadership characteristic in a school or district?
2. Identify a courageous leader you know and describe how his courage was manifested.

Chapter 10: Impartiality

1. Why is impartiality an important leadership characteristic in a school or district?
2. Identify an impartial leader you know and describe how her sense of fair play was manifested.

Chapter 11: Empathy

1. Why is empathy an important leadership characteristic in a school or district?
2. Identify an empathetic leader you know and describe how his empathy was manifested.

Chapter 12: Judgment

1. Why is sound judgment an important leadership characteristic in a school or district?
2. Identify a leader who has good judgment and describe how her judgment was manifested.

Chapter 13: Enthusiasm

1. Why is enthusiasm an important leadership characteristic in a school or district?
2. Identify an enthusiastic leader you know and describe how his enthusiasm was manifested.

Chapter 14: Humility

1. Why is humility an important leadership characteristic in a school or district?
2. Identify a humble leader you know and describe how her humility was manifested.

Chapter 15: Imagination

1. Why is imagination an important leadership characteristic in a school or district?
2. Identify an imaginative leader you know and describe how his creativity was manifested.

Chapter 16: Importance of Leadership Virtues

1. How does knowledge of the seven leadership virtues assist you in better understanding school leadership?
2. How would you go about determining the extent to which a prospective school principal or superintendent possessed each virtue?

Part Three: Enhancing Leadership Qualities and Virtues in Yourself and Others

Chapter 17: Actualizing Natural Leadership Qualities

1. How might you learn to function more effectively as a leader?
2. What one suggestion would you offer to someone who was about to enter school or district leadership?
3. What can you learn from other leaders different from yourself?
4. Observe two leaders in your school or district. Describe their leadership qualities and how well they function.
5. What could you tell them about leadership that might improve their performance as leaders?

Chapter 18: Tips for Enhancing Your Leadership Virtues

1. How might you learn to become more courageous? Empathetic?
2. How can you improve your imagination?
3. How can you show more enthusiasm or humility?
4. How can you improve your impartiality or judgment?
5. What one suggestion would you offer to someone who was about to enter school or district leadership about judgment?
6. Can we train people to develop leadership virtues? Explain why or why not.
7. What does the discussion of leadership virtues in this book tell us about attracting prospective school leaders?
8. Observe two leaders in your school or district. Describe their leadership virtues and how well they exemplify the virtues described in this book.
9. What could you tell them about leadership virtues that might improve their performance as leaders?

Chapter 19: Applying Leadership Potential

1. What does team leadership mean to you?
2. How might you implement the theories of leadership qualities and virtues as described in this book?
3. How have these ideas extended your understanding of school leadership?
4. Name three things you learned as a result of reading this book.

Finding Your Leadership Style: A Guide for Educators was written by Jeffrey Glanz. This 216-page, 6" x 9" book (Stock #102115; ISBN 0-87120-692-7) is available from ASCD for $21.95 (ASCD member) and $25.95 (nonmember). Copyright 2002 by ASCD. To order a copy, call ASCD at 1-800-933-2723 (in Virginia 1-703-578-9600) and press 2 for the Service Center. Or buy the book from ASCD's Online Store.