The search is on. From Old Saybrook, Conn., to Salinas, Calif., from Patch Grove, Wisc., to Plano, Tex., schools across the United States are on the lookout for strong leaders. This would be good news, except for one problem: there may not be enough strong leaders to go around.
That's the message from superintendents who, in Education Week articles published earlier this year (see Resources, p. 8), reported difficulty in finding principals who are capable of providing effective leadership. One reason for this, the superintendents suggested, is that the definition of "effective leadership" has changed significantly. The contemporary principal has to manage far more than the administrative tasks traditionally associated with running a school. As the composite advertisement at left indicates, school leaders today can expect an increasingly complex and demanding job.
Changing Schools, Changing Roles
Schools today "are in the midst of examining the proper work for teachers and the proper work for students," says David Holdzkom, assistant superintendent for research, development, and accountability in Durham (N.C.) Public Schools. "As we redefine what teachers do as professionals, we must, by necessity, redefine how school leaders operate."
Holdzkom was able to explore firsthand how school leaders operate when he served as an interim principal at a school in his district last year. ("I was principal by day, superintendent by night," he chuckles.) The experience reaffirmed his belief that the key role of the contemporary principal is to serve as an instructional leader who, in turn, promotes teacher growth. "I, as principal, was in no position to teach the 600 boys and girls at that school," Holdzkom says. "I had to trust the teachers to do the teaching."
What he, as principal, could do was help teachers identify instructional goals and offer his support as they worked toward achieving those goals. Holdzkom observed teachers in the classroom and provided constructive feedback, for example. He encouraged teachers to watch one another teach, to learn from one another. He made sure that teachers had adequate supplies. "My job was to make it possible for teachers to do their job better."
Holdzkom points out that his task was made easier because he understood his district's vision of what student learning looks like and knew what instructional approaches supported that vision. Once it's clear what the ultimate objective is, he states, principals can then ask teachers, How can we reach that goal?
Data Driven, Goal Oriented
"You have to have a vision about where things need to go and be committed to that vision," agrees Mel Riddile, principal at J.E.B. Stuart High School in Fairfax County, Va. However, he adds, the goals "will be different depending on where you work," and based on the unique needs of students at each school.
At J.E.B. Stuart, for example, a needs-assessment survey revealed to Riddile and his staff that students needed to improve their reading skills. "So one of our goals is to have all students reading at grade level by the 11th grade," he explains, adding that such a goal would not have been a focus at other schools where Riddile served as assistant principal.
School leaders must determine the learning needs of the school's population and then create an instructional program to meet those specific needs, Riddile asserts. At J.E.B. Stuart, Riddile and his teachers "looked at the options and determined that the problem was not going to be solved by hiring a reading teacher." Instead, all of the teachers would need to teach reading and would, therefore, need training in how to do it well.
Still, says Riddile, school leaders must not be afraid to suggest a change if the data show that the chosen instructional approach isn't working. "You have to measure what you're doing. We give students pre- and post-tests to see if they're making improvements." The results indicate what adjustments need to be made. "If all students aren't learning, we've got to try another way," he maintains.
Principals "have to be more nimble, more agile"—able to make decisions more quickly, agrees Alice Maniloff, assistant director of the Principals' Executive Program at the University of North Carolina. She recalls an "eye-opening" seminar she attended at which the vice president of a technology company described the fast-paced, always changing environment of her workplace. At that company, says Maniloff, employees adopt a "Web-year" mentality—at the end of every three-month cycle, those employees expect change to occur.
It would be helpful for principals and teachers to see change as inevitable and positive, Maniloff asserts. "Imagine what that would mean for students!" she exclaims. "Wouldn't it be fabulous? If a student isn't doing well," a teacher could modify instruction and "get to him before he fails."
Sharing Responsibility, Authority
Of course, the kind of learning environment Maniloff and others envision requires a school leader to "clearly articulate the vision and create a sense of mission," but then empower others—especially teachers—to carry out that mission, says Jean Brown, director of the Los Angeles Unified School District's Administrative Academy.
Indeed, many of the sessions that administrators attend at the Academy focus on "how to bring people together" and how to then harness that collective energy, says Brown. Some activities help administrators learn how to identify the natural leaders among the staff who can help bring other teachers along. If improving reading is a goal, for example, administrators are encouraged to find a teacher leader with strong skills in reading instruction who can share his effective strategies with his colleagues. "In this way, developing the staff is not the sole responsibility of the principal," Brown states.
Nor should developing the staff—or indeed making any instructional decision—be the sole responsibility of the principal, experts contend. That's the ironic twist of leadership: a principal is ultimately accountable, but not solely responsible, for success.
"You have to have the ability to give power away, to trust in the ability of others to do a good job," says Josie Rivera, principal at William Wood Elementary School and Guadalupe Elementary School in Victoria, Tex. Last year, Rivera was named a National Distinguished Principal by the National Association of Elementary School Principals. It was partly the academic success of students at both schools that brought her such recognition, but Rivera gives the credit to the leadership of the teachers.
First, however, Rivera had to build within teachers a desire to be empowered. "It started out slowly here," she recalls. "Teachers would ask me, 'What do you think of this?' 'Should I do that?' I would tell them, 'That's your decision to make.'" As her teachers became more accustomed to making decisions and overcame their uncertainty, "they became confident in their own expertise," Rivera says, adding that she then became a sounding board and cheerleader for their ideas.
"Principals should be visionary and allow teachers to take risks"—and that means allowing for some mistakes, Rivera maintains. "If the teacher wants to try something and it doesn't work out, we need to learn to ask, What did we learn from that?"
Riddile agrees. "Teachers may have answers, but may not realize they have the answers," he says. The leader's job, therefore, is to encourage teachers to test their ideas while always monitoring student progress. Teachers, Riddile submits,must become the scientific explorers of their profession. "When the Apollo astronauts went to the moon, they were on course only about 10 percent of the time," he points out. The astronauts had a vision, and they had a mission—"they knew where they were going, but they had to keep making adjustments along the way." No one thought of those adjustments as failures, and educators shouldn't either, he asserts. "There is no failure, only feedback."
Fighting Tradition, Building Trust
As ideal as it sounds, establishing a culture that supports teacher leadership and shared decision making is easier said than done, experts caution.
For one thing, most educators today grew up in a time when "the boss was supposed to be able to do everybody's job," says Holdzkom. As a result, teachers and principals alike have to overcome old, ingrained notions of leadership, he explains.
Today's leaders have to establish school cultures that help teachers "feel like they are equals," but teachers "often make decisions based upon what they think 'the boss' wants," notes Clete Bulach, director of the Professional Development Center at the State University of West Georgia. "That's really not shared decision making."
The problem often results when principals and teachers have a rather vague notion of what shared decision making is, Bulach adds. "Many leaders do not clearly explain the role of the subordinate in the decision-making process." So, teachers give their input and are disappointed if the principal's ultimate decision doesn't reflect their thinking. Teachers, he observes, are then less inclined to engage in the process.
Such disillusionment can be avoided, Bulach insists, if school leaders learn to do just two things: listen and communicate. To lead others "is a human thing," he notes. "To be effective, you have to have well-developed human relations skills."
"Listening," Bulach continues, "is one of the most critical skills any leader can develop. Listening conveys caring, and when people know you care, they begin to trust. Once they begin to trust, they open up and take risks."
"A principal should always listen and show teachers that she's willing to help them," states Rivera. It's all too easy to become distracted by the day-to-day minutiae, she admits, so she has a very practical, simple solution for other principals. When a teacher seeks you out, "put everything down and turn so that you're facing the person," she instructs. Rivera even went so far as to arrange the furniture so that she's facing the wall when she's sitting at her desk. "That way, if someone comes in, I have to physically turn around in my chair," she explains. "There is no barrier between us—just one-on-one communication."
There are other tangible ways for principals to show they're listening, such as acting on the feedback they receive, adds North Carolina's Maniloff.
For example, administrators in the Principals' Executive Program are evaluated anonymously by teachers at their schools. "This way principals have an idea of what teachers think of their leadership" and where they think improvement is needed, Maniloff explains. She recalls that when she was a principal, she also went through the program, and teachers indicated that she didn't spend enough time celebrating the school's accomplishments. "They actually told me whom I should put in charge of celebrations," Maniloff remembers with a laugh. "So, I put that person in charge, and it worked. Every faculty meeting from then on included time for celebrations."
Ceremonies and celebrations are about focus and purpose, states Riddile, who tells teachers to "always remember why you do this." He sends the same message to students, parents, and other community members through the Outstanding Effort Award. Every quarter, J.E.B. Stuart High School holds a reception for honored students and their families to thank them for their continued effort. The gathering is a "win-win situation for everybody," Riddile says.
It's important for school leaders to make such connections with parents and the community, Brown affirms. A principal for 10 years, Brown would regularly solicit input from parents and community members to help guide the direction of the schools she managed. She also felt it was important to provide parents with training. "When we began a new math program at one school, we conducted a family math program in the evenings so parents would understand the program," she explains. The same strategy was used when the school implemented a new reading program.
These kinds of efforts are critical for strengthening the bond between school and home, Brown states. Often, she observes, when "an administrator keeps the community involved and informed, he or she finds that the goals of the parents and the school are not so very far apart."
An Honor and a Privilege
For her part, making time for honoring achievement and taking pleasure in accomplishments is now something Maniloff wholeheartedly supports. She is an unabashed, self-proclaimed champion of the principalship. "It's such hard work," she says, "but in the life of the principal, you get to see things that just make your heart sing."
It's those moments, Riddile adds, that "energize" good leaders. It's a tough job, he concedes, but "extroverts like myself get charged from being around a lot of people" and from the opportunity to solve problems. "It's really important to know why you're doing this job," he notes, adding that he became a school leader because "as principal, I know I can make a difference."
Our Natural Life Energies, Explained
Our Natural Life Energies, Explained
According to NLE theory, three main types of natural leadership energies exist: the Dynamics, the Adaptives, and the Creatives.
Dynamic individuals are charismatic and have a personal magnetism that enables them to inspire and lead others. Adaptives, in contrast, are not charismatic, nor are they looking to change the broad scope of situations. Creatives have a personal rhythm, awareness, and sensitivity that allow them to perceive the world differently than dynamics or adaptives.
Within these broad types, further divisions exist:
Dynamic Aggressives. These people are charismatic natural leaders of society. Think of presidents, prime ministers, generals, CEOs, superintendents, authority figures.
Dynamic Assertives. Charismatic, nonconformists, and creators of social change, Dynamic Assertives are conceptually creative and process-oriented. They are outgoing and yearn to work with many different people.
Dynamic Supportives. Charismatic, warmhearted, sincere, reliable, humorous, compassionate, strong, yet gentle—all these words can describe Dynamic Supportives. This energy type is typified in therapists, guidance counselors, teachers, and communicators.
Adaptive Aggressives. Although not charismatic, this energy type is drawn to powerful people and has the resourcefulness to work with them. They are socially aware, goal-oriented, and survivors. Successful public relations people, as well as behind-the-scenes "operators," are often Adaptive Aggressives.
Adaptive Assertives. This group consists of individuals who are not charismatic, but who are highly organized, neat, and family oriented. Adaptive Assertives have the leadership skills required for effective supervisors, managers, and principals.
Adaptive Supportives. The majority of the population belongs to this group. Society runs because of them. Adaptive Supportives are trustworthy, charitable, and good citizens.
Creative Assertives. The Creatives often display heightened sensitivity. They're absorbed in their work, reflective, self-sufficient, and sometimes volatile. They question life and themselves.
It's important to keep in mind that no one energy is best, and any organization needs each type of energy. All leaders possess a degree of each energy and can demonstrate, at times, creativity, assertiveness, and even dynamism. Still, all leaders have a "predominant" energy that comes naturally. When leaders operate in their energy type, they feel most comfortable and productive.
Source: Adapted from Who Are You Really? Discovering Your Natural Leadership Energy, by Jeffrey Glanz, 2000 (unpublished manuscript). Glanz can be reached via e-mail at jglanz@turbo.kean.edu.
Exploring the Role of the Principal
Exploring the Role of the Principal
When Kathy Birkett became principal at Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville, Ill., she made all the mistakes that first-year leaders often do. "I think my goal was survival," says Birkett. "I spent way too much time on administrivia and too little time on what really counts," such as the students and staff and community ties.
Birkett, now more seasoned, is one of seven principals featured in the ASCD video-based professional development program The Principal Series. The series is designed to help school leaders establish a personal plan to develop the skills essential to the principalship and motivate them to act on that plan.
The video series should also give those considering a career as a principal a good idea of how demanding and potentially all-consuming the job can be.
"I'm often asked to give tips to budding administrators," says Birkett, who has a continually growing list of suggestions. She tells those future administrators "to spend a lot of time looking at team and interpersonal dynamics," to analyze "how comfortable you are in being embroiled in controversy and having to make a stand," and to really explore what taking such a job will mean to them personally. Prospective principals "have to take a look at the work load" and decide if they're really willing to make such a commitment. The principalship "is a change in your personal life," Birkett says. "Balance is a constant issue."
Other ASCD Resources:
Other ASCD Resources:
On Becoming a School Leader: A Person-Centered Challenge. This book by Arthur W. Combs, Ann B. Miser, and Kathryn S. Whitaker describes person-centered leadership. The premise: rather than relying on outdated ways of managing schools, principals and other leaders must pay attention to the people issues of the school.
The Power and Promise of Meaningful Leadership. In this live audio recording from the 1999 Annual Conference and Exhibit Show, Cile Chavez discusses the need for school leaders to create learning environments that focus on building trust and hope among all staff.
ASCD's Professional Development Online: Effective Leadership. This Web-based, interactive course introduces a variety of techniques and tools to help principals and other administrators hone the skills that will enable them to lead successfully in times of change.
For more information on any of these resources, call ASCD at 800-933-2723 or 703-578-9600. Or visit the ASCD Online Store at http://www.ascd.org.
Online Resources
Online Resources
Education Week. "You seldom find a good school without an effective leader," states Steve Drummond, deputy managing editor for Education Week.
That observation helped to inspire editors at Editorial Projects in Education Inc., which publishes Education Week, to launch a two-year special project that examines leadership in education. During the next two years, says Drummond, readers can look for various articles designed to promote discussion about how the jobs of principals and superintendents are changing and to explore the implications of that change.
Education World. Several articles related to the issues associated with school leadership can be found on the Web at Education World. Go to http://www.education-world.com. Then, click on Administrators, located in the Quick Browse box. Then, click on School Principal Resources.
Nature vs. Nurture
Are leaders born or made?
This is a question that Jeffrey Glanz has pondered for some time now. An associate professor and chair of the Leadership Department at Kean University in New Jersey, Glanz is charged with preparing educational leaders for their roles. As a result, he's seen firsthand that "everyone can lead to some extent, but all leaders are not equal."
This observation inspired Glanz to examine the qualities that effective leaders share. In his research, he came across the book Who Are You Really? Under-standing Your Life's Energy by Gary Null (New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 1996). The book gave Glanz new insights into human abilities and capabilities and how these qualities define leadership styles.
"We have unique qualities, attributes, energies, if you will, that make us unique," Glanz writes in a manuscript titled "Who Are You Really? Discovering Your Natural Leadership Energy" (see box on p. 5). How people "react in a particular situation or crisis is determined by these 'natural' qualities," he continues. And "we inevitably fall back on that attribute or personality trait that comes most 'naturally' to us."
Glanz adapted Null's thesis, calling his construct the Natural Leadership Energies (NLE) theory. The theory will help prospective leaders understand their "energies" and make better choices about the kinds of leadership positions they seek, Glanz states. Learning about energies will also give prospective leaders a better understanding of those who have different energies.
For example, a Dynamic Aggressive person is one who has an instinctive drive to direct things. "These people are the charismatic natural leaders of society," Glanz writes. They might do well as superintendents because they "can marshal forces to effect school reform."
This type of person would do well, how-ever, to have plenty of Adaptive Aggressives and Adaptive Assertives on staff, because they are better suited to attend to the details of implementing the programs that result from the reform. "As leaders, we need to surround ourselves with people whose energies complement our own," Glanz explains.
Glanz concedes that there are many tools designed to help educators reflect on their personality and leadership styles. He is confident, however, that his Natural Life Energy theory is less cumbersome to use and may, indeed, be more accurate. What Glanz has also found interesting is that even with all these tools available, "for many who first take the NLE survey, it's an eye-opening experience."
Glanz hopes that enlightenment will then spur potential leaders to ask themselves the hard questions: Do I have the kind of "energy" to manage a school? Where do I fit in?
"I really hope people will be honest and think about who they really are when the shades are drawn," says Glanz, who has made his own tough career choices after such reflection. "I could have gone into higher leadership positions—others have assured me I could," he recalls. "But I knew that wasn't who I was."
Schools will be better off if more leaders ask themselves these questions, Glanz asserts. In many schools, he says, and other organizations, for that matter, "there are people in positions of leadership who don't belong there. And there is, as a result, a negative impact on the culture" of those institutions.
Glanz urges all school leaders "to be in tune with yourself, to see where you fit best, and determine where you can do the most for an organization."
Editor's note: In March, Jeffrey Glanz presented his Natural Leadership Energies theory to educators at ASCD's Annual Conference and Exhibit Show.
