Leadership in Schools is The Key of Success and Improvement.

Abstract

“We need leaders who can inspire the next generation and make emphasis and attention
be given to empower and uplift the status of the teaching profession” said Education
Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein during interview on Friday, 12th January
2007 by StarEducation in preview of the National Education Blueprint 2006-2010.
Leadership is the key element of the successful because without able and innovative
leaders, the autonomy agenda cannot work. It is about the creating of a vision for success,
student’s achievement, building the capacity for leadership and demonstrating ethical and
morale of leadership. We will see about the meaning of the leaderships itself, discuss
about the leadership, effective leadership, the knowledge and skills for leaderships, the
teachers and principals job as leaders in school and also the importance of the leadership
behavior to school and leader himself.

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Introduction

Aristocratic thinkers have postulated that leadership depends on one's blue blood
or genes: monarchy takes an extreme view of the same idea, and may prop up its
assertions against the claims of mere aristocrats by invoking divine sanction: see the
divine right of kings. Contrariwise, more democratically-inclined theorists have pointed
to examples of meritocratic leaders, such as the Napoleonic marshals profiting from
careers open to talent.

In the autocratic/paternalistic strain of thought, traditionalists recall the role of

leadership of the Roman pater families. Feminist thinking, on the other hand, may damn
such models as patriarchal and posit against them emotionally-attuned, responsive, and
consensual empathetic guidance and matriarchies. Comparable to the Roman tradition,
the views of Confucianism on "right living" relate very much to the ideal of the (male)
scholar-leader and his benevolent rule, buttressed by a tradition of filial piety.

Within the context of Islam, views on the nature, scope and inheritance of
leadership have played a major role in shaping sects and their history. See caliphate. In
the 19th century, the elaboration of anarchist thought called the whole concept of
leadership into question. (Note that the Oxford English Dictionary traces the word
"leadership" in English only as far back as the 19th century.) One response to this denial
of elitism came with Leninism, which demanded an elite group of disciplined cadres to
act as the vanguard of a socialist revolution, bringing into existence the dictatorship of
the proletariat.

Other historical views of leadership have addressed the seeming contrasts

between secular and religious leadership. The doctrines of Caesaro-papism have recurred
and had their detractors over several centuries. Christian thinking on leadership has often
emphasized stewardship of divinely-provided resources - human and material - and their
deployment in accordance with a Divine plan. Compare servant leadership.

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Discussion

Leaderships were a complex activity and many definitions already made in many
ways. However, leadership always involved the interaction of the person who lead and
being lead. Leadership is an interactive conversation that pulls people toward becoming
comfortable with the language of personal responsibility and commitment. Leadership is
not just for people at the top. Everyone can learn to lead by discovering the power that
lies within each one of us to make a difference and being prepared when the call to lead
comes. Albert Einstein once said, "We should take care not to make the intellect our god;
it has, of course, powerful muscles but no personality. It cannot lead; it can only serve."
Leadership is applicable to all facets of life: a competency that you can learn to expand
your perspective, set the context of a goal, understands the dynamics of human behavior
and takes the initiative to get to where you want to be.

The term school leadership came into currency in the late 20th century for several
reasons. Demands were made on schools for higher levels of pupil achievement, and
schools were expected to improve and reform. These expectations were accompanied by
calls for accountability at the school level. Maintenance of the status quo was no longer
considered acceptable. Administration and management are terms that connote stability
through the exercise of control and supervision. The concept of leadership was favored
because it conveys dynamism and proactively. The principal or school head is commonly
thought to be the school leader; however, school leadership may include other persons,
such as members of a formal leadership team and other persons who contribute toward
the aims of the school.

While school leadership or educational leadership have become popular as

replacements for educational administration in recent years, leadership arguably presents
only a partial picture of the work of school, division/district, and ministerial personnel,
not to mention the areas of research explored by university faculty in departments
concerned with the operations of schools and educational institutions. For this reason,
there may be grounds to question the merits of its employment as a catch-all term for the

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field. Rather, the etiology of its use may be found in more generally and contemporarily
experienced neo-liberal social and economic governance models, especially in the United
States and the United Kingdom. On this view, the term is understood as having been
borrowed from business.

Educational leadership draws upon interdisciplinary literature, generally, but

ideally distinguishes itself through its focus on pedagogy, epistemology and human
development. In contemporary practice it borrows from political science and business.
Debate within the field relates to this tension. A number of publications and foundations
are devoted to studying the particular requirements of leadership in these settings, and
educational leadership is taught as an academic discipline at a number of universities.
Several countries now have explicit policies on school leadership, including policies and
budgets for the training and development of school leaders.

“The factor that empowers the people and ultimately determines which
organizations succeed or fail is the leadership of those organizations."
Warren Bennis

Today’s school environments have become more complex and diverse where all
children are expected to learn and where high learning standards set the vision of
educational success for all students. In a rapidly changing and more technologically
oriented society, students will need to acquire the knowledge and skills that will help
them achieve success in school and in life. The evolving nature of school environments
has placed new demands on educational leaders. Where knowledge of school
management, finance, legal issues and state mandates was once the primary focus for the
preparation of school leaders, education reform has created an urgent need for a strong
emphasis on development of instructional leadership skills to promote good teaching and
high level learning.

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 Moreover, educational leaders must recognize and assume a shared responsibility
not only for students’ intellectual and educational development, but also for their
personal, social, emotional, and physical development. The increasing diversity of school
communities places a premium on school leaders who can create a vision of success for
all students, and use their skills in communication, collaboration and community building
to ensure that the vision becomes a reality.

WHAT WE KNOW AND BELIEVE ABOUT EFFECTIVE SCHOOL

LEADERSHIP

Creating a Vision for Success

Effective leadership is at the core of every successful organization. Effective

leaders collaboratively create a vision and establish a climate for people to reach their
highest level of achievement. They communicate the vision and direct all actions toward
achieving the vision. They mobilize resources and promote collaborative activities among
partners to achieve the organization’s goals.

Effective leaders recognize their own strengths and attract competent people to
enhance the organization’s capabilities. They cultivate and focus the strengths of
colleagues to achieve the shared vision. They welcome change as an opportunity for
growth rather than an obstacle to be overcome, and they lead people through the
uncertainty of a changing society. Effective leaders seek counsel and advice to learn from
the knowledge and experiences of others while they freely offer their expertise to those
who seek it.

Setting High Expectations for Students’ Achievement

Effective school leaders set high standards and strengthen instructional programs
to help learners gain the intellectual and personal knowledge and skills they need to

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achieve success in today’s society. They develop and support systems to assist all
students, pre-kindergarten, elementary, middle level, and high school, in meeting the
State Learning Standards. They create high expectations for students with special needs
and English language learners. They set the tone for conversations about teaching and
learning, and draw in all members of the school community to support student
achievement.

Effective school leaders use analysis of best practices in education, society, and
the country in order to be responsive and proactive in changing schools to prepare
children for the future in which they will live. They focus on student achievement data
and measure success in terms of positive student outcomes. They provide the motivation
and encouragement that lead to success and they manage effectively in a changing
educational environment. Effective school leaders collaborate and build mutually
beneficial relationships with social service and health service partners who share their
vision of success for all learners. They engage in long term planning and move beyond
the immediacy of today into the possibilities of tomorrow. They promote an environment
that supports continuous learning and sharing of knowledge.

"Everyone should be a leader... Deep, shared leadership builds strong and cohesive
cultures."
Terrence Deal, Kent Peterson

Building the Capacity for Leadership

Effective school leaders develop the skills and talents of those around them. They
are capable of leading change and helping others through the change process. They
engage in shared decision making with the school community, including staff, students,
and parents. They are both the guardian and reformer of the educational system, and they
ensure that all groups are engaged in a common goal and moving in the same direction.

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 Effective school leaders create partnerships with colleges and universities to
enhance the learning and preparation of aspiring teachers and school leaders. They
recognize that leadership skills can be learned and they have an obligation to establish
and nurture strategic activities to make certain that other individuals in the district
develop as leaders. Effective school leaders share leadership responsibilities throughout
all levels of the educational organization. They nurture and support a learning community
that promotes the continuous growth and development of individuals who acknowledge
and share responsibilities for high academic achievement of all students.

Demonstrating Ethical and Moral Leadership

Effective school leaders are models of ethical and moral leadership. They project
integrity by promoting and supporting an environment where students and school staff
are always trying to do "what’s right". They demonstrate courage in difficult situations,
and provide a model of moral leadership for others to emulate. They seek to make a
difference in the lives of students, and impart a philosophy that positive relationships
built on trust improve the quality of life for all individuals. Leaders with integrity are
focused and purposeful, and are always attentive to being consistent with what they say
and what they do.

School leaders need impressive skills to provide effective leadership in our

diverse school environments. After extensive discussion with field leaders, the New York
State Blue Ribbon Panel on School Leadership crafted a definition of the knowledge and
skills required of school leaders that forms the foundation of New York State’s leadership
development effort.

Embodied in the following nine statements is the essence of leadership as

conceived by the Panel and subsequently affirmed by those who have reviewed them.
The essential knowledge and skills establish the base upon which leaders will be
recruited and prepared to serve the children of New York.

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Essential Knowledge and Skills for Effective School Leadership

1. Leaders know and understand what it means and what it takes to be a leader.

Leadership is the act of identifying important goals and then motivating and
enabling others to devote themselves and all necessary resources to achievement. It
includes summoning one’s self and others to learn and adapt to the new situation
represented by the goal. Effective leaders reveal capacity to work tirelessly for as long as
is needed to achieve success in the object of their effort.

2. Leaders have a vision for schools that they constantly share and promote.

Leaders have a vision of the ideas; can articulate this vision to any audience, and
work diligently to make it a reality. Leaders also know how to build upon and sustain a
vision that preceded them. They spent their time calling for the speeding up or slowing
down of various components. In a sense, leaders need vision and those who accompany
them need to feel that they have seen the other side of the mountain. If leaders are
pessimistic and then show it to others, there is clearly a problem in the longer vision
leaders are tacitly credited with possessing.

3. Leaders communicate clearly and effectively.

Leaders possess effective writing and presentation skills. They express themselves
clearly, and are confident and capable of responding to the hard questions in a public
forum. They are also direct and precise questioners, always seeking understanding.
Beside that, good leadership also requires an ability to make wise decisions and to act
without hesitation on respect to them. It depends therefore on confidence and sound
judgments.

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 4. Leaders collaborate and cooperate with others.

Leaders communicate high expectations and provide accurate information to foster

understanding and to maintain trust and confidence. Leaders reach out to others for
support and assistance, build partnerships, secure resources, and share credit for success
and accomplishments. School leaders manage change through effective relationships with
school boards.

5. Leaders persevere and take the "long view."

Leaders build institutions that endure. They "stay the course," maintain focus,
anticipate and work to overcome resistance. They create capacity within the organization
to achieve and sustain its vision. The leader should be welcoming the new ideas, even if
some are known to be largely impractical. An inspiring leader also should be overflows
with fresh ideas. He has a way of firing the imagination of other people so they too
become spurred with enthusiasm.

6. Leaders support, develop and nurture staff.

Leaders set a standard for ethical behavior. They seek diverse perspectives and
alternative points-of view. They encourage initiative, innovation, collaboration, and a
strong work ethic. Leaders expect and provide opportunities for staff to engage in
continuous personal and professional growth. They recognize individual talents and
assign responsibility and authority for specific tasks. Leaders celebrate accomplishments.
They identify recruit, mentor, and promote potential leaders.

7. Leaders hold themselves and others responsible and accountable.

Leaders embrace and adhere to comprehensive planning that improves the

organization. They use data to determine the present state of the organization, identify
root because problems, propose solutions, and validate accomplishments. Leaders respect

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responsibility and accountability and manage resources effectively and efficiently. They
require staff to establish and meet clear indicators of success. Leaders in education also
know and understand good pedagogy and effective classroom practices and support
sustained professional development. They recognize the importance of learning standards
and significance of assessments.

8. Leaders never stop learning and honing their skills.

Leaders are introspective and reflective. Leaders ask questions and seek answers.
Leaders in education are familiar with current research and best practice, not only in
education, but also in other related fields. They maintain a personal plan for self-
improvement and continuous learning, and balance their professional and personal lives,
making time for other interests.

9. Leaders have the courage to take informed risks.

Leaders embrace informed, planned change and recognize that everyone may not
support change. Leaders work to win support and are willing to take action in support of
their vision even in the face of opposition. They face difficulties with a determination that
refuses to accept defeat. He will try again until he overcomes them.

10. Time management

Time management is an essential skill at all levels of experience and

responsibility (Dunham, 1995). Effective and efficient use of time really depends on the
reduction of time-wasting activities and procedures. When the time was manage in good,
its can help to reduce pressure and can bring considerable benefits, such as clearer
thinking, better forward planning and produce better quality work.

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 11. The management of change

Leader in school must be motivated and interested to make a change. In short,

they must posses the will to make school improvement succeed (Miles 1987). They need
to be informed and consulted about their opinions and feelings so they can be active
participants in the changes that are affecting their work. They should participate with the
leader, senior management team and middle management in working out a careful
strategy for change, which should be in implemented in stages.

Teachers’ Job at School

It is almost certain that you remember the teachers who taught you at school
better than the lessons they taught. This is because no person can work as a teacher
without something of himself rubbing off on to his pupils. As a teacher, therefore, you
should aim to develop those qualities of personality and character that will provide a
lasting and inspiring example to your pupils.

In education leadership, teachers facilitate student learning, often in a school or

academic. The objective is typically a course of study, lesson plan, or a practical skill,
including learning and thinking skills. The different ways to teach are often referred to as
the teacher's pedagogy. When deciding what teaching method to use, a teacher will need
to consider students' background knowledge, environment, and their learning goals as
well as standardized curricula as determined by the relevant authority. The teacher should
also be able to deal with students with different abilities and should also be able to deal
with learning disabilities. Many times, teachers will have to do their job outside of the
classroom by accompanying students on field trips. They also supervise study halls, help
with the organization of school functions, and serve as supervisors for extracurricular
activities

In the focus scope, the school leadership is concerned with the classroom
management. Classroom management is a term used by many teachers to describe the

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process of ensuring that classroom lessons run smoothly despite disruptive behavior by
students. The term also implies the prevention of disruptive behavior. It is possibly the
most difficult aspect of teaching for many teachers and indeed experiencing problems in
this area causes some to leave teaching altogether.

It is closely linked to issues of motivation, discipline and respect. Methodologies

remain a matter of passionate debate amongst teachers; approaches vary depending on the
beliefs a teacher holds regarding educational leadership. A large part of traditional
classroom leadership involves behavior modification, although many teachers see using
behavioral approaches alone as overly simplistic. Many teachers establish rules and
procedures at the beginning of the school year. They also try to be consistent in enforcing
these rules and procedures.

Many would also argue for positive consequences when rules are followed and
negative consequences when rules are broken. There are newer perspectives on classroom
management that attempt to be holistic. One example is affirmation teaching, which
attempts to guide students toward success by helping them see how their effort pays off in
the classroom. Affirmation teaching avoids traditional threats, bribery, or persuasion, and
relies instead upon creating an environment where students are successful as a result of
their own efforts.

The Principal as Leader

The principal is the person who is ultimately accountable for the implementation
of a school’s site action plan and for the achievement of the specified goals. Principal also
need to make good relationship and support all the teachers. Its not only providing
opportunities for quality training but also give them time to work independently and
together on their own professional development.

The principal’s role is more facilitative of others’ leadership and concentrates on

maintaining constancy of purpose and coherence of direction. Effective principals also

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build opportunities for others to assume leadership roles through involvement and
empowerment. Successful principals exhibit a feel for the change process, engage teacher
commitment to shared vision, and model their cultural beliefs through leadership by
example. (Stoll .L & Fink .D, 1996)

The principals must be a positive leadership force. It must be realized, however,

that leadership does not come from the power base of old. We face an ever-changing
world in educational administration; our processes must be following the changing of
society and changing of educational organization. We need definitions of leadership and
administrative processes that are appropriate to education in its present and future
contexts.

Beside that, a good principal must possess high qualities of leadership because,
like a general, he cannot win the battle by himself, but only by inspiring those with whom
he serves. Leadership like authority does not come readily to the person who grabs for it,
but it comes with knowledge and experience and an understanding of people and human
relationships. The test of principal’s leadership is to be found in the quality of the
personal relationships in the school and the extent to which he has forged the staff into a
united team.

Good management requires knowledge and experience and the ability to

demonstrate practical processes when required. The principal must supervise the work of
his teachers, but he must avoid over-supervising. Good supervision is neither too much
not too little, too strict nor too slack and varies according to the need for help and
guidance.

To be affective, the principal will need to lead from a stronger base than just
status position or the controlling of and accounting for resources. He or she should be
able to make significant programmatic contributions to the achievement of the school
purposes, craft, and technologies and will need to share, not abdicate, his or her authority.

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The importance of leaders’ behavior

All we can say about the values of the schools which seem to us to be successful,
is that their values are not those of the market place; there are not preoccupied with
‘getting one over’ on competitor schools, but are simply determined not to be undermined
by them. They show genuine concern for the work of all the staff, not just some. There
seems to be real commitment to celebrating the achievement of all pupils rather than a
few.

Leaders most respected in the schools were people who understood the
considerably differing expectations of the different principal client groups about pupils,
staffs and the parents. They knew who they were and simply acted on that certainty. It is
the way that they are talked about in day-to-day activities that values are established.
People will hear the fine statement of objectives and values the mission statement, if one
can still stand this overworked phrase. But they will not do much about it until they see it
in practice and feel it pervading the management actions of the school.

Just a simple things to do such as greeting in cheerful ‘good morning’ rather than
offering a preoccupied stare, to more considered set of strategies to find the humors in
crisis. How often has a teacher, on being told of a calamity and asked what to do,
cheerfully told people to be calm and that there was no problem, when internally they
were asking them-selves what are they really do.

Research found that teachers’ sense of optimism, hope and commitment was
associated with workplace conditions where they felt professionally empowered. Most
people expect their leaders to see more of the total scene than they individually can do, so
lack of optimism insidiously undermines their morale. In a sense, leaders need vision and
those who accompany them need to feel that they have seen the other side of the
mountain. If leaders are pessimistic and then show it to others, there is clearly a problem
in the longer vision leaders are tacitly credited with possessing.

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 The leaders need to make clear his or her warm enthusiasm for the work everyone
does to further the values for which we all stand. In short, the enthusiasm needs to be
linked not just to the measure of work put in but to the shared higher purpose of the
school. They should demonstrate a celebration of success and achievement in the ultimate
value of the school and the department, for in this way a school or department
accumulates its history, extending the run of recent and long-treasured successes.

Leaders need to feel that they are doing something worthwhile. That is what gives
meaning to our lives and stimulates us to work hard, a fact which one can observe in the
schools. There are hundreds of dedicated teachers who work really hard for their ideals of
service to children. It is the job of management to bring those ideals together into a
common set of objectives. Then everyone will be reinforced by their awareness of
working in a team. Maybe the focus will help individuals to be even more effective.
Certainly, praise and recognition will have that result.

Leadership then would include a moral obligation to meet the needs of the
institution, to serve as a steward guarding and protecting the school’s purposes, caring for
the school for the parents, students and community (Sergiovanni, 1996). A key ingredient
to school success is the extent to which the values of school life shared among all the
members of the community. Life outside may be very different, but in school there is a
code of conduct and behavior which all try to sustain in their dealings with each other and
the outside world.

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Conclusion

Leadership is complex. Many aspects should be seen through the

leaderships. Traits, charisma, attitudes, behavior, position, and several combinations are
things that already study by many people. Without people and without purpose,
leaderships are clearly a hollow term. It cannot exist apart from a social setting. In short,
leadership does not just happen. It is planned process of interaction in a social setting in
which goals that are mutually satisfying to the school organization and to the individuals
in the school are established and means are developed to achieve them.

Furthermore, leadership is not all down to the head teacher, the head department
or in the classroom, the teacher. If it is, there are nobody is learning anything at all about
leadership. The important rule about leadership is that it is shared. The opportunities for
exerting leaderships in a school are almost innumerable and are, in a sense, the measure
of the principal’s responsibility to lead. The greater of the opportunity, the greater the
responsibility. The leader should co-operate with all the school community to make sure
that the school can be success and improve day by day.

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Avi-Itzhak, T.E., & Ben-Peretz, M. (1987). Principals' leadership styles as change

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Barnes, L.B., & Kriger, M.P. (1986). The hidden side of organizational leadership. Sloan
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Clusters of excellence on January 12th 2007 by Star Education from

http://thestar.com.my/education/story.asp?file=/2007/1/14/education/16560779

Leadership Impact taken September 10th, 2007 from

www.languageimpact.com/articles/rw/krashenbk.htm

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School Leadership taken September 10th, 2007 from

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Brown_(psychologist)

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School Improvement. Buckingham, Open University Press.

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