Leadership through Relationship
“We are
born in relation, we live in relation, and we die in relation. There is,
literally, no such human place as simply 'inside myself'. Nor is any person,
creed, ideology, or movement entirely 'outside myself'”, said Carter Hayward.
The ability to cultivate and manage relationships both within and outside the
organization is an integral aspect of effective leadership. Forming and
maintaining relationship with students, teachers, employees, and suppliers is
essential to safe guard the interests of the organization. The ability to network
effectively with relevant parties is essential because it maximizes an
organization’s chance of capturing new growth opportunities in the future and
also enables leaders to learn from others and to gain expertise in new areas.
Trying to walk alone in an increasingly competitive academic and business
environment is a self-defeating act, particularly, since organizations are
increasingly being rated on their innovation and knowledge capabilities.
Academic
Leader who can do Mentoring, Team-building, Motivation, Respect, Appreciate
challenge (Appreciate in public and Correct in Private), Promote Unity in
Diversity, Challenging the Process, Empower Teachers’ through in-service
training, would become an effective leader.
The
most important ingredient we put into any relationship is not what we say or
what we do, but what we are. “And if our words and our actions come from
superficial human relations techniques (the Personality Ethic) rather than from
our own inner core (the Character Ethic), others will sense that duplicity. We
simply won't be able to create and sustain the foundation necessary for
effective interdependence.” Stephen R. Covey. Principals
must understand interrelationships of various Groups:
Centrality
of Leadership in Schools
The Principal
is the pivot around which the whole administrative system revolves. The
teaching, non-teaching staff, students, their parents, the neighborhood, the
city and the society at large are influenced by that one person called – Principal.
He can make or break the institution. It is said that outstanding schools have
effective Principals. They remain focused on the vision and mission of the
school. They are able to dream and make the dream come true. Your call is to
become a visionary leader of the school. Principals of Catholic schools are
inspired by the Spirit of Christ. Christ’s commandment to love God and neighbor
inspires a caring ethos which is expressed in relationships within and beyond
Catholic schools. Catholic Principals provide a high quality, value added and
gospel-led educational experience for all pupils, inspired by the Spirit of
Christ. They seek to ennoble and enrich the human person so that each can
develop and fulfill his/her potential. Relationship with Christ is the key to
effectiveness in educational apostolate. Catholic Principals help the person
and message of Christ find expression in all the activities of the school. They
help the schools become the light, leaven and salt of the earth. Their academic
leadership and moral influence is incomparable. Hence, Catholic schools should
have Principals who have proven record of visionary leadership.
The
winners of the twenty-first century will be those who can transform their
organizations into something that more resembles a jeep – an all-wheel drive,
all terrain vehicles that is lean, mean and highly maneuverable.” – Peter Drucker. Three conditions distinguish
the work of school administrators from that of their colleagues in non-school
contexts: the uniquely moral character of schools; a highly educated,
autonomous, and permanent workforce; and regular and unpredictable threats to
organizational stability. The resultant demand environment requires school
administrators to rely more extensively on leadership than routine
administration to influence teachers and to negotiate the complex interplay
among the five situational imperatives of school administration: moral,
instructional, political, managerial, and social.
•
There is no denying
the fact that leadership has a powerful impact on schools.
•
When schools have good
leaders, they become leading schools.
•
Outstanding schools
have effective Principals.
•
Effective Principals
develop outstanding schools.
•
Crisis of leadership.
The
message for future School leaders is very clear:
·
Improve quality.
·
Involve in constant
learning.
·
Connect and Believe in
Synergy.
·
Focus on the processes.
·
End the era of
routines.
·
Encourage
participation and interactive & team-oriented activities.
·
Paradigm shift: From
result oriented to transformation oriented education.
·
Selfish monetary
pursuits to building the nation.
·
Pay attention to the
various stakeholders of education as given below:
Students: Future Leaders
of the Society
The
main stake holder of the educational system is students. Without them, schools
would remain dead buildings and meaningless structures. Principals make significant
contribution in the areas of student’s capacity building, teaching and
learning. Interpersonal qualities of Principals showed a common and consistent
set of personal traits, behaviors, values and beliefs, such as honesty and
openness, highly developed communication skills, flexibility, commitment,
passion, empathy with others, a sense of 'innate goodness', support of equity
and social justice, a belief that all children are important and can succeed,
being other-centred, high expectations and a belief that schools can make a
difference. Principal’s relationship with students would be of great
significance particularly in today’s context. He could be a connecting link
between students belonging to different communities, religions, social status
and back grounds. He could build the mind set of the future citizens on gospel
values. In the context of communal violence and growing hatred towards
Christian presence and missionary activity, it is vital that we let our
students know who we are and what the main teachings of Christ are. The purpose
of education is the healthy interaction between information and formation
resulting in transformation of life. More than filling the empty minds with
knowledge, we must enable them to develop soft skills, make them appreciate the
good things in life and contribute to make this world a better place to live
in. We must develop in them an attitude of gratitude and loyalty, lest they
take our institutions as commercial entities. Focus on holistic development. We
have introduced what is known as 4H Method (Head, Heart, Hands and Habits) for
the integral development of students.
Mentoring:
Enhancing Leadership
“Mentoring
is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction,”
said, John C. Crosby. “If you touch me soft and gentle, if you look at me and smile at me, if you listen to me talk sometimes, before you talk, I will grow, really grow” – Bradley
said, John C. Crosby. “If you touch me soft and gentle, if you look at me and smile at me, if you listen to me talk sometimes, before you talk, I will grow, really grow” – Bradley
A good
mentor is willing to give the intern real and significant responsibilities, the
opportunity to try without risk of reproach, time for constructive feedback and
processing of those experiences, and understanding of "inside
stories" and thinking that underlie administrative decisions and actions.
Teachers:
Builders of the Nation:
“The quality of nation depends upon the quality of
its citizens. The quality of its citizens depends- not exclusively but in
critical measure-upon the quality of their education. The quality of their
education depends, more than upon any other single factor, upon the quality of
their teacher.” These words of the American Commission on Teacher Education cannot be over-emphasized. Teachers are the back-bone of our schools. The Principal
should build his team and this alone would ensure success. How true it is:
The
mistake of a doctor lies buried in grave.
The mistake of an engineer lies cremated in
bricks.
The mistake of the lawyer lies in lies.
But the mistake of a teacher is reflected on
the Nation”
He
should focus on the potential of their active collaboration around
instructional matters to enhance the quality of teaching and student
performance. The analysis is grounded in two conceptions of
leadership—transformational and instructional. It is found that transformational
leadership is a necessary but insufficient condition for instructional
leadership. When transformational and shared instructional leadership coexist
in an integrated form of leadership, the influence on school performance,
measured by the quality of its pedagogy and the achievement of its students, is
substantial. It is said, “Knowledge is the best eraser in the world for
disharmony, distrust, despair, and the endless physical deficiencies of man.”
We need to empower Teachers through
in-service training.
Team-building:
Principals
as Academic Leaders foster collaboration, build spirited teams, and actively
involve everyone in academic initiatives. The successful Principal understands
that mutual respect makes a successful school, and strives to create an
atmosphere of trust and dignity. They enable others by making each person feel
capable and more powerful. Effective Principals understand that their staff has
to have the freedom to grow and achieve their full potential. Teachers need to
know they can be themselves and that diverse points of view are acceptable.
Employees won’t start respecting
you until YOU start respecting them” -“Employees won’t start trusting you until
YOU start trusting them.” An effective leader must be able to interact with employees,
peers, superiors and many other individuals both inside and outside the
organization. Leaders must gain the support of many people to meet or exceed
established objectives. This means that they must develop or possess a unique
understanding of people. The ability to coach mentor and teach leadership
skills to others is the driving force that will create a winning organization.
Being an effective leader requires the understanding of the principles that
govern employee behavior. A leader must be able to attribute successes to each team member. He must learn to appreciate in public and correct in Private In any endeavor, there will be
milestones; and each milestone can be measured for success. Celebrate these
successes. No matter how small an accomplishment, it cannot be too small to be
ignored. No task is unworthy. A leader who knows how to draw out the best in
his team usually knows how to show appreciation for their efforts. Yet, a good
leader also knows that showing appreciation is not limited to successes. There
will be many stumbles along the path to success. Yet, each stumble, no matter
how painful, still works towards bringing the team that one tiny bit closer to
its objectives. Here lies the distinction between a good leader and a truly
great leader. Balance the struggles of the team with its triumphs, reward the
heart. Allowing even the weakest member to experience appreciation might do
nothing for the “bottom line”, but the overall impact on the team is
tremendous.
Principals
use the leadership practice of encouraging
the heart to show appreciation for their teachers and students
and create a culture of celebration. A Principal’s praise and show of
appreciation is a powerful motivator and helps teachers become creative in
their work. Successful Principals create a culture where each staff member
believes their accomplishments will be noted, appreciated, and celebrated by
the school community
Parents
Compliment School Education:
Parent’s involvement in school education is of
great importance for the integral development of the students. Parents should be part and parcel of the
planning and execution of the policies and programmes of the school to elicit active
participation of their wards. Parent-teacher association can play a very
important role in the holistic development of the students. Hence Principals are responsible for developing strong ties
between school and home; parents can try to maintain a positive home
environment which is conducive to academic achievement. The important home factors
include the following: (1) work habits and daily schedule of the family; (2)
available parental guidance, support, and assistance for the child's school and
homework; (3) intellectual stimulation; (4) language development; (5) Parents
willingness to spend time with children; and (5) parents' academic aspirations
and expectations.
School
and Local Community:
The school should
cater to the needs of the neighborhood and thus make its existence relevant to
the people around the place. Their needs, aspirations and struggles should be
part of the school journey. We don’t exist in a vacuum. The Principal of a
school is most directly responsible for maintaining the relationship between
the school and the community; he or she must develop a strategy for school-community
relations, who takes into account the community's values and power hierarchy. School
Principals have the opportunity to interact with the community in many ways
that may help to develop positive relations. For instance,
·
interpret school programs for the community
·
determine community expectations of the school
·
initiate special publicity campaigns
·
support student publications
·
appraise school community relations
·
work with industry and community image groups
·
determine the community power structure
·
Help students and teachers become responsible
members of the neighborhood.
Government
Officials: Give to Caesar what is His Due
The Principal should be a public relations officer
with the government officials. Often the Catholic school is the visible face of
the Church. And, Principal is its spokesperson, officially appointed by the Church
or not. The school would need civil authorities from time to time for its
existence and growth. We live in an interconnected world. Any time we ignore or
show disrespect to a civil authority we are inviting trouble not only for our
own institution but also for all the other institutions of ours. It has
happened many times that a Principal who is haughty and power hungry would show
disrespect through subtle ways and then face back lash of legal complication.
In the long run relationship pays.
Political
Leaders: Patriotism
Political parties have become an unavoidable part of
our daily life. Like it or not we have to interact with them. Rising above
party politics we need to consciously project an image of the school and Church
which is never part of any party. Yes, we are always part of the ruling party!!
Christians being a micro minority, we
need to realize that we cannot afford to ignore the current party system with
all its corrupt practices and power games. Jesus’ word, “be shrewd as serpents
and innocent as doves” should be our guiding principle. We are and we must
project that we are patriotic and we are celebrating the political and social
events of the country. The image of Christians as part of the western influence
must be erased by our being rooted in the life and achievements of the country
and our countrymen.
Religious
Leaders: Religious Pluralism
India is a land of many religions. Atrocities against Christians have come to us
as a rude shock. Those of us who work in educational institutions must revisit
and review our educational apostolate and see where we have faltered ‘or’
fumbles or failed or fallen. To me after twenty five years of being a Principal,
I feel we have not made use of our leadership to build bridges with other
religions; we have not sufficiently made use of the school assembly, value
education classes, parent-teacher meetings and staff meetings to communicate gospel
values, respect for other religions, and concern for the county. In a
pluralistic society like ours, we need to be the cementing force between
religions, without compromising our deep faith and commitment to Jesus.
Educational institutions can play a vital role in promoting inter-religious
dialogue which is the need of the hour. From Basic Ecclesial Communities we
must branch off to Basic Human Communities, and thus, widen the circle of
influence. Let us
promote Unity in Diversity.
School
Administration: Effective and Productive Synergy
What do
we mean by a school? Is it a building? An Assembly Line? Results? Activities? Or
a Living Organism? School is a network of relationships with its stake holders
resulting in effective and productive synergy conducive to the holistic growth
of students.
It is
important to keep the different Stake Holders focused on Vision and Mission of
the School. It is not to keep the status quo. School leaders should develop a clear,
educationally focused vision and a well-defined mission statement,
collaborating with school staff and community members to agree on the type of
learning, beliefs, and goals that are important. A vision means an image of what
the school can and should become. It is deeply embedded in values, hopes, and
dreams. A mission
statement is more specific and often defines what the school is
trying to accomplish and for whom. It can be developed from the vision itself. Goals and objectives
are still more specific and concrete; are derived from the vision, and can be
used to focus change and improvement efforts.
Leaders should help develop a mission that is
centered on student learning. The schools mission should concentrate on key
areas of high- quality student learning. But it also can concentrate on
establishing a professional work environment that supports collegiality,
improves professional growth, and an understanding of the importance of
diversity and equity. Collective visions often grow out of collaboration, teamwork,
and empowerment. Many schools broaden this goal by establishing collaborative
and partnerships with outside agencies that serve students and their
families.
The school's vision also can incorporate values
and goals related to equity and justice, respect and appreciation for
multiculturalism and diversity, and concern for the academic success of all
students. These views of the school determine how people spend their time, what
problems they solve, and how resources are distributed. Moreover, a clear
understanding of the school's vision and mission statement may lead to greater
parent and community support. Thus, having a clearly defined and communicated
vision supports active improvement and accomplishment. How true, knowing how to
do a job is not the key to success... It is more important to know how to work
with people.
Motivation:
Key Role of a Principal
There
is a story of a mother eagle, which gently coaxed her offspring toward the edge
of the nest. Her heart quivered with conflicting emotions as she felt their
resistance to her persistent nudging. “Why does the thrill of soaring have to
begin with the fear of falling? As in the tradition of the species, her
nest was located high upon the shelf of a sheer rock face. Below there was
nothing but air to support the wings of each child. “Is it possible that this
time it will not work?” she thought. Despite her fears, the eagle knew it was
time. Her parental mission was all but complete. There remained one final task
- the push.
The
eagle drew courage from an innate wisdom. Until her children discovered their
wings, there was no purpose for their lives. Until they learned how to soar,
they would fail to understand the privilege of having been born an eagle. The
push was the greatest gift she had to offer. It was her supreme act of love.
And so, one by one, she pushed them and they flew. Even the eagles need a push!
A Principal is a Catalyst,
Motivator, Facilitator and Builder of the Nation.
Conclusion: Purpose Driven School
As an academic leader build a “School Climate” that
encourages performance. A positive school
climate is an environment where learning and achievement can take root and
grow. The foundation for a positive school climate rests on the integration of
academic and behavior approaches that address the student as a whole person.
Instructional practices teach to the standards and are culturally relevant.
Curriculum and instruction engage students by providing personal meaning to
them. Behavior is approached positively, with an emphasis on prevention. There
are clear, positive expectations and behavior supports to increase academic
achievement. There are systems in place to assure that continuums of strategies
are used to match the need of the students. Adults have high expectations and they
team effectively with colleagues to help the students achieve at their maximum
level. The environment welcomes and values all cultural and racial groups, and
staff view difference as strength upon which to build.
Leadership
is key in developing a positive school climate. While leadership is clearly not
the job of just one person, the Principal must be a key player in guiding,
leading, inspiring, and supporting staff and students in establishing
relationships where they can work and learn.
Principals as Academic Leaders must have a vision of what
they want the institution to accomplish. A clear vision allows the Principal to
focus on the most important issues, and prioritize what is essential to the
academic development of the institution. They envision the future, creating an
ideal image of what their school can become, and enlist others in their effort.
They are able to inspire their staff to work and strive for a common goal. It
is their personal conviction, confidence and belief in the vision that keeps
them focused and sustains them. Twenty Years from Now???? Share the Vision and Ignite the Big Dream.
Dr. Fr. Davis George, Principal, St. Aloysius College
(Autonomous), Jabalpur 482001 (M.P)
India, Accredited A+ By NAAC. College with Potential for Excellence.
Phone No. (0761) 2629655, ® 2628702, Mobile: (+91)9425152081, Email: dgeorge55@gmail.com,
Website: www.staloysiuscollege.ac.in
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