What is Leadership? How do you experience leadership, especially in Education? A leader, by any wide definition of the term, has to lead. The leading has to be towards the implementation, execution, and realization of an aim, objective, target, or goal. Since the dawn of humanity, the issue of leadership and the debate as to why some people become leaders while others cannot has been complex and addressed by philosophers, thinkers, theorists, and strategists alike. Is leadership an inherent trait, something with which people are born? If that is the answer, then we wouldn’t have leaders like Rosa Parks , Mother Teresa, Malala Yousufzai, Greta Thurnberg.
People often confuse leadership with an ability to influence, though this is true to a certain extent about realizing a temporary land mark, sustained movements of action and change happen mainly when leadership emanates from love and passion. Other qualities like knowledge, communication, adaptability, courage, willingness to learn, and quick decision-making enhance the growth of a leader. But educational leadership flourishes when it is nurtured by love—love towards the child, the learning process, the stakeholders; parents, teachers. Leadership in education should focus on building trust. Trust is an important aspect of the teaching-learning process. Trust, coupled with love, builds a strong relationship between the child and the teacher. Leadership in education, primarily for schools, centers on the roles and responsibilities that four principal stakeholders have to perform: the students, the teachers, the officials, and the parents. Other stakeholders, like NGOs, civil society, the media, and political executives can add to the contribution of the principal stakeholders.
The need for a unified vision:
Implicit agreement towards a unified vision from the powers that have the capacity to order is extremely important. The progress towards this path must involve decisions that are quick, flexible, and solution-oriented. Leadership cannot happen overnight. It is a constant and continuous process where the minor goals are focused on primarily to travel towards the objective. The microscopic changes that can happen, e.g., 1) All children should have a proper uniform with shoes. 2) All children should have textbooks and notebooks. 3) All children attend school regularly. 4) All children participate in the class (a classroom that is participatory, democratic, and joyful) will slowly work towards enhanced leadership in the school.
Although there is visibly less enthusiasm towards becoming a teacher in our society, thousands of dedicated teachers are working silently towards the realization of their cherished goals. What the government can do to promote them is engage in a process of consultation, respect, coordination, and recognition. When this happens and trust starts to build, empowerment abates the negative force entering into the system.
Leadership at the school level depends upon the persons who are leading from the top: The Principal, the teachers and the administration. There are instances which demonstrate how eager and passionate individuals have transformed institutions with their drive, force and powers of inspiration. Miraculously things seem to fall in place after they take-over. They are able to achieve convergence and co-operation by instilling a feeling of confidence and consensus. Team work can never be substituted. Educational leadership should focus on building teams which are aligned to the vision of the organization. They should concentrate on the micro tasks and goals that they can work upon. For more inspired leaders to emerge from our educational eco-system we need individuals who are inspired and who can inspire love towards the child and the learning process. (My thoughts after attending a meet in Bengaluru : InvokED Dialogues on Educational Leadership)