Paula J. Sanders
(opinion)
Some people are born leaders, someone once said, and I believe that to be true.
I am a reluctant leader, but I am a hard worker, team player/cheerleader but I feel my true place is in the classroom.
I have been a classroom teacher for 16 years and teaching is actually my 2nd career. After college, I went into corporate training and eventually event production and sales. In those capacities I had to lead, but I did so with patience and firmness but never was I harsh, hateful, or hurtful. “Good leaders exhibit courage, passion, confidence, commitment, and ambition. They nurture the strengths and talents of their people and build teams committed to achieving common goals. “ (1)
Looking back on those times led me to some very interesting observations about educational leadership; some people are just natural-born gifted leaders. I remember working with a very young teacher, however, he was an intelligent and active teacher with great methods and ideas. (I have never been one to be intimidated by the fiery new teachers entering education; instead, I look forward to the fresh ideas they bring to the classroom.) One morning as we worked together on a special event for the school, I watched him direct and inform the other teachers and I just had to tell him that he had a higher calling in education. Of course in the middle of preparations, he brushed it off as if I were joking. But I could just tell that there was something “gifted” in the way he headed up the team of teachers and students preparing for the special event, that leadership was indeed his forte. After all, “Great administrators are those who excelled in the classroom, not the teachers who got into administration to get away from teaching.” (2) He is now an inspiring administrator and has changed the lives of many, many students, and is very well respected by his staff and peers alike.
“Ineffective leadership can be thought of as directly contrasting successful leadership; while the latter has a positive influence on workers to achieve common goals, ineffective leadership, on the other hand, has an adverse impact on workers’ motivations to attain common goals.” (3) Contrary to watching a teacher evolve into a strong leader, I worked with a teacher who was extremely ambitious and made great efforts to receive recognition for her hard work and ideas. She relished in the fact that she wore many hats episodes her regular instructional position. She definitely had drive and ambition, but, from my personal observation, needed to hone her leadership skills. Her concern for her position and personal accolades often left gaping holes in her leadership style. Thus her team was simply worker bees than a united team. The work they completed definitely elevated her status with the end product and she praised herself when her team accomplished the goal. It was only when a seasoned administrator acknowledged her team that she would also do so, briefly, and then turn the focus back to her success in the task. Her ambitious leadership would never equal that of a gifted leader who could acknowledge that without the team of hard-working people behind them, success would remain far out of reach.
In the past, I have been fortunate to serve children with phenomenal administrators. One in particular instilled the concept of “whatever it takes” and she allowed teachers to use whatever methods they had to make sure that students were engaged and learned well. This included teaching students about recycling and repurposing everyday items to having an “underground railroad” day to engage students in history and the realities of pre-civil war slavery. She wanted to walk by or walk into a classroom and see students receiving engaging instruction, collaborating, or independently working and focused. Her ability to coach, lead and inspire teachers made for great morale and high retention. “One key factor that influences teachers to remain at schools is their relationship with the building principal. ... the most crucial variable in faculty productiveness and commitment is the quality of the relationship between [faculty] and their administrators.” (4)
“Administrators who don’t understand what it takes to be a great teacher cannot succeed as leaders of a school.” (5) There is truth in this statement because there are plenty of teachers who would make excellent leaders, but for the love of teaching remain in the classroom. An educator who I call a colleague and friend is one such teacher/leader. She goes above and beyond for her students and coworkers. She has elevated ideas from classroom instruction to school activities. She is encouraging, knowledgeable, and most of all humble. She is extremely likable and I have discovered that some may find her light and ability to make a friend anywhere intimidating. They are prone to the notion that she is trying to be better than they are or somehow intentionally outshine them but that is just not the case. Her only intent is to be a team player and uplift those around her even on some of her most personally challenging days. I have assumed several times that she would go for leadership positions but each time she waved them by basking in the joys of simple teacherhood, utilizing her “gifted leadership” to the fullest in her classroom.
In the end, a gifted leader knows how to gather a team seemingly falling apart and bring them back together. Gifted leaders can harness potential without harmful worlds, inspire without insult and work selflessly to make sure that all teachers feel appreciated, even when things are tough and right now, things are tough all over.
To administrators, I must say that just because some are “gifted leaders” does not mean that you are NOT a true leader yourself. Some believe that, “Great leadership is not a natural occurrence. Though some people have innate leadership traits, the best heads of the pack get that way through ongoing mentoring, training and real-world experience.” So, take the time to improve your style and knowledge as a leader to increase or maintain the morale of your team. An effective and conscious leader will accept the need to learn more and develop those skills in order to become an even more competent leader. This effort is not just a personal goal but is also for the amazing teachers and students who stand with you. “Conscious leaders speak with integrity, lead with authenticity and hold themselves accountable. They listen with the intent to understand and not just to respond...” (6)
