Educational leadership
There is a difference between the technical term of educational leadership which is the one that refers to a position or a decision making role, like a principal, a superintendent etc. and the charismatic kind of leadership which refers to persons who can connect with their students, inspire and motivate them to follow them. Talking in terms of teaching the educational leader has the ability to make students follow their classes because of their charisma and their enthusiasm.
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Educational Leadership takes a variety of elements, only one of which is personal charisma.
One needs a general vision for the institution with a clear vision of how it fits in the wider community. This requires a perception of what people need (perhaps before they do themselves), and a coherent strategy to meet those needs.
One also needs technical competence, at least some managerial and administrative ability, and a range of interpersonal skills, especially those relating to influencing others.
In the classroom as a teacher, your leadership doesn't depend on disciplines and a system of rewards and punishments. We call this "Organic Influence."
To improve your educational leadership, consider the following:
- Trust yourself; some level of self-confidence is essential.
- Experiment with your own teaching method
- Keep the good will of staff and students
- Look for the bigger picture and the mid to long-term future.
- Look to see whether anyone is following you. If they aren't, you're probably not leading anyone.
- In a debate, either take the lead with a unique contribution or keep quiet. Being one voice in a herd of sheep is not leadership.