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Feature Story
LEADING EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN UNCERTAIN
TIMES
MUTHEU KASANGA
Since the 2008 financial crisis , academicians , experts and analysts have been studying the effects of disruptions to economies and businesses , world over . A lot of research and writings since then have led to various models which can help leaders prepare , predict and cope with emergent disruptions . However , 2020 saw a global , almost apocalyptic disruption affect the entire planet . Global education systems were disrupted in a way that only West Africans could comprehend – for they had experienced a similar largescale disruption during the 2013- 2016 , Ebola epidemic .
Back here in Kenya , the on-going curriculum reforms has given education policy makers and education institution leaders , a chance to re-imagine how to provide for educational access , equity , quality and sustainability in uncertain times . During the pandemic , school and institution leaders have become more important than ever . The pandemic has provided education leaders with a global snapshot of the effect a large scale disruption can have on the entire education spectrum . So , what implications does this current context have for leaders ( new and old ) as they prepare to lead in uncertain times ?
For most leaders managing education institutions in Kenya , the pandemic has forced them to look to the business world to understand the crisis and find quick turn-around solutions . J . McGregor & A . Harris ( 2006 ) posits that the start of ‘... the new century [...] has been characterized by calls for a greater understanding of the processes of knowledge creation and the transfer of practice .’ Yet it took the global shut-down of education systems to make school leaders seek out new knowledge that would help them adapt , and help them redesign their schools for learners . School leaders were forced out of their insular , inward-looking models to embrace collaboration , even us they looked to the business world to help them solve problems and improve their adaptive capabilities . The spotlight turned on the school leaders to provide ; direction , hope and reassurance , to learners , teachers , parents and other school employees . For those of us in private education , the challenge was even more daunting , as we were required to ensure learning continued sustainably without diluting quality and whilst still ensuring that delivery was effective .
What happens when school leaders are uncertain ?
When a school is staring down the barrel of uncertainty , problems can start adding up even more than usual . Take the example of Ganttic , a company that specializes in making resource planning processes . In one of their case scenarios they claim , that several things happen when leaders are faced with uncertainty , or when they are uncertain in decisiveness . They say that the following happens ;
1 . Leaders can make unreliable projections
2 . Leaders may fail to give clear timelines 3 . It can lead to a lack of resources 4 . Which inevitable leads to staff facing a stressful working environment
They conclude by saying , if the school leader is incapacitated by uncertainty and indecision , then inevitably communication issues will arise .
According to Mckinsey & Company ( 2020 ), in order to “ respond effectively , leaders should act on three imperatives : a ) Clarify purpose , b ) Support stakeholders , and
EdSource Quarterly | Oct-Dec l 2021