Teach Middle East Magazine Jan - Mar 2020 Issue 2 Volume 7 | Page 10

Sharing Good Practice TRANSFORMING THE SCHOOL CULTURE USING POWERFUL LEADERSHIP STYLES BY: SHEELA GEORGE key to success in leadership. The team members should be made comfortable in expressing their thoughts, they should be made aware of everything that is a part of the business strategy. The main focus of school leadership should be; seeking responsibility and taking responsibility, making sound and timely decisions , knowing the people and seeking to look after their wellbeing. G ood leaders are not born but are made by; learning, unlearning, experiencing challenges, opportunities and finding solutions for every situation that they come across. Building positive relationships, collaborating with the team members, resolving conflicts with patience and perseverance, are the main traits that enable a school leader to build a positive culture within a school. The example set by the Principal, ripples through the entire culture and brings out the desired positive outcome. All stakeholders look upon the best practices established and get motivated with the initiatives taken, towards the progress and development of the school. Self-awareness and grooming oneself overtime to solve issues, using self- regulatory techniques at crucial times and being clear in decision –making processes, are the important elements in leadership. The head of the school should work with his or her school leadership team. Brainstorming with the team on decisions made towards the progress of the school yields the best results. Every team member’s views or opinions should be respected and valued, while the common good points should be taken into consideration for the good of everyone. Positive comments and a word of praise goes a long way to make each team member know that they are valued. 10 Term 2 Jan - Mar 2020 When team managers feel dis- empowered, they shall exert power over others who they feel are under their control. The impact of this can result in power struggles between the staff. A school leader should introspect and find answers to certain questions and seek ways of responding to them honestly. Do staff members have access to meet and discuss their issues? How many times have the ancillary staff met with the school leader? If the answer is never, then as a leader one needs to find a way of addressing this. To build a positive culture in the school, effective school leaders ought to acknowledge their areas of weaknesses and speak openly about both their desire to improve and a willingness to collaborate in doing so. As all stakeholders look up to the leadership skills of the Principal for their wellbeing and the organization’s objectives to be achieved, it is essential that the right leadership styles are used to bring the best out of everyone. Team members should feel at ease to be guided by those they respect and who have a clear sense of direction. Effective communication is the A range of leadership styles tends to become more effective in different situations. No one leadership style or approach works well in every situation. Instructional leadership is given the top priority to encourage educational achievement and improve student performance, this leadership style does put the learning at the center of everything the leaders do. Students learning comes first. Pygmalion leadership style is used to encourage leaders, managers and other staff to perform at their very best. School leaders use various forms of leadership styles such as; servant leadership, situational leadership, democratic leadership, courageous leadership, transactional leadership and other leadership styles as required, to run the organization successfully. The fundamental starting point for a school leader is to have a good understanding of staff, their needs, emotions, attributes and motivation. Successful schools have leaders and managers who are consistently setting high standards, visions and goals, across the entire spectrum and continuously evaluating the outcome. Various forms of leadership styles are used to keep employees happy and energetic enough, to achieve the goals of the organisation. Leadership is not about being in charge. Leadership is about taking care of those in your charge - Simon Sinek. Ms. Sheela George, Principal of ASPAM IIS, is an educationist with over 28 years of experience. She is a positive & creative thinker. Ms. George has attended numerous Educational Conferences across the US & Australia . Besides developing innovative sustainable practices, Ms. George is passionate about training teachers and mentoring students ,to build leaders of tomorrow. Class Time