Leadership matters
THE opinion that a school takes on the character of the principal is very much correct. Schools are defined by its leaders. Schools with strong leaders succeed. A school without a strong leader will likely fail. Principals who exhibit good leadership take responsibility for the successes and failures of his or her school.
School heads come and go. They are assigned to different places during their tenure as principals. If they are promoted, they get to handle bigger schools. I am lucky to have worked with school heads who exhibited excellent leadership skills. There certainly are no perfect leaders but some of the school heads I have been under have also gave their best to propel the school to outstanding performance.
These school leaders, being service-oriented, have put the needs of others in front of their own. They do this by connecting with each person they deal with on a daily basis. There are many groups of people that principals deal with everyday including their superintendent, teachers, support staff, parents, students, and community members. Every group requires a different approach, and individuals within a group are unique in their own right.
As these school leaders strive to become adept in establishing relationships with people, they are able to ensure the perseveration of a creative atmosphere. If jealousies, infighting, and internal debate run riot among employees, creativity will be trapped. Talented people will be reluctant to speak out and express themselves lest they face blowback.
Teachers cherish it when school leaders listen to suggestions and take them seriously so that employees are willing to come up with more creative ways of improving the workplace. Great school leaders inspire their teachers to be bigger and better that results in the improvement of the overall quality of the school. They never want anybody to be stale. They believe that even the best teachers can get better. They make it their job to see that no one gets the support he or she needs and that everyone is working to improve continuously.
Such is the power of school heads in building great schools. Their kind of leadership matters. They can make the underperforming teacher perform. They work on the premise that great teachers aren’t born–they are nurtured and developed. Hence, they serve as mentors who help their teachers grow.