PRINCIPALS ARE LEADERS AND MANAGERS
DELIA F. DIZON
Successful principals learn to seamlessly blend their roles as leaders and managers and understand the importance of both tasks.
In the book “The New Principal’s Fieldbook: Strategies for Success” authors Dr. Harvey Alvy and Dr. Pam Robbins note that principals often view leadership and management as two different roles, but the most effective principals know how to blend the two.
Principals are responsible for both leadership and management. Many leaders view management responsibilities at a lower level or lower “rank”because they have little to do with vision, mission, culture building, and instructional supervision, but management goes hand-in-hand with leadership; many of the culture-building and culture-shaping aspects of the job are accomplished through combining leadership and management, the book emphasizes.
Leading and managing requires principals to assess their skills as managers and leaders, have a clear vision and mission of his or her job — one that is focused on instructional leadership, determine successful targets or standards to judge performance, much that the leadership vision needs to be about helping students succeed academically and as citizens, and helping faculty and staff develop as professionals with a common vision and mission about school and student success. Based on the vision and mission the leader needs to set goals, and assess whether the goals have been addressed during the year.
Successful principals and school leaders combine management and leadership strategies effectively by maximizing quality instructional time, using data, managing their time effectively, using faculty meetings to leverage professional learning, and reflecting.
The book stresses that principals need to remember that there are days in which the best plans go awry — that is just part of the job. The daily surprises are a reality, thus it is essential to focus on the mission and vision. The mission and vision serve as a compass to guide one over and around the hurdles that occur each day.
It is essential then, for principals to gain instructional leadership and supervision for student growth and teacher success which are part of the mission and vision, and in strongly focusing on their priorities.
— oOo— The author is Principal III of Gutad National High School