Do you have a leadership language?

Talking about leadership can cause uncertainty.  Teachers often wonder:

• What activities can I call leadership?
• What is the evidence of my leadership?
• How can I trace my leadership back to student learning?
• How do I know if I’m an effective leader?

It is easy to understand the difficulty teachers have in talking about leadership. Cooper reminds us that the complex tasks of teaching and leading are buried so deeply in daily activities that it is difficult to articulate what we know. Difficult, but necessary. 

Talking about their leadership often requires that teachers make a shift away from traditional notions of leadership. Consider the following quotes taken from teachers with whom I’ve had the privilege to work:

Traditional Ideas of Leadership

--“I am not looking for a pedestal; it’s lonely and isolated there. I have no desire to become an administrator.”

--“It is uncomfortable to call myself a leader because I have to work collaboratively . . . as part of a team. I am part of a team. Together, we are all teammates.”

--“The structure of a school system is hierarchical, is it not? There is a superintendent, then there’s the school, and then there is the principal. There is only one position for the principal.”

Is talking about your leadership difficult because you have traditional ideas about leadership? Maybe you’ve always thought of a leader as someone who is

• the boss
• in a formal position of authority
• the sole decision maker
• a man (yikes!)

How do these ideas fit with your understanding of teacher leadership? How can you shift these ideas to accommodate new ideas about leadership?

New Ideas of Leadership

Below are quotes that show ways teachers have constructed new understandings of leadership.

 --”Leading is inspiring others to do willingly what needs to be done to the best of their ability.”

--“Leadership means many things . . . growing with and through others, serving, encouraging, making mistakes, taking risks, accepting failures.”

--“Leadership is the desire to accept a new challenge, to step up to the plate.”

How would you define leadership? Go ahead, give it a try!  Leadership is….

Leadership Activities

As teachers work to make sense of their leadership, they talk about what they do and what they know. Consider the following quotes.

On Mentoring Other Teachers

 --“I work with student teachers, mentor new teachers, and try to provide a role model that inspires commitment to our profession.”

On Communication

 --“Most recently, professional conversations have focused on standards and reform. I communicate honestly, openly, and directly, and I act upon my values, strong convictions, and the needs of others.”

On School Improvement

 --“Although our school’s mission is still being developed, instructional methods and research-based philosophies are being adopted to reach our goals. Therefore, I believe my role as a leader will become one of defending the programs and methods, we, as a staff agree upon.”

On Relationships

 --“I feel that I’m looked upon as a leader, not because of what I achieve by myself but what I achieve with others. I feel that this comes through by being a strong team teacher, working well with parents, and being a positive staff member.”

On Instructional Change

 --“It is a leader’s job to provide the necessary materials and examples of what is expected. I do not believe it is fair for teachers to be instructed to change or alter their teaching techniques without the support and backup that is necessary for success.”

How do these ideas fit with yours? Whether or not you agree with the statements about leadership, it is important to recognize the emerging language used to articulate their leadership experiences. 

Develop your language of leadership!