What is the point of leadership? A good question, and one which is maybe not asked too often. Maybe not often enough. Why do we lead?
On one level the answer might seem obvious – we lead to increase the effectiveness and success of our organisation. I suppose that is a given. Yet surely management could do that. Surely making sure everyone does their job properly, with a proper management structure, could do just that. So what is it that sets leadership apart as an activity.
In my (as yet uneducated) mind, it seems to be about people, and the importance that is placed on the development of those peoples’ aspirations, goals and dreams. If I manage, I care only that the job gets done. If I lead, I care how the job gets done, and I care about the impact on the people doing it. In education, that is every member of staff, and every pupil.
Of course, and this is a question for another day, does that mean that one is always better than another.
Having started to read Theories of Educational Leadership and Management by Tony Bush (2003), which by the way seems to be an excellent introduction to the topic, I am struck by how little emphasis in current theories tends to be placed on the people, pupils, parents etc that are being led.
Let me clarify; much mention is made of these people. Mention is made of influencing them, transforming them and bringing about better attainment through them. However, it is all one way. It is about how you, as a leader, can influence them. It isn’t about their thoughts, feelings or experiences as such.
I rememb
er reading a book a few years ago by Adrian Plass, The Growing Up Pains of Adrian Plass (1994). In this book he recounted the time he first realised that he was only the centre of his own world, not everyone elses, and they were the centre of their own worlds. He said that he realised “Everyone is I”.
Can we really truly lead educational change without at least acknowledging that “Everyone is I”, and entering in dialogue with all of these other “I”‘s?
I am about to embark on the MA in Educational Leadership and Management. As you can probably imagine, this fills me with a combination of excitement and dread. I don’t seem to find time for everything I have to do at the moment, so quite how I am to do this I don’t know.
However, the time seems right (if for no other reason than it will be 50% funded at the moments), and I need to be more reflective in my career at the moment.
I have been an Assistant Headteacher for about a year now, and any success has been purely accidental. That doen’t mean that I have neccesarily done anything wrong – on the contrary, there have been some real high points. However, I am not sure that they have always correlated with the work that I have consciously done.
Which brings me back to here. I don’t know how well I will do studying at Masters Level – I have a classic drinkers degree (2:2), so this is a bit unknown. However, I do know I am motivated and interested, so here goes.