David West
EDUL 8050, FAll 2004
1. Possess a vision of what the school should become.
2. Facilitate effective communication of this vision. Communication should include opportunities for those in
lower levels to openly address issues that are important to them.
3. Commit to the process of improving education for all students, regardless of the difficulty or setbacks.
4. Provide small, but significant goals that are reachable. Once your school reaches a few, the enthusiasm for
continued improvement will likely take the school to even higher levels of achievement.
5. Place people at the center of any change or improvement process.
6. Be patient, but persevere to succeed. Stay on top of the process and its participants.
7. Listen as more than you talk.
8. Recognize that informal channels are just as important as formal channels of leadership.
9. Let other individuals lead the way also. This creates a shared mindset and ownership of the process.
10. Be a good example to those you are leading. Put more than your share of effort into the improvement
process
A good summation of leadership that is necessary for today's schools can be found in the book Four-Star Leadership for Leaders. It states: Your task is to be a leader. It requires hard work, enthusiasm and sensitivity to what's going on. Establish your expectations, be involved, and listen. Remember integrity and honesty is basic to everything.
While this list might seem short, I feel that to be an effective leader one must utilize these concepts. The items that I count as my strengths include the following:
1. Commitment - If I begin a task, I commit my entire energy to that task and will not give up until every opportunity is explored and all resources are exhausted.
2. Listener - I listen to those around me and reflect on their concerns and needs.
3. Lead by example - I attempt to live and lead in a manner that encourages others to seek the best within
themselves.
The items that I feel I could improve upon are the following.
1. Patience - While I will seldom give up, my patience for some people or some programs is not as great as it
needs to be. It is hard to wait to see the outcome of some situations. I want the picture to be clear before
it fully develops at times.
2. Possession of a vision - I think this avenue will improve as I move into a middle leadership position. The
vision of the school must be developed independently and is location specific.
3. Letting others lead - This relates to my impatient nature. It is hard to let others lead when they seem to
slow the process down. I realize that for them to improve their abilities, this is necessary.