Empirical studiers and leadership theorists hold divergent position on whether leadership is an inborn attribute o0r it is learned. The differences in perception are further illuminated by the fact that different people tend to perceive varied leadership styles to be ideal. Despite the lack of consensus on whether leadership is an inborn trait or an ability developed over time, it is irrefutable that an individual’s leadership style tends to be underpinned by personal life, professional life, and environmental influence. With the notion that people have different leadership framework, this critical analysis paper seeks to debunk my personal leadership framework.
Philosophy and School Leadership
Philosophy is a broad discipline that enshrines academic subjects that seek to understand humanity, belief, behavior, and the community. Firstly epidemiology, which is contextually defined as the study of knowledge, seeks to unravel what it means when someone claims to know or not to know something. Moreover, the discipline seeks to demystify how much someone knows ( Berkovich, 2016) . However, as a prospective leader, I believe that no one person knows everything. Typically, the differences between practical decisions that will guarantee effective performance and decisions that will cripple the operations of an educational institution stem from the decision making process. Given my perspective of epistemology, I believe that executive leaders can make decisions that address all facets of the problem being solves if different perspectives are sought and harmonized into a single feasible decision. In this regard, it is apparent that the importance of team work and collaboration in decision making can never be overstated because no one person knows all.
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The second philosophical principle of consideration in understanding my personal leadership framework is an ontology. Ontology is a branch of philosophy that is devoted to understanding being. The subject expansively studies reality, categories of being, and existence. Since the subject has challenged be to extensively explore what a thing is and what can be said to exist, I have learned to be realistic in the decision-making process ( Day, Gu, & Sammons, 2016) . Although it is vital that leaders should demonstrate optimism, over-ambitious plans based on wild imagination, are likely to fail, causing financial strains on the organization’s budget. As a result, my understanding of ontology allows me to interact with market data and sieve reality from imagination.
Moreover, the commitment of leaders towards warranting the wellness of those they lead can never be compromised. Ethical principles such as fairness, autonomy, justice, beneficence, and non-maleficence underpin my understanding of leadership. From the ethical principles, I have understood that leaders should be impartial, uphold the concept of justice when making a decision, ensure shareholders realize the benefits of their decisions, and they do not act in a manner that intentionally hurt those that rely on their professional judgment.
History and School Leadership
The history of school leadership has been instrumental in shaping my understanding of proficient leadership in the context of an academic institution. Typically, leadership, particularly in the educational spheres has tremendously evolved. Education leadership in history was majorly derived from an instructional leadership framework. Instructional leadership is an educational paradigm in which clear and attainable goals are set, the curriculum is managed, teachers are assessed regularly, and lesson plans are monitored ( Day, Gu, & Sammons, 2016) . I have learned that although instructional leadership played a cardinal role in ensuring that students and teachers understood what is expected of them, the doctrine was short-handed in the sense that educational leadership became more complicated and it enshrined ethical dilemmas that went beyond an academic setting.
However, from reading the history of educational leadership, I established that success in an educational institution could only be attained the students population and educators understand the goals of the institution, the curriculum is tailored to bridge the existent knowledge gap and improve the employability of students upon their graduation, and teachers are assessed to determine if they are well endowed to satisfy the educational needs of students exhaustively.
Democracy and School Leadership
Democracy in education can be used a mode of shaping students into fully-functional members of the society by exposing them to democracy in school, and the paradigm can be used in administrative purposes, precisely as a method of instruction ( Starrat, 2001) . A leader in the educational platform is expected to uphold democracy by acting in a just, respectful, and trustworthy manner that can be emulated by students. Principally, my working theory of a democratic administration in an educational institution is one that is characterized by the inclusion of student and teachers in the formulation of the curriculum. Integrating students and teachers in decision-making hugely affect how students perceive a school and how they learn.
Meeting in a democratic school is a widespread occurrence, which is designed to openly collect the opinions of educators and teachers on matters pertaining to the running of the institutions. Some meeting goes an extra-mile to include parents and societal leaders ( Starrat, 2001) . Such models play a cardinal role in ensuring the institution conforms with the expectations, and the values held dear by the society surrounding the institution. The meeting can be held to address matter than range from change of school diet to appointment or dismissal of a teacher or an administrator. From the insight obtained from reading about the democratic theory of leadership in education, it is undeniable schools that involve all stakeholders tend to make decisions that are acceptable to all or a majority of stakeholders and decisions that have been extensively explored to ensure that they are ideal for the attainment of the set goals of the institution.
Organizational Metaphors and School Leadership
Gareth Morgan’s portrayal of an organization is an integral tool in the development of leadership competence both in the corporate platform and in an academic setup. Although Morgan advanced a myriad of organizational metaphors, the metaphor that resonated with my perspective of an organization is the flux and the transformation metaphor (Oswick, Keenoy, & Grant, 2002). The metaphor emphasizes the importance of the process and unpredictability in institutions. It is apparent that the nature of leadership dilemmas that principals are facing today encompasses ethical, legal, religious, and political considerations. In this accord, it is crucial that principals demonstrate a degree of flexibility and versatility in handling issues related to leadership in education.
Perceiving an educational institution as a product of flux and transformation makes me understand that there is no one-fit-all approach to enforcing a leadership role in schools. In this regard, it is crucial that a principal is prepared to face new challenges because just like the mainstream society, the educational platforms are also evolving. Therefore, developing leadership principles that allow a leader to cope with the ever-changing dynamics in education is cardinal.
Leadership Theories and School Leadership
The democratic leadership theory best resonated with my understanding of leadership. Although paradigms such as the managerial theory posit that a leader must be at the forefront of educational leadership by controlling, organizing, and leading the school, the democratic theory is the most pragmatic approach. The democratic theory affirms that a leader should not shoulder the entire responsibility of making every decision. As a result, teamwork and interdisciplinary collaboration are employed in a bid to formulate feasible and effective strategies that would improve the quality of education dissipated to the student population. Moreover, since decisions in a democratic leadership paradigm are made collectively, the board benefits from the professional input of persons that are competent in relevant areas (Oswick, Keenoy, & Grant, 2002). Hence, it is likely that decisions made are informed by professional input — also, the decision made in a democratic education institution factor the perspectives of all the parties involved. As a result, the implementation of the proposed strategies is bound to be successful because the changes are deemed acceptable by all the stakeholders.
My Life Experience and School Leadership
I remember at some point reading about the leadership glitch that occurred at Wells Fargo. From the event that nudged the leadership of Wells Fargo to impose unreasonable and unattainable expectations on its employees, it can be deduced that it is essential that leaders set realistic goals and plot an elaborate path for attaining the designated academic goals. Also, it is also noteworthy that as a leader in the school setup, ensuring the wellness of student is the primary goal. For instance, in our high school, a year ago, a physical education teacher who had demonstrated rampant cases of lateness, absenteeism, and being under the influence of drugs in the school premises was laid off against the wish of fellow educators and the school board. However, the principal established that the wellness of students is more critical than the opinions of fellow teachers and the board. From experience, I learned that as a leader in education, I may be expected to make decisive decisions that are in the best interests of the student despite the opposition from fellow staff members.
My Professional Experience/Environment and School Leadership
As a professional, I emphasize upholding justice, fairness, being trustworthy, and dependable. The courses I have undertaken in leadership have played a critical role in allowing me to make a distinction between a competent leader and an inefficient leader. The course has been pivotal in enabling me to understand ethical principles and the doctrine of morality. Therefore, as a future leader, I may be able to apply ethical theories in a bid to distinguish good from bad. To be precise, I have understood that a proposed change can only be effectively implemented if all the involved stakeholders understand the need for the change, the potential benefits of the change, and how the institution will be better positioned to achieve its set objectives owing to the implementation of the change. Moreover, having schooled in an institution where students and teachers are involved in the decision-making process, I have embraced the practice a definitive characteristic of effective leadership.
School Leadership and the Wider Culture
The perceptions of the wider culture on how a school ought to be run play a central role in shaping my leadership framework. For instance, the United States society is anchored on freedom of speech and civil liberties that seek to ensure people live freely. Therefore, such principles tend to encroach into schools and define how leadership should be undertaken. The United States political spectrum has taught me that when leading a school, individual rights and liberties ought to be respected. Also, the student population must be allowed to enjoy the right to express their opinions freely as long as they do not infringe the rights of others by doing so. Hence, the democratic leadership style in America has shaped my skills and understanding of leadership.
In conclusion, this course has been integral in allowing me to develop and understand my leadership framework. Although leaders may approach similar objectives from different leadership lenses, I believe that exposure to the strengths and the shortcomings of leadership theories taught in this class has allowed me to choose a paradigm that best resonates with my personality. Ultimately, I have understood that a democratic leadership theory best explains my perception of leadership.
References
Berkovich, I. (2016). School leaders and transformational leadership theory: time to part ways?. Journal of Educational Administration , 54 (5), 609-622.
Day, C., Gu, Q., & Sammons, P. (2016). The impact of leadership on student outcomes: How successful school leaders use transformational and instructional strategies to make a difference. Educational Administration Quarterly , 52 (2), 221-258.
Starrat, R. J. (2001). Democratic leadership theory in late modernity: an oxymoron or ironic possibility?. International Journal of Leadership in Education , 4 (4), 333-352.
Oswick, C., Keenoy, T., & Grant, D. (2002). Note: Metaphor and analogical reasoning in organization theory: Beyond orthodoxy. Academy of Management Review , 27 (2), 294-303.
