Leadership is the art of motivating or inspiring a group of people to work towards attaining a common goal. Leadership motivates and inspires a vision of the future. Leadership is providing guidance, direction, authority, control, and influence. Leadership has continuously evolved, and in the 21st century, more changes have continued to occur primarily due to technological advancements which have a direct bearing on leaders and the people that they lead. A participatory style of leadership has now replaced the autocratic style of leadership that was prevalent up to the 20th century even in schools (Evans, 2001). Decisions that used to be made solely by the school manager have given way to a more democratic process, where all stakeholders are involved in major decision-making processes and their views and opinions are incorporated. This kind of leadership style is transformational as it mainly inspires team members to get the internal motivation to help them attain specific objectives.
Today’s leadership styles are more flexible than the previous management styles that were marked by rigidity. Today’s school manager is more flexible and provides inspirational leadership as opposed to rigid direct management (Evans, 2001). Instead of being feared, the school head commands respect, and is more of a mentor than a manager. Flexible leadership allows junior staff and students to be more inspired and find motivation and also provides some form of autonomy which yields better results than micromanagement. Flexibility enables a leader to build a healthy work relationship with the team being led.
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Situational leadership is a management style developed by Kenneth Blanchard and Paul Hersey. It is a management style that allows a leader to analyze a situation and come up with an appropriate solution for the situation at hand. It is not based on any specific skill, and it suggests that no leadership style is best. It allows delegation of responsibility and also considers the level of authority of the leader to solve a problem.
School connectedness merely is feeling as part and parcel of the school system. It is having a mindset by learners that the school cares for the learners as individuals academically, emotionally and physically. It assists in nurturing the students to be all rounded persons in all spheres of their lives while at school be it in academic work and general knowledge, socially by learning how to relate well with other people from different backgrounds and cultures, bringing out the best in sports and developing their talents. When students feel connected, they are less likely to engage in unbecoming behavior, and their chances of succeeding in life are significantly increased. School is not about academics only and connectedness in a social environment builds up strong character and upright moral behavior. Students can also be empowered so that they can open up channels of communication between school leaders and students and between parents, students, and school management. Additional skills such as conflict resolution, stress management, communication, self-control, and decision-making can also aid in improving school connectedness.
For students to be successful in school, leaders have to provide transformational education which requires a vision and strategy for successful implementation (George, 2010). One method that can be used is to engage all the stakeholders – school leaders, parents, students and the community in developing a shared vision of high academic standards, high standards of discipline and behavior and participation in joint extra-curricular activities such as sports, music, and drama, which promote cohesiveness and nurture individual talents.
There are many ways in which a school leader can motivate teachers to connect with students. These factors are important as they result in bringing out the very best in both teachers and students (Bennis, 2009). Teachers are leaders, and one way of motivating teachers is to offer them training continuously. Ongoing professional development will equip teachers with new skills as they will be able to keep abreast of new developments in the education field and pass on that knowledge to learners (Heystek, 2011). Teachers also need to be appreciated for the role they play in shaping learners. Respect and recognition by valuing teachers, provision of required tools, lending a listening ear to the teachers’ concerns and adequate remuneration is an excellent motivator to teachers.
References
Bennis, W. (2009). On becoming a leader . Basic Books.
Evans, R. (2001). The human side of school change: Reform, resistance, and the real-life problems of innovations . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
George, B. (2010). True north: Discover your authentic leadership (Vol. 143). John Wiley & Sons.
Heystek, J. (2011). Motivation to lead, manage or govern schools for results–which results . Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University.
