Chapter 5: The Forces of Leadership and the Culture of Schools
In this chapter, Sergiovanni reinforces the idea of the Principal being the most important individual in a school and goes on to discuss 5 forces of leadership that the Principal is capable of exerting over the school.
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“In many ways the school principal is the most important and influential individual in any school... It is his leadership that sets the tone of the school, the climate for learning, the level of professionalism and morale of teachers and the degree of concern for what students may or may not become...” (US Senate, 1972)
“Everyone wants the
power to run schools in one way or another – the central office, the union, the
board, the parents, the special-interest groups.... The power, the authority
(to change) is somewhere else, though not necessarily the responsibility.”
(Boyer, 1983: 219)
“Key to realising the
potential for leadership in the principalship is to recognise that schools
provide opportunities ... that spring from unique characteristics that schools
possess.
...The work of
schooling is considered to be important
...Teachers are
typically highly educated and committed workers
...Teaching has the
potential to provide variety, interest and challenge
...Schools can be fun
and exciting places to work
...Schools
(frequently) take on strong identities from common purpose and mission
...Being part of such
strong identities can be highly motivating and exhilarating
Successful principals understand these
unique characteristics of schools as organisations and have learned to use them
as a basis for generating forceful leadership.” (Sergiovanni, 1995:84)
“Principals who lead seem to be highly
goal-oriented and have a keen sense of goal clarity.” (Blumberg and Greenfield,
1980: 246)
Successful Principals
-
Are alert to, or
create opportunities
to affect what is going on in school
-
Rely
heavily on long-term operational goals
BUT emphasis day-to-day actions as
well
-
Have
a good sense of self, feel secure as individuals and as
principals at work, and are able to accept failure as failure of an idea rather
than as failure of self as a person
-
Have
a high tolerance for ambiguity and
can work in loosely structured environments
-
While
respecting authority, test limits of boundaries and do not make pre-mature assumptions
about what they can or cannot do
-
Are
sensitive to the dynamics of power
in the school community, and accomplished
in establishing allies and building coalitions to harness this power on
behalf of the school
-
Approach problems
from an analytical perspective, and are able to remove themselves from the problem/ situation and not be consumed
by it
Forces
of Leadership
(Sergiovanni, 1995:84-89)
The
Technical Force
– Leadership derived from using sound
management techniques.
Proper
management is a basic requirement of all organisations if they are expected to
function properly day by day and to maintain support from external
constituents.
Principals provide planning, organising, coordinating
and scheduling to the school and are
skilled at manipulating strategies and
situations to ensure optimum effectiveness.
Principals emphasise concepts such as planning, time management, contingency
leadership theories and organisational
structures.
The
Human Force
– Leadership derived from harnessing the
school’s human resources.
High
student motivation to learn and high teacher motivation to teach are
prerequisite for quality schooling and must be effectively addressed by
principals.
Principals provide support, encouragement, and growth
opportunities for teachers and others.
Principals emphasise human relations, interpersonal competence, and instrumental motivational techniques.
The
Educational Force
– Leadership derived from expert
knowledge about matters of education and schooling.
Our
work, for which we will be held accountable, is to maintain, justify, and
articulate sound, comprehensive programmes of instruction of children and
youth.
Principals provide expert professional knowledge and bearing
to teaching, educational programme development and supervision.
Principals emphasise diagnosing educational problems, counselling teachers, developing curriculum, and providing
for supervision, evaluation and staff development.
Expression of the Educational Force
can take two forms.
-
Principal
as strong instructional leader (for
less competent /committed teachers)
-
Principal
as knowledgable colleague who
engages with teachers on an equal basis on matters of teaching and learning
(for more mature, competent teachers)
The
Symbolic Force – Leadership
derived from focusing the attention
of others on matters of importance to
the school.
Students
and teachers alike want to know what is of value to the school and its
leadership; they desire a sense of order and direction and enjoy sharing this
sense with others. They respond to these conditions with increased work motivation and
commitment.
Principals provide clarity, consensus, and commitment to a
unified vision of the school through proper
use of words and actions.
Principals emphasise selective attention to or modelling of important goals and behaviours
so as to signal to others what is
important and valuable in the school.
The
Cultural Force
– Leadership derived from building a
unique school culture. (Managing
The net
effect of the Cultural Force of Leadership is to bond students, teachers and
others together to the work of the school.
They are provided opportunities to enjoy a special sense of personal
importance and significance. Their work
and lives take on new importance, characterised by richer meanings, an expanded
sense of identity, and a feeling of belonging to something special – all of
which are highly motivating conditions.
Principals provide definition and articulation to the
enduring values, beliefs and cultural
strands that give the school its unique
identity.
Principals emphasise the articulation of school purposes and mission,
the socialising of new members to the
school, telling stories or reinforcing myths, traditions and beliefs, developing and displaying a system of
symbols and rewarding those who
reflect this culture.
