Educational

Leadership
A concise explanation and exposition on the turnout of leadership roles
among educational institutions and the relevance of such change.

Church Planting Movement Institute of Missions, Inc.

E-Learning Professor Leslie Lopez, LPT
E-Learning Director Ptr. John Paul Arceno, MCP, LPT, MDiv.
 Educational Leadership

Contents
Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………...2
How does one define a leader?
Chapter I – What is “Educational Leadership”? ...………………………………………3
Chapter II – Responsibilities of Educational Leaders ………………………………….5
Chapter III - Graduate Studies …………………………………………………………….6
A. Types of Educational Leadership Degrees
B. Extension
Chapter IV – Research Findings …………………………………………………….........8
A. Griffin (1985)
B. Covey (1989, 1990)
C. Christian Writings
D. Smith (1986)
E. Maxwell (1993, 1994)
Chapter V – Difference between Secular and Spiritual Leadership ………………..10
Questions to Consider ……………………………………………………………………...11
Definitions ……………………………………………………………………………………12

1
 Educational Leadership

Educational Leadership

Introduction
The demands on educational leaders are evolving. To prepare yourself to face these
challenges and create transformative change in education, you need to understand the role of
educational leadership, its responsibilities and your options for furthering your education to
move your career forward in this field.
In recent years, study of leadership and its development has made steady progress in both
corporate and Christian environments. By studying the model of Jesus, looking at secular and
Christian research, evaluating issues of leadership fit and styles, and examining literature from
Christian leadership experts, one can be amply educated from these if one is seeking to improve
leadership effectiveness.

How does one define a leader?

The word “leader” means a person who rules, guides or inspires others. Or it is commonly
said that “a leader is one who influences followers. The ultimate example of powerful, effective,
and beneficial leadership is Jesus.
Jesus’ example. Ford describes Jesus’ ability “to create vision, shape values, and empower
change as transforming leadership.” Jesus’ leadership was both modeled and taught, culturally
relevant and transcultural, enabling and empowering and enduring. His thesis is that Christian
leaders in any arena of influence must allow Jesus to lead through them. He develops his theme
by examining Jesus, the leader, as son, strategist, seer, servant, shepherd maker, spokesperson,
struggler, and sustainer. Lessons of use of power, entrusting one’s mission to others, and calling
forth passionate commitment in followers who are changed and trained are relevant for leaders
seeking to follow Jesus’ model. Thus leaders must be identified with Jesus and with their
followers as he was. While leaders may learn from secular leadership models, they must be
cautious in their application.
Ford (1991)

2
 Educational Leadership

I. What is Educational Leadership?

Educational leadership involves working with teachers and other education professionals
on systemic plans to improve educational programming and outcomes. From K-12 to higher
education, leaders in the industry include: teachers, superintendents, principals, administrators,
department chairs, provosts and deans.
Further Explanation. School leadership is the process of enlisting and guiding the talents
and energies of teachers, pupils, and parents toward achieving common educational aims. This
term is often used synonymously with educational leadership in the United States and has
supplanted educational management in the United Kingdom. Several universities in the United
States offer graduate degrees in educational leadership. Certain obstacles of educational
leadership can be overcome. A self-assessment technique can help examine equity and justice
that affects student diversity, especially with selection of candidates.
History. The term school leadership came into currency in the late 20th century for several
reasons.
1. Demands were made on schools for higher levels of pupil achievement, and schools were
expected to improve and reform. These expectations were accompanied by calls for
accountability at the school level;
2. Maintenance of the status quo was no longer considered acceptable. Administration and
management are terms that connote stability through the exercise of control and
supervision;
3. The concept of leadership was favored because it conveys dynamism and pro-activity;
and
4. The principal or school head is commonly thought to be the school leader; however,
school leadership may include other persons, such as members of a formal leadership team
and other persons who contribute toward the aims of the school.
While school leadership or educational leadership have become popular as replacements
for educational administration in recent years, leadership arguably presents only a partial
picture of the work of school, division or district, and ministerial or state education agency
personnel, not to mention the areas of research explored by university faculty in departments
concerned with the operations of schools and educational institutions. For this reason, there may
be grounds to question the merits of the term as a catch-all for the field. Rather, the etiology 1 of
its use may be found in more generally and con-temporarily experienced neo-liberal2 social and
economic governance models, especially in the United States and the United Kingdom. On this
view, the term is understood as having been borrowed from business.
In the United States, the superintendency, or role of the chief school administrator, has
undergone many changes since the creation of the position—which is often attributed to the
Buffalo Common Council that approved a superintendent on June 9, 1837. If history serves us
3
 Educational Leadership

correctly, the superintendency is about 170 years old with four major role changes from the early
19th century through the first half of the 20th century and into the early years of the 21st
century.
1. Initially, the superintendent's main function was clerical in nature and focused on
assisting the board of education with day-to-day details of running the school.
2. At the turn of the 20th century, states began to develop common curriculum for public
schools with superintendents fulfilling the role of teacher-scholar or master educator who had
added an emphasis on curricular and instructional matters to school operations.
3. In the early 20th century, the Industrial Revolution affected the superintendent's role
by shifting the emphasis to expert manager with efficiency in handling non-instructional tasks
such as budget, facility, and transportation.
4. The release of A Nation at Risk in 1983 directly impacted public school accountability
and, ultimately, the superintendency.
The early 1980s initiated the change that has continued through today with the
superintendent viewed as chief executive officer, including the roles of professional adviser to the
board, leader of reforms, manager of resources and communicator to the public.

4
 Educational Leadership

II. Responsibilities of Educational Leaders

To facilitate improvement and positive change, the role of educational leaders may:
A. Analyze student data and observe classes to pinpoint potential problems and areas for
improvement
B. Build effective teams and committees
C. Change organizational structure
D. Create and update budgets
E. Design, implement and assess school policy and procedures
F. Hire, evaluate and manage teachers
G. Set curriculum standards
H. Work to reform education on the local, state or national level
To accomplish these tasks, it is imperative to work and communicate with others,
including teachers, staff, and students and their families. School performance benefits from a
collaborative approach to leadership, which includes sharing findings, failures, and concerns.
Relationship building is essential to effective educational leadership, and it is vital to
acknowledge, and support the roles and contributions of all stakeholders. A true leader will
create an educational environment in which opportunities for positive change are present and
supported throughout the organization.

5
 Educational Leadership

III. Graduate Studies

The term "educational leadership" is also used to describe programs beyond schools.
Leaders in community colleges, proprietary colleges, community-based programs, and
universities are also educational leaders.
Some United States university graduate masters and doctoral programs are organized
with higher education and adult education programs as a part of an educational leadership
department. In these cases, the entire department is charged with educating educational leaders
with specific specialization areas such as university leadership, community college leadership,
and community-based leadership (as well as school leadership). Masters of education are offered
at a number of universities around the United States in traditional and online formats including
the University of Texas at El Paso, University of Massachusetts, Saint Mary's University of
Minnesota, Pepperdine University, Capella University, Northcentral University, and the
University of Scranton. Some United States graduate programs with a tradition of graduate
education in these areas of specialization have separate departments for them. The area of
higher education may include areas such as student affairs leadership, academic affairs
leadership, community college leadership, community college and university teaching,
vocational, adult education and university administration, and educational wings of
nongovernmental organizations.
In Europe, similar degrees exist at the University of Bath and Aspley Business School -
London, where the focus is on the management systems of education, especially as British
schools move away from state funding to semi-autonomous Free Schools and Academies. In fact
in these schools, the focus is on traditional MBA disciplines, such as HR, Change Management
and Finance. The so-called "Academisation" of British education is highly contentious and
political issue with many head teachers resisting moves to what they see as forced privatization.
In mainland Europe, Educational Leadership is not taught formally, with senior educationalists
having come through academic pathways, not administration.
A. Types of Educational Leadership Degrees
At the doctoral level, you have options when it comes to your preparation for leadership
roles in education. Which type of educational leadership you choose depends on your interests
and career goals.
1. A Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership is geared specifically toward
education professionals. In a doctorate in educational leadership program, students
focus solely on leadership in the education context and learn alongside other
education professionals with similar backgrounds and perspectives.
2. A Doctor of Education in Interdisciplinary Leadership focuses on leadership for
professionals in any industry — including education. Your classmates will have a

6
 Educational Leadership

wide range of experiences and backgrounds, offering many different perspectives on

challenges and potential strategies for tackling them, and ultimately creating a
richer learning experience.
B. Extension
Educational leadership draws upon interdisciplinary literature, generally, but ideally
distinguishes itself through its focus on pedagogy 3, epistemology4 and human development. In
contemporary practice it borrows from political science and business. Debate within the field
relates to this tension. Numerous educational leadership theories and perspectives have been
presented and explored, such as:
(1) instructional leadership;
(2) distributed leadership;
(3) transformational leadership;
(4) social justice leadership; and
(5) Teacher leadership.
Researchers have explored how different practices and actions impact student
achievement, teacher job satisfaction, or other elements related to school improvement.
Moreover, researchers continue to investigate the methodology and quality of principal
preparation programs.
A number of publications and foundations are devoted to studying the particular
requirements of leadership in these settings, and educational leadership is taught as an
academic discipline at a number of universities.
Several countries now have explicit policies on school leadership, including policies and
budgets for the training and development of school leaders.
In the USA, formal "curriculum audits" are becoming common, in which educational
leaders and trained auditors evaluate school leadership and the alignment of curriculum with
goals and objectives. Curriculum audits and curriculum mapping were developed by Fenwick W.
English in the late 1970s. The educational leaders and auditors who conduct the audits are
certified by Phi Delta Kappa. Research shows how educational leadership influences student
learning.

7
 Educational Leadership

IV. Research Findings.

Research in leadership has largely been applied to corporate or organizational settings.
A. Griffin (1985) summarized studies of trait, situation, style, and interactional
approaches to leadership research.
1. Trait studies sought to isolate personality qualities essential to leadership, but
findings provided minimal predictive success.
2. Situational studies reveal cases in which circumstances call forth leaders, but
prediction is also low here due to novelty of situations.
3. Style approaches are helpful in identifying how different leaders express their
different personality styles.
4. Finally, the interactional approach examines how different styles of leaders lead
different followers. For example,
a. the autocratic or “tells” leader works best with group members of lower
maturity;
b. the “sells” leader persuades members as they mature;
c. the democratic or “joins” leader gives encouragement to members of greater
maturity; and
d. the “laissez faire” leader intervenes little with a highly motivated group.
Debate rages as to whether different style leaders must succeed each other as member
qualities and needs change or whether an adaptive leader can adjust styles to changing
environments.
B. Covey (1989, 1990)
A recognized pioneer in the area of leadership, Covey has combined lessons of
organizational psychology and business management with a spiritual concept of objective and
eternal principles. He stresses integrity of character and adherence to higher-order natural laws
of right and wrong as the means for achieving personal and organizational goals. Self-
examination and motivation for personal growth are prerequisites to becoming a highly effective
leader. Covey enumerates seven leadership habits:
1. being proactive5,
2. beginning with the end in mind,
3. putting first things first,

8
 Educational Leadership

4. thinking win/win,
5. seeking to understand others,
6. using synergy6, and
7. staying personally renewed.
Thus a “win/win or no deal” approach to negotiation calls for a leader to show
consideration of others’ views while manifesting courage to state his or her own nonnegotiable
values. In a team approach to goals, a principle-centered leader creates synergy by empowering
group members to freely contribute their particular strengths. Covey’s leadership paradigm
demands personal resolutions to show self-discipline and self-denial, character and competence,
and service in a noble purpose. Allusions to a spiritual foundation are evident.
C. Christian Writings.
Christian writers also focus on character, service, and goals beyond profit.
D. Smith (1986)
Smith sees leaders as bringing out the best in people. Having a title or doing the best work
does not define a leader; leadership is the ability to get followers to do the work better than the
leader can. Leaders serve and are rewarded by God first, and they can inspire others to sacrifice
for the shared cause of Christ as this goal is clearly articulated and lived out by the leader. Time
management is important to the leader, but self-management is crucial; discipline of thought,
action, acquisition, and recognition must be honed. A good leader must be a motivator;
establishing a healthy atmosphere, enjoying and understanding people’s strengths and
weaknesses, keeping an up-front agenda, complimenting often and openly, and giving people a
reputation to uphold are some of his techniques. He also stresses the centrality of good
communication, both interpersonal and before all members of the team.
E. Maxwell (1993, 1994),
Maxwell, specializing in training pastors in leadership, says “Everything rises and falls on
leadership.” He maintains that men and women with little exposure to leaders or leadership
training can utilize a strong desire for leadership and develop an effective ministry. Leaders
know that everyone influences someone, and they set about becoming influential in Christlike
ways. Leaders know how to leverage proper priorities into multiplied results. Leaders have
integrity because their deeds match their words, and this quality maximizes influence. Leaders
create positive change even in the face of natural disinclinations in followers. Leaders solve
problems in both people and production areas. Leaders cast a vision and develop other leaders
who will own and help achieve it. Leaders, as Maxwell repeatedly evidences in his writings, have
an understanding of human nature. Leaders have patience with people who are seeking to grow,
coupled with a willingness to withstand criticism from people who are not on the team. Personal
costs of leadership are consciously paid for the sake of kingdom goals.

9
 Educational Leadership

V. Difference between Secular and Spiritual Leadership.

This issue of costs and requirements of leadership brings up the question of the
personality many pastors bring to their calling. Pastors often have a high desire for approval—a
drive to achieve combined with a motivation to nurture a group. These qualities make certain
pastor’s tasks difficult in the local church: confrontation, absorbing criticism, and plotting a
course against a tide of complacency. Seminaries will serve their students well by addressing the
potential gap between the necessary skills a leader must show and the gentler shepherding
natures of many persons who are called to the ministry.
A related question, particularly relevant to pastors studying church growth, is whether
certain leadership qualities are reliably related to church success regardless of changes over time
and in society. Patterns of pastoral leadership have shown changes. A consensus7 style, waiting
for general agreement of the group before making a leadership decision, has given way to a more
active pastoral role in defining the particular mission of the specific church. Churches showing
greatest growth, across denominations, have pastoral leadership that values insights of
congregants while casting the vision for their body of Christ in their community. The growth in
leadership training programs for pastors is a response to these findings as experienced pastors
teach younger leaders how to hone their gifts.
Nevertheless, caution in defining church success is wise, and a balance must be struck
between use of corporate strategies and humble servant leadership. Maxwell (1995) addresses
the differences between secular and spiritual leadership, identifying eight critical points for
Christian leaders to ponder.
1. Secular leaders fill a role; Christian leaders form a relationship.
2. Secular leaders gain increasing rights; Christian leaders gain greater responsibility.
3. Secular leaders wield authority to overcome competition; Christian leaders empower
others to live out greater obedience to God.
4. Secular leaders achieve position, are self-confident, and focus on temporal gains;
Christian leaders seek the right disposition, are God-confident, and seek eternal gains.
5. Secular leaders focus on how they lead best; Christian leaders must concern themselves
with how they live, to have a witness worth imitating.
6. Christian leadership must be about equipping others to advance the kingdom of Christ.

10
 Educational Leadership

Questions to Consider:
1. How is it helpful to apply educational leadership in educational institutions here in the
Philippines?

2. Is there a need for educational leaders to undergo formal educational leadership

trainings in the Philippine educational setting?

3. What might be the possible outcome if educational leaders in the Philippines be trained
formally for educational leadership roles? Cite at least three.

11
 Educational Leadership

Definitions
1etiology– a branch of knowledge concerned with causes; a branch of medical science concerned
with the causes and origins of diseases
2neo-liberal
– a liberal who de-emphasizes traditional doctrines in order to seek progress by more
pragmatic methods
3pedagogy – the art, science, or profession of teaching
4epistemology – the study or a theory of the nature and grounds of knowledge especially with
reference to its limit and validity
5proactive– controlling a situation by making things happen or by preparing for possible future
problems
6synergy – the increased effectiveness that results when two or more people or businesses work
together
7consensus – agreement in the judgment or opinion reached by a group as a whole

12