Name of Artifact:Leadership philosophy

Date of Artifact:5/17/2022

Course #:EAD-501-O500

Leadership in education is about setting an example for everyone in your school

and giving students a safe place to learn and grow. There are many types of leadership
styles, but each style has its own strengths and weaknesses. The three major styles of
leadership are transactional, transformational, and servant leadership. Each style gives
insight into how to lead in a variety of ways. As an educator, my leadership philosophy
is to cultivate a work environment that is supportive, creative, and productive for my
students.
Transactional Leadership is when followers are paid to fulfill the goal provided by
the leader. “In transactional leadership, rewards and punishments are contingent upon
the performance of the followers. The leader views the relationship between managers
and subordinates as an exchange – you give me something for something in return.
When subordinates perform well, they receive a reward. When they perform poorly, they
will be punished in some way.” (Cherry, 2020) This type of leadership does not give to
creativity, for its sole purpose is productivity. This style works better in a business
setting rather than in education because teachers are not creating a product or
providing a service to a consumer. It is not possible to accurately quantify the value that
teachers provide to students, and punishing teachers is counterproductive to the goal of
education.
Transformational Leadership occurs when a leader motivates their followers
toward a common goal and inspires their followers to become future leaders.
“Transformational leaders are generally energetic, enthusiastic, and passionate. Not
only are these leaders concerned and involved in the process; they are also focused on
helping every member of the group succeed as well.” (Cherry, 2020) This style of
leadership goes well with education because a teacher’s goal is the advancement of
their students. The whole school works together to help students learn, grow, and
achieve academic success. At our school, everyone got together to help prepare
students for the STAAR tests. The kitchen staff, bus drivers, and administration worked
overtime alongside the teachers for the benefit of the students.
Servant Leadership focuses on the needs of the followers so that they can
accomplish a common goal. This style is about providing one’s followers with everything
they need to succeed, instead of focussing on the outcome. “That's because these
leaders possess a serve-first mindset, and they are focused on empowering and
uplifting those who work for them. They are serving instead of commanding, showing
humility instead of brandishing authority, and always looking to enhance the
development of their staff members in ways that unlock potential, creativity and sense of
purpose.” (Tarallo, 2018) This form of leadership is solid for education. Teachers should
be supported in their work, so they can focus on creating a healthy learning
environment for their students. This type of leader has to be a master at delegation and
trust their followers to get the job done.
My leadership philosophy requires me to be an excellent communicator so that I
can achieve my goal of cultivating the ideal work environment. I want my followers to be
able to solve their own issues while also relying on me to achieve their goals. A good
leader must have an endless amount of patience. A leader must be able to be calm and
collected, especially under pressure, so they can view the situation at hand to make the
best possible decision. I believe in having the courage to follow my values and beliefs
and the confidence to follow through on important decisions. Leadership is a privilege
and should be treated as such. Education recognizes that the students are the future,
and educators have to work together with parents to ensure that students become
productive members of society.
I only recently began to see myself as a leader. When I was younger I used to
dread any kind of social interaction. I learned the hard way how difficult it is to go
through life that way. I was scared of making wrong decisions which lead to not making
any progress in life. Education opened a world of possibilities and opportunities for me.
After teaching for five years and mentoring colleagues and new teachers, I am confident
in my leadership skills. I have learned from several wonderful mentors and yearn to be
that for others. After researching the different leadership styles, I want to be the type of
leader that uses a mixture of transformational and servant leadership styles. I want my
subordinates to feel respected, vital, and energized. An educational organization that
works together and is supported by the administrative body will result in an environment
ideal for learning.

References

Cherry, K. (2020). How a Transactional Leadership Style Works. Retrieved 11 May

2022, from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-transactional-leadership-
2795317

Cherry, K. (2020). How Do Transformational Leaders Inspire and Motivate Followers?.

Retrieved 11 May 2022, from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-
transformational-leadership-2795313

Tarallo, M. (2018). The Art of Servant Leadership. Retrieved 11 May 2022, from
https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/organizational-and-employee-
development/pages/the-art-of-servant-leadership.aspx