Effective Leadership

Rodyard B. Madiclum, EdD

Course Facilitator
 A Leadership Story:
• A group of workers and their leaders are set a task
of clearing a road through a dense jungle on a remote island to
get to the coast where an estuary provides a perfect site for a
port.
• The leaders organize the labor into efficient units and monitor
the distribution and use of capital assets – progress is excellent.
The leaders continue to monitor and evaluate progress, making
adjustments along the way to ensure the progress is maintained
and efficiency increased wherever possible.
• Then, one day amidst all the hustle and bustle and activity, one
person climbs up a nearby tree. The person surveys the scene
from the top of the tree.
• And shouts down to the assembled group below…
• “Wrong Way!”
• (Story adapted from Stephen Covey (2004) “The
Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” Simon
& Schuster).
• “Management is doing things right, leadership is
doing the right things”
(Warren Bennis and Peter Drucker)
 Types of Leadership Style

Autocratic:
– Leader makes decisions without reference to anyone
else
– High degree of dependency on the leader
– Can create de-motivation and alienation
of staff
– May be valuable in some types of business where
decisions need to be made quickly and decisively
 Democratic:
• Encourages decision making
from different perspectives – leadership may be
emphasized throughout
the organization
– Consultative: process of consultation before decisions
are taken
– Persuasive: Leader takes the decision and seeks to
persuade others that the decision
is correct
 Democratic:
– May help motivation and involvement
– Workers feel ownership of the firm and
its ideas
– Improves the sharing of ideas
and experiences within the business
– Can delay decision making
 Laissez-Faire:
– ‘Let it be’ – the leadership responsibilities
are shared by all
– Can be very useful in businesses
where creative ideas are important
– Can be highly motivational,
as people have control over their working life
– Can make coordination and decision making
time-consuming and lacking in the overall direction
– Relies on good teamwork
– Relies on good interpersonal relations
 Paternalistic:
• Leader acts as a ‘father figure’
• Paternalistic leader makes decision but may
consult
• Believes in the need to support staff
 7 Habits of
Highly Effective Teachers

Adapted from Stephen R. Covey’s

work
 Habit 1: Be Proactive

• Act in the classroom, not re-act

• Every teacher needs a pause button
• Teachers are free to choose: Self-
awareness, conscience, imagination,
independent will
• Be a positive influence on your student’s
emotional bank accounts
 Habit 2:
Begin with the End in Mind

• Teachers need a destination and a compass

• A Teacher’s Mission Statement
• Are teacher’s principle centered?
• The end should always be “what is best for
the children under your care.”
• Planning ahead always makes things better.
 Habit 3: Put First Things First

• Establish priorities in the classroom and at

home
• Balance academics with social skills,
character education, health, and self esteem
• Be an ADVOCATE for children
 Habit 4: Think Win-Win!!!!

• Adopt the attitude: “Let me listen to you

first” or “Help me to understand” with
students and parents.
• Positive discipline - How can you and the
student win??? No power struggles.
• Moving children from “me” to “we”
• Class Meetings where agreements rule.
 Habit 5: Seek First to
Understand..Then to be Understood

• Recognize your prejudices in the classroom

and work to overcome them.
• All children want to belong - avoid
miscommunications.
• Practice Empathic Listening - the highest
form of listening.
• Give honest feedback to children and parents.
 Habit 6: Synergize
• Work together with teachers, parents, children,
administrators.
• Value and celebrate differences.
• Involve people in the problem and work out
the solution together (great playground
strategy)
• Never give up - small victories lead to larger
ones.
 Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw

• Renew yourself: physically, socially,

mentally, and spiritually.
• Nurture your relationship with children.
• Begin your day with children with some
quiet time to reflect.
• Always grow - be a better teacher tomorrow
than you were today.