(USC Online) UNIT EDAL 664 School Leadership 3

EDAL 664 School Leadership (USC Online) UNIT

3

Course Notes for Unit # 3

“Traits and Styles of Administrators & Models of Leadership”

The school administrator is the linchpin for success in the educational environment. It should

be a pre-requisite for an administrator or any school leader to possess distinct personality

traits and leadership styles that will assist them in developing an efficient and effective school

atmosphere.

Unit 3: Learning Outcomes: By the end of this unit students will be able to:

1. Formulate your own definitions of: leader, leadership styles and traits;

2. Discuss chosen leadership styles and traits that you admire in a leader;

3. Highlight pros and cons of different leadership styles and traits;

4. Select an appropriate leadership style(s) that you would like to exemplify.

Pause for Prayer at the start of the Module

Only the Lord gives wisdom; he gives knowledge and understanding. (Prov. 2:6 NCV) Pray to the Master Teacher – Jesus Christ to endow you with the wisdom to have a deeper understanding of this module’s topics and their implications for your academic and professional life.

Leadership - What Is It?

Influencing people so that they strive willingly towards the achievement of group goals

Koontz, H. and C. O’Donnell. “Management: A System of Contingency Analysis of Managerial

Functions”. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1976.

What is Leadership Style and Trait? A leadership style is a leader’s style of providing direction, implementing plans, and

motivating people. Lewin ( 1930)

Leadership traits describe the characteristics and personality traits that are common among

leaders. It encompasses physical, emotional, social and intellectual characteristics.

Traits of an Effective Leader:

Research points to six main traits:

Intelligence

Confidence

Charisma

Determination

Sociability

Integrity

Intelligence

Intelligence includes having good language skills, perceptual skills, & reasoning ability.

It is hard to change Intelligence Quotient (IQ).

EDCI 547 Foundation of Curriculum Studies (USC Online) UNIT

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It is possible to:

o obtain knowledge

o learn about your job & environment

o use information to become better leaders

Confidence

• Confidence is a trait that has to do with feeling positive about one’s self & one’s ability

to succeed.

• Confident people:

o feel self-assured

o believe they can accomplish goals

o do not second-guess themselves—they move forward with clear visions

o they are positive about self & ability;

• How do we build confidence?

o Understanding what is required from us

o Have a mentor to show the way & provide constructive feedback

o Practice builds confidence & assures us that we can do what we need to do (e.g.,

Tiger Woods)

Charisma

• Magnetic charm and appeal that gives leaders exceptional powers of influence

• How to increase charisma?

o Be a strong role model for values

o Be competent in leadership to gain trust

o Articulate clear goals & strong values

o Communicate high expectations & show confidence in followers’ abilities

o Inspire others (Example.: Barack Obama)

Determination

Focused & attentive to tasks

Know where to go & how to get there

Includes initiative, persistence, & drive

Persevere in the face of obstacles

Focus on task, clarify goals, articulate vision, & encourage others to stay the course

(Examples: Marathon runners, Nelson Mandela)

Sociability

• The capacity to establish pleasant social relationships

• Friendly, outgoing, courteous, & diplomatic

• Sensitive to others & cooperative

• Increasing sociability requires that we try to get along with our coworkers

o be friendly, kind, & thoughtful;

Integrity

Honest & trustworthy with strong principles

Inspire confidence because it creates trust

Loyal, dependable, & not deceptive

Undergirds all aspects of leadership


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Share a kind word, or a beautiful thought to a classmate

Let us Look at Some Great Leaders:

Mother Teresa (1910–1997)

• Humanitarian & Nobel Peace Prize Winner (1979) for her work with the poor in

Calcutta

• Founded Missionaries of Charity in 1950

• Traits:

o Simple o Clear mission—focused on goals

o Determined & fearless

o Humble & spiritual

o Strong-willed

o Role model for others

William (Bill) Gates (1954– Present)

• Founder of Microsoft

• Created a foundation for education & global health

• Traits:

o Intelligent & visionary

o Task-oriented & diligent

o Focused & aggressive

o Simple, straightforward, unpretentious, & altruistic

• Oprah Winfrey (1954 –Present)

•

• TV show host, philanthropist, actress, producer, & publisher • Most powerful/influential woman

• Traits:

o Excellent communicator

o Intelligent, well-read, strong business sense

o Charismatic style

o Sincere & determined

o Self-disclosing

o Message of hope


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Nelson Mandela (1932– 2013)

• First black president of South Africa & 1993 Nobel Peace Prize Winner for his role in

ending apartheid

• Traits:

o Self-reflective & deeply moral

o Vision unwavering—fairness & justice

o Steadfast, focused, & disciplined

o Nonviolent & not vindictive

o Consensus builder

o Courageous, patient, humble, & compassionate

o

What do these Leaders have in Common?

Visionary Symbols of hope

Diligent Strong-willed

Purpose-driven Inspirational

Role models

Determined

How do Traits Play a Role in Leadership?

• Some traits are associated with leadership

• Traits and personality influence a leader’s preferences, style, and behavior

• Traits may affect the ease of learning new skills and behaviors

Being aware of one’s traits helps in learning and development

Traits along with other individual and situational factors can predict leader behaviour;

Traits & Leadership: There is no one trait, or a set, that matters more although some can be very destructive.

Any characteristic that helps the leader make a connection with others is likely to be

desirable for leadership.

Self-awareness, building on existing strengths, and addressing areas of weakness

through either personal development or through organizational support are key to

success.

Traits are important but they are but only one dimension of a multidimensional

process

Leadership is a complex process: no simple paths or guarantees to becoming an

effective leader;

Relationship Builder

Could you please just make a quick phone call a colleague at this time, telling

something you really admire about him / her, as well as sharing a kind word or

thought to help make her day a special one.


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Two Important Leadership Styles for Educational Leaders

Transactional

Motivate followers by appealing to their own self-interest

Motivate by the exchange process.

Focuses on the accomplishment of tasks & good worker relationships in exchange for

desirable rewards.

Encourage leaders to adapt their style and behavior to meet expectations of followers

Transformational Charismatic and visionary

Inspire followers to transcend their self-interest for the organization

Appeal to followers' ideals and values

Inspire followers to think about problems in new or different ways

Common strategies used to influence followers include vision and framing.

Reflective Questions 1. How would you describe your current leadership style?

2. How would you describe the leadership style of the person you report to?

3. Is there a consistent leadership style within the culture of your organization?

4. Does you adjust your leadership style to fit different situations?

Scenario: Personality Difference: You are the principal of Porgie High School. It is your annual Graduation exercise & you

have assigned Mr. Thomas to be in charge of the committee along with five other teachers. As

you get into the logistics, one of your teachers, Ms. O’Harro, has issues with Mr. Thomas and

his inability to plan the graduation. Mr. Thompson, the treasurer, does not agree with the plan

of action of sponsorship and fund raising for trophies and the other graduation necessities.

Lastly, other teachers in your school, including Ms. Richards an OJT are reluctant to assist in

the planning and preparation exercise because they specifically told the senior teacher their

volunteer needs.

Discussion What leadership style would you as a principal use?

Describe how you would work with each of these teachers and how you can assist

them to ensure that the graduation exercise be successful.

Conclusion Effective leadership has a lot to do with good leadership trait and styles. Effective

leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results

not attributes. Every administrator needs to possess the right leadership trait to obtain

the greatest results in any organization.

Leadership Models:

What is a Leadership Model?

A leadership model contains theories or ideas on how to lead effectively and/or

become a better leader. Literally it is a concept on how to govern employees. These

models sometimes include organizational theories that propose ideas on how


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employees react to command, but they all at least suggest a type of response of style

most useful for leading a business.

Leadership models are specific scenario where certain types of leadership practices are

most useful, and are hinged on philosophy that contains values-based ideas of how a

leader should be and act; and the sources of a leader's power.

Please Pause for Prayer for one of your colleagues

“If ye ask for anything in my name, I will do it”. John 14:14 (KJV)

Call out the name of one of your colleagues, asking God to pour out a special blessing on that person, helping them deal with the stresses of life.

What Is Leadership?

“Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a

common goal.” - Northouse

Models Of Leadership

1. Trait Approach

2. Skills Approach

3. Behavourial Approach

4. Situational Approach

5. Transformational Leadership

6. Authentic Leadership

7. Servant Leadership

8. Adaptive Leadership

9. Team Leadership

1. Trait Approach

Yukl (2006) states that the trait approach “emphasizes leaders’ attributes such as personality,

motives, values, and skills. Underlying this approach was the assumption that some people are

natural leaders, endowed with certain traits not possessed by other people” (p. 13). This is

very different from describing leadership as a process. Some examples of traits are the ability

to speak well, an extroverted personality, or unique physical characteristics such as height

(Bryman, 1992).

Qualities of Trait Approach

Worthy Vision

Influence

Emotionally Intelligent

Optimistic

Exhibited Integrity

Emotionally Stable

Extraverted

Self-confident


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2. Skills Approach

Individual Attributes – Cognitive Ability, Motivation, Personality

Competencies – Problem solving, Social judgement, Knowledge

Leadership Outcomes – effective problem solving, performance

Career experiences, environmental influences; [Mumford et al., 2000]

“It is important for leaders to have Katz Model, (1955)

all three skills, but depending on

where they are in the management

structure, some skills are more

important than others.” -Northouse (2013)

3. Behaviourial Approach

Task behaviours – Facilitate accomplishment of goals, achieve objectives.

Relationship behaviours – help team members feel comfortable, part of the team,

relate well to each other, and any situations they find themselves in.

4. Situational Approach

5. Transformational Approach

James McGregor Burns defined transformational leadership as a process where "leaders and

their followers raise one another to higher levels of morality and motivation." Bernard M.

Bass adds that this kind of leader:

This refers to when

the leader or

manager of an

organization or team

must adjust ones

leadership style to fit

the development

level of the followers

one is trying to

influence.


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Is a model of integrity and fairness.

Sets clear goals.

Has high expectations.

Encourages others.

Provides support and recognition.

Stirs the emotions of people.

Gets people to look beyond their self-interest.

Inspires people to reach for the improbable.

Transformational Leader

6. Authentic Leader:

7. Servant Leadership:

Servant leadership begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then

conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. . . . The difference manifests itself in the care

taken by the servant—first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being

Leadership based on self-concept

and how self-concept relates to

actions (Shamir & Eilam, 2005)

Leadership is created by leaders

and followers together (Eagly,

2005)

Leadership can be nurtured and

developed over a lifetime (Avolio

& Gardner, 2005)

“A pattern that draws upon and

promotes both positive psychological

capacities and a positive ethical climate,

to foster greater self-awareness, an

internalized moral perspective, balanced

processing of information, and relational

transparency on the part of leaders

working with followers, fostering

positive self-development.”

-Walumbwa, Avolio, Gardner,

Wernsing, & Peterson, 2008


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served. The best test . . . is: do those served grow as persons; do they, while being served,

become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become a

servant? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society; will they benefit, or, at

least, will they not be further deprived?” (Greenleaf)

Ten Behaviours of a Servant Leader

8. Adaptive Leadership:


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Take a few minutes, please pray for USC and all its sites around the aribbean.

Also please say a prayer for the online, of which you are now a participant.

9. Team Leadership:

“A team is a specific type of group composed of members who are interdependent, who share

common goals, and who must coordinate their activities to accomplish these

goals” (Northouse, 2013).

The Hill Model for Team Leadership

Summary:

1. It can be noted that while personality traits are important in examining the leadership

quality of a person, they are not the only criteria. Personality traits is just one criteria. Other

traits or aspects to consider include values, self-concepts, skills, abilities and competencies as

well as demographic factors.

2. The Trait Theory of Leadership sees traits as inherent. That great leaders are born and not

made. In reality, the consensus is great leaders are born and made.

3. Although there are 4 styles of leadership, it is not static. In reality, leadership is seen on a

continuum. So as leaders progress, they may move from being one to another or in

combination.

4. Although there is the assumption that the Team Leader is the ideal type of leadership style

as applied to Educational Institutions such as schools, depending on the specific situation the

Principal, Vice-Principal, Head of Department or Dean may have to shift to another style.


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References Gorton, R; Alston, J. A; & Snowden, P.(2007) School Leadership & Administration. Boston,

McGraw-Hill Co. Inc.

Koontz, H. & O’Donnell, C. (1976) Management: A System of Contingency Analysis of

Managerial Functions. McGraw-Hill, New York,

Marzano, R.J., Waters, T., & McNulty, B.A. (2005). School Leadership that Works: From

Research to Results. Alexandria, VA. ASCD.

Murray, A. (2010). Wall Street Journal Essential Guide to Management. Harper & Collins.

Northouse, P.G. (2012) Introduction to Leadership: Concepts and Practice. Sage

Publications, Inc.

Yukl, G.(2006). Leadership In Organizations. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall, p. 189-210

Baldeo, F. (2020) Units Notes EDCI 580 Pedagogical Foundations: Administration &

Leadership, USC, Maracas, St. Joseph

Gorton, R & Alston, J.A. (2009) School Leadership and Administration: Important Concepts,

Case Studies & Simulations 8th Edition, New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc.

Marzano, R.J, Walters, T & McNully, B.A. (2005) School Leadership that Works: From

Research to Results, Alexandria, VA, ASCD.

Northouse, P. G (2012) Introduction to Leadership: Concepts and Practice, 3rd Edition,

California Sage Publication, Inc.

Yukl, G. (2013) Leadership in Organizations, 8th Edition, Prentice Hall, Pearson Education,

Inc.

https://study.com/academy/lesson/trait-perspective-theory-definition.html

https://www.verywellmind.com/trait-theory-of-personality-2795955

Wernsing, T. (n.d.). Practicing authentic leadership. Retrieved May 4, 2020, from

https://www.academia.edu/2319524/Practicing_authentic_leadership

Carroll. (2015, March 20). Case study: Steve Jobs as a transformational leader. Retrieved May

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_steve_jobs_transformational_leader.pdf

Coventry University. (n.d.). Skills approach - Leadership Theory: The Basics. Retrieved May

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Demirel, G. (n.d.). Nelson Mandela's leadership skills under trait approach. Retrieved May

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https://www.academia.edu/31125294/Nelson_Mandelas_leadership_skills_under_trait_approa

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Dingman, W, & Stone, A. G. (2007). The Servant Leadership’s Role in the Succession

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https://www.regent.edu/acad/global/publications/ijls/new/vol2iss2/dingmanstone/dingmansto

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Doyle, M E, and M K Smith. “Classical Models of Managerial Leadership: Trait,

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Jackson, Grace. “A Case of Adaptive Leadership in Botswana, Africa.” CityU of Seattle, 27

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study. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 25(7), 600–617. doi:

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(USC Online) UNIT EDAL 664 School Leadership 3

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