Courage and Leadership in Education
[06, Jan 2012 | 0 Comment | 220 views]
In these difficult economic times, children in school districts are more threatened than ever before. Reduced financial aid, increased operating costs, widespread unemployment, increased health care costs, tax caps, increased state and federal mandates have forced districts into perilous financial straits. Local district response has resulted in teacher/staff layoffs, elimination or reduction of special services, privatizing transportation, postponement of raises, reduced health coverage, and increased class size. Clearly, American education is in crisis. Courage and good leadership on class, building, district, and board of education levels, are more important than ever before. There is little room for poor decision making.
In such a complicated environment, what should guide good decision making? Good decisions are those that build the people and clients of an organization, inspiring them to perform their very best. Good decisions also encourage creativity, teamwork, employee engagement and bottom up problem solving. Good leaders inspire commitment to the advancement of the organization by demonstration. Since leadership is influence, good decisions also increase the influence of the leader. Leaders of influence have many followers who have been inspired and who, in turn, inspire others in the organization. They also encourage others to be leaders, at every level of the organization.
Courage, the ability to pursue an initiative, despite dire circumstances or threatening people, is clearly required today. Getting people to perform their very best despite the demoralizing effect of reduced staff, resources, and programs is a challenge that can be overcome by a courageous leader. A leader shows courage and vision when pursuing the goal of building people. Courage for standing up for what is right, and vision in knowing that the organization will operate even more efficiently and effectively. A courageous leader pursues building the people of the organization no matter how unpopular it is. To do anything else results in its demise and destruction.
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