Started from the bottom now we here: Leadership changes as you do

Before I took this course, I would’ve said a leader is someone who tells someone what to do, they bark orders and evaluate the results of your action to those orders. That’s never been my style. Now that I am in a leadership role at my school, I reflected upon what leadership looks like for me. As a compliance specialist, one of the most important skills that you will need is having a collaborative mindset. As the “IEP lady”, I work with several different disciplines, scheduling meetings, discussing students, and gathering data. As someone who brings everyone to the table, makes space for different voices, and builds consensus before making decisions. That’s how I’ve led in both my personal life and professional roles, especially as a speech therapist working in schools. It just made sense. We’re a team and it’s never a one-person show. While taking these courses, I’ve realized that while collaborative leadership is great and very necessary, there are times when you must be the one to step up, make the call, and lead with authority.

I’ve learned about various leadership styles and with reflection I am up to the challenge of developing. I’ve been working on strengthening my authoritative leadership style. I don’t want to be bossy or controlling, but to be confident, decisive, and intentional with my direction. Leadership isn’t just about giving direction but also guiding others, knowing yourself, and not being afraid to be vulnerable. I have never been one that likes conflict, if I were to be honest, I would avoid it. Avoiding conflict is not a good leader, sometimes you see something and have to tackle it to find a solution which is a mindset that I have recently adapted and implemented in my personal and professional life. Surprise, surprise. The changes that I wanted and needed to see started happening. Who knew if I spoke up and plainly stated what I wanted and needed; change would come! I’ve learned that avoiding hard conversations or not making a firm decision can actually hurt the team more than help.

Leaders are responsible for creating clarity, direction, and consistency and sometimes that means saying no, setting expectations, and standing firm even when it’s uncomfortable. That’s where authoritative leadership comes in. According to Goleman’s leadership styles, the authoritative leader “mobilizes people toward a vision” and is particularly effective when a team needs a new direction (Goleman, 2000). That speaks to me, especially as I think about the changes happening in education and technology.

Ultimately you have to ask yourself, what kind of leader do I hope to become? I want to be the leader who inspires trust, helps others learn and grow, and one that is solution oriented that can make quick intentional decisions without consulting a group. Blending the styles of collaborative and authoritative can be powerful. According to Northside, (2021) the best leaders are often “adaptive,” able to switch between styles depending on the context.

How will you take your leadership skills and apply this to technology in your workplace? As schools become increasingly digital, we need leaders who can navigate those changes. O want my leadership to create an environment where technology is sure purposefully. At my school we have seen opportunities to integrate digital resources that support students with communication needs, streamline collaboration amongst staff, share and implement data. The key is leading with vision and intention. For me, it means not waiting for someone to introduce new tech tools but stepping up in your authoritative style and implementing them yourself.

References

Goleman, D. (2000). Leadership that gets results. Harvard Business Review.

Northouse, P. G. (2021). Leadership: Theory and practice (9th ed.). SAGE Publications.