Leadership in Education Sector

Introduction: Leadership

Building from Northouse (2018) and Daft (2014) description, leadership is an art of motivating a group of people moulding them toward achieving defined goals, objectives, and aims through taking vast and decisive actions. Fundamentally, leadership involves setting goals then strategizing on ways of attaining such goals that include tackling problems, challenge, and competition while striving to solve them decisively and quickly (DePree, 2011; Ladkin, 2010). The definition and description of leadership is essentially based on the approaches and associating between the follower and leader. For instance, a person in leadership position shape the behaviour and performance of followers to follow directives and orders whereas in business environment, for effective attainment of goals, involvement of the followers in decision making is largely encouraged. As contended by John Maxwell, a leaders is an individual “who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way” (Maxwell, 2013) and “be the change you wish to see in the world” Gandhi. In retrospect, leaderships encompasses formulating a way for the followers to follow then being in the frontline showing, directing, and implementing change through demonstration of moral courage, lifting spirit and beliefs, ethical strength, and encouraging effectivenes. In education perspective, in which this essay is coined into, leadership involves a process of enlisting and guiding stakeholders (learners, teachers, parents, and regulators) in education sector towards attaining a common academic and learning goals. This essay evaluates the cases of Robert Croft, a manager of established children’s centre, who need change in organizational management team. It focuses on the ways of overhauling management structures and approaches aimed at addressing obstacles, problems, and challenges faced. It will analysis critically the approaches taken by Robert Croft to address the issues and challenges faced by the management of the organization.

Change is inevitable; however, for any organizational sustainability, growth, and effectiveness, it must take appropriate approaches to accommodate it. At organizational level, number of techniques can be adopted to handle change but leadership aspects of takes a core role in formulation and effective implementation of change. According to Amabile & Khaire (2008) and Salahuddin (2010), in any given scenario, a leader is an integral aspect in change adoption define by achieve the goals effectively. As highlighted by Lee et al. (2010) and Jing & Avery (2008), an individual in leadership position does not just play an integral part in attainment of organizational fundamental goals but also instrumental in effectiveness of a team and individual performance and productivity. Effective leadership (management) borrows a, combinations of number of traits (Priest, and Gass, 2017; Harris et al., 2013; Yukl, 2012).

Challenges faced by the Children’s Centre

Globally, children’ centre faces several challenges ranging from financially (expenditure), redevelopment, restructuring, and staffing. According to Pham & London (2010) and Malone (2013), in order to provide quality education, bringing together of various stakeholders such as learning, teachers, parents, and regulatory bodies (government) together. In the UK, in addition to financing, structuring education system (curriculum, exams, and grading system), and shortage in staff, issues of employability of graduates has risen coupled with perception of falling quality over the years (Brown, and Carasso, 2013; Mittler, 2012; Tomlinson, 2012). For instance, recent financial depression impacted all sectors trickling down to labour (teachers) and financing education (paying for supporting structures and teachers as well as motivating the workforce in the field). Moreover, changes in political sphere, social coordination, and economy can threatens to stretch out labour market further,

Brown and Carasso (2013) posed that without adequate structures and workforce in the sector, its quality will ultimately dip. Occasionally due to over stretched finances and supporting structures, schools are forced to offer programs prioritising on what they teach. Recently, research has shown declining quality of education attributable to number of elements ranging from financing to global competition (Ashwin et al., 2015; Sallis, 2014; Cleary, 2018.). Moreover, social problems aimed to be addressed through education as well as skills and knowledge demanded by economy are continuously changing, which implies the education system should change accordingly, with changing issues and demands. Hicks (2012) held that addressing the issues faced in the sector requires holistic approach driven by effective leadership and leaders. According to Bolden et al. (2012) and Burrello et al. (2012), it demands individuals who can work with various stakeholders ranging from parents, teachers, students, and governmental regulator body to formulate framework driven addressing the issues. Notably, leadership in educational system is found at the children centre encompasses principals, departmental heads, headmasters, curriculum directors, deans, lead teachers, and leaders of advocacy groups.

Leadership towards change

Current there exist several concepts and ideologies explaining ways and reasons of success of some individuals by highlight what it takes to be a successful leader. Fundamentally, the choice of the style to be adopted largely depends on the situation, objectives, as well as long-term goals. Roberta Croft need to adopted a leadership approach informed by four components; inspiration, idealised influence, consideration of individual members, and intellectual stimulation. According to Sadeghi and Pihie (2012), transformational leaders are driven identifying elements that need to be changed then creating a vision as a framework of enforcing such change. Core element in enforcing the vision is involving the team members through inspiration and commitment of the team members. Onorato (2013) asserted that leaders trust the followers to make decisive decisions and solve problems encountered on the way without micromanaging them. Within education perspective, the transformational leaders takes in initiative to inspire, motivate, and bring change not just to the individual view of learning process but organizational and system itself.

Unlike transformational leadership approach, being strategic in influencing others by presenting the vision then motivating and persuading them to buy into the new provisions (establishment of dad’s club and specialist position) it through a formulated long-term plan (Carter and Greer, 2013; Davies and Davies, 2012; Deeboonmee and Ariratana, 2014). The approach allows the followers to consider both short- and long-term success and position of an organization. Deeboonmee and Ariratana (2014) contended that in such scenario, a balance between immediate success in terms of productivity and performance of the team members not to be carried or discouraged by short-term performance and long-term vision, where an organization see itself in future. According to Gigliotti and Ruben (2017), strategic leaders recognise threats (finance) and opportunity (introducing dad’s club) then formulate a framework to capitalise through anticipating, challenging, and interpreting problems and making decisions to solve strategically. Because broadly learning is a system involving support from the parents and staff and Roberta must ensure knowledge gained is applicable ‘through giving back’ to solving social, economic, and political challenges experience at the moment and in future as well as balancing support from public.

On the other hand, being charismatic embodying an approach of encouraging a particular behaviour among the followers by communicating effectively the strategies, shaping through persuasion and force personality of the followers (Avolio, and Yammarino, 2013; Shamir et al., 2018). According to Conger (2015), a charismatic leader motivates followers (staff, parents, and financers) by conjuring up eagerness to attain the formulated goals. Key characteristics of these kind of leaders are being skilled communicators, evoking emotions, connecting with followers, and captivate a compelling vision. Additionally, Gozukara (2016) points that charismatic leaders have an ability to identify and solve inefficiency at individual, team, and organizational level. The strategic and visionary characteristics results in collecting data, critically evaluating, and making decision informed by such data and facts.

Fundamentally, education demands a both short-term vision as well as outcome. The Roberta have to envision demands of the workforce in an economy at immediate period then moulding an approach where the learners can learn skills and knowledge necessary to proceed to next step in learning process and importantly apply the those garnered skills in future profession and job market. As emphasised by Pounder (2014), the entire learning process demands evoking emotion and moulding one’s behaviour at both physical and psychological levels. Therefore, teachers and leaders in the sector must connect with learners while devoting with no self-interest in guiding, empowering, and cultivating a culture of trust and dedication allowing openness in exchange of ideas.

As stated, economic demands on labour market is continuously and drastically change with time. The channel moulding skills and knowledge required in the market must challenge, aligning to the needs in the job market. According to Santamaría and Santamaría (2013), the leadership in the education system fail in envisioning future change in market, in time, then strategizing on restructuring the learning process accordingly but rather, been accused on waiting for market to demand skills and knowledge then readjusting the system. According to Hempsall (2014) and Jones et al. (2012), the leadership are not visionary lacking that ability to foresee the market labour market then putting up structures aimed to tailoring relevant knowledges and skills bracing for future challenges. For instance, arguably technological advancement and approaches in tackling social injustices is long overdue and society and economy would have benefited extensively if the educational system had formulated structures to teach and research on the same before. In order to do that, Roberta need to be decisive, not contradictory or taking sides, but rather related to the learners and society in general. Arguably, that decisiveness, ethical responsibility, and competence is lacking in learning institution. Bolden et al. (2012) and McCaffery (2018) contended that leaders particularly in higher learning lack strategic leadership abilities deprived of flexibility, creativity, and change capabilities that would push for and responding to change, maintaining quality, and managing both fiscal and human resources.

According to Stam et al. (2010), in addition to being an able to connect with the followers, a leader must be able to communicate, inspire, monitor, supervise, and push the followers to individual and teams goals. Notably, leaders such as Steve Jobs, nelson Mandela, and Andrew Carnegie are considered visionary leaders because of their ability to envision the future of the world then taking necessary steps to reach there. An effective leader needs to have ability to coordinate and bring together stakeholders (followers) in a combined individual effort and abilities to achieve a bigger team and organizational goal. Taylor et al. (2014) argued that a visionary leaders possesses the ability to visualize the identifying the potential of change in a given sector then combine with leading others to accomplish the idea through assembling a team, making others buy into the idea, and strategizing on ways of making the idea a reality.

Conclusion

Effectiveness in children’s centre need a structure way of solving the challenges and issues faced as well as formulating a framework of combating future issues such as quality of education, staff shortages, restructuring, and obtaining financial support. It is worth noting that Roberta, a leader, can take a number of approach to adopt and implement change. Fundamental to it is focusing primarily on the characteristics and behaviours of the followers, mobilization of resources, and buying team members into the vision and goals, reducing expenditure, restructuring the learning and management systems, and redevelopment. Fundamentally, effectiveness in handling change demands Roberta to provide direction and implement plans through involving team members and stakeholders. To be effective leaders, measured by success in implementation of change, it demands a balance between vision and execution by maintaining a clear perspective of the future, communicating, and engaging with team members and other stakeholders. Moreover, the sector need strategic and transformational leaders to drive creativity, restructuring the system, overcome teacher shortages, and address recruitment and retention challenges.

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