Changing Role of the Principal from Manager to Leader
From manager to mentor, administrator to leader, and promoter of the status
quo to promoter of new and innovative ways of enriching students' and
teachers' academic experiences, the role of today's principal is undergoing
a fundamental shift. While managing and facilitating the basic functions
of any academic institution is critical, there is a net, major unmet need
on the part of both students and teachers to have a leader who can bring
new, imaginative and challenging concepts into a learning environment.
This is the new role of the principal; to answer this unmet need and extend
the learning opportunities for students and teachers alike.
For any principal to be successful in this new dual role of managing the
basic functions of a learning organization and bring to bear entirely new
approaches to learning that can benefit both students and teachers, a new
era of accountability truly great leader embrace is important. The focus
on being a change agent that enriches the students and teachers alike is at
the core of this new role of principals. There must be a passion for
continually changing for the better, continually finding the unmet needs in
the academic pursuits of both students and teachers to excel in this new
role of principal. The true test of a principal who excels in this new role
is one who is leading their institutions by a commitment of constantly
being willing to also get measured by their peers and the certification
organizations that periodically test themselves for competency according to
Anderson, Rolheiser, Kim (1998). The ability to be unerringly honest of
their strengths and weaknesses yet also focus on the unmet needs of
students and teacher alike are the mile markers of the principal's new role
of leader, not just manager or administrator.
References
Anderson, Rolheiser, Kim (1998) - Anderson, Stephen; Rolheiser, Carol;
Gordon, Kim. Preparing Teachers to be Leaders. Educational Leadership, v55
n5 p59-61 Feb 1998. (EJ560893)
