Leadership: Theory and Practice

Introduction

This paper explores my leadership practice in education concerning the values I stated earlier. It is concerned with how my leadership vision fits in with my actions. Many leadership definitions exist, but most of them suggest that influence initiated by a group, or one person, over others, is to determine the activities and shape relationships and what happens in a group. Concepts of leadership are viewed as a process of social influence. Still, they differ concerning the one that exerts influence, the form of the influence, the exercise's intention, and the results. Most of the research examines principals as the central source of leadership in learning institutions. While there are several definitions of leadership, most of them suggest that intentional influence is propelled by one individual or group over others to structure relationships in an organization or group.

The concepts of leadership differ based on the person who exerts influence on others, the form of influence, the intention, and the results. Formal leaders include head teachers, principals, deputies, assistant heads, department heads, subject heads, etc. Informal leaders include specialists in subjects or those who influence learners, groups, or individual levels. Leadership is not always attached to a role. It can be seen as a process: as opposed to an authority position. For instance, Cambridge Network was developed to connect learning and leadership in schools concerning leadership for learning. Critical to the Cambridge Network is the belief that leadership is both a shared and individual enterprise and should be spread and exercised at all levels. Teachers are widely seen as professionals with immense potential for leadership (MacBeath&Dempster, 2009). The leadership concept can be extrapolated to include helping student leadership to grow as an educational process goal. The latter is widely viewed as an essential skill for survival. Schools should also take up leadership in the communities they operate. They should encourage learning beyond the precincts of the school (IGCSE, 2017).

Self-Study

My self-study piece focuses on my leadership practices in education. I worked as a teacher for an elementary school. I will examine my leadership concerning the mentioned realm. In my view, my leadership skills are informed by the task I have to accomplish. I should be confident enough to understand that I can lead and take responsibility for issues arising. I feel that those who surround me can sometimes trigger feelings of nervousness in me. However, once I take up a leadership position for a project or other task, I can complete it quickly.

There had been numerous incidents and opportunities in my professional life, where I could have demonstrated my leadership acumen. I believe that a leader should first believe in themselves to influence trust from others. A leader should possess the power to convince where there is a need to convince others that something can be done. Educational settings provide an opportunity where problems that need immediate solutions to arise. In my career in education, I have taken the lead to offer solutions when problems emerge. I took the initiative in managing events and projects. Since I am effective at planning and organizing events, I was given the leadership role. I was charged with planning events and activities so that they are completed in good time.

Last time, I was charged with leading a team of five people. Part of my work was to manage their daily schedules, mentoring, and training them. I can confidently conclude that those who experienced my leadership were impressed. I embrace the participation of all members in a group. I hold that everyone in the group must stand up to be counted in the group's overall objectives. I also believe in listening to the group members' views and considering the merits of such views.

The values stated seem to me in congruence with my educational leadership style. I believe that a leader should follow their words with action. There should e harmony in the utterances and actions of a leader. I believe in extending help to others. When I lead, I'm open in my attempt to help those who work below me. The approach makes it easy to accomplish tasks.

Literature Review/Theoretical Framework

There are numerous views of leadership as there are characteristics for differentiating leaders from those who are not....…leadership style and practice in educational settings were examined. The exercise has granted me deeper insight regarding my style of leadership and practice. I have also examined how these practices blend in with the values stated. I discovered that I use participative and situational leadership systems. While the situational leadership style seems t put more emphasis on the leader's power, it creates a fertile avenue to examine the significance of group dynamics. The studies on how leaders and their followers relate have given birth to modern-day group dynamic and leadership theories. Situational leadership demands that the leadership style aligns with the subordinates' maturity (Ahmed, Nawaz & Khan, 2016).

To carry on with educational leadership consistently and sustainably, leaders need to develop sustainability principles on the method they employ to approach, protect, and commit to teaching in learning institutions. It is about an effective method to sustain themselves and those who follow them, intending to support and encourage teaching and learning activities. It is also about their capacity and how they are motivated to keep their vision unwavering to avoid burning out. Many leaders wish to engage in activities that import to convince others to engage in such activity to leave a legacy after leaving the scene.

Conclusion

In brief, educational leaders understand that a leader requires several judgments every day. These judgments call for high sensitivity and knowledge of the various styles of leadership and strategies. Therefore, closing the gap between practice and theory should encourage a platform for exploring the dominant styles and leadership strategies to stand on a firm foundation: practice and theory. Leaders are advised to use the most effective and appropriate leadership strategy or combine several strategies to handle the changing situations and circumstances in the best possible way. Such an approach will enable leaders to complete tasks with ease. Effective leadership in any educational environment is comparatively fast and cost-effective if it is used appropriately. The outcomes of the educational leadership practice are valid for various functions. These purposes include improving organizational performance and team-building aspects. The procedures further enhance the individual and organizational innovation in the learning and teaching ventures…