If I am asked, what are some critical things that must change about principal’s leadership for the new vision Bhutan First, I suggest us these:
1. Become a powerful speaker
Power of speech, with clarity, depth and wisdom makes a lot of difference in inspiring others. Our inability to be eloquent, distorted with aah, and-da, that-ta, but-ta, etc proves our inadequacy and hesitancy.
This can be improved by lots of reading and practice in speaking. Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of USA, was born to a farmer, but grew up reading every book he could find. He was one of the powerful orators of his time and a indomitable leader.
2. Keep a common touch
Principal is a title that defines leadership in a school. It is not a position of power. We must treat both teachers and support staff as colleagues, while playing out roles of guide, facilitator and leader. It is important to understand that people must be led with firmness and understanding than with arrogance and autocracy. Our success will depend on how we well we can motivate and manage rapport with others.
3. Avoid domineering habits
A wise leader will manage any differences, short comings and challenges with calmness and quiet reticence than by yelling and blaming. Demonstrating hatred and anger to teachers and support staff may appear to make people obedient when in fact, their displeasure will demotivate them to work with enthusiasm and happiness. Lack of happiness within a system cause burnouts and this will be visible in the happiness of those who celebrate their transfer from that place.
4. Walk the corridors and corners
When principal frequent the corridors, campus and others places like offices, store and kitchen, when he visits dorms and toilets, he understands what needs to be done where. When principal in present where his staff work amd become part of them, he will learn to help and appreciate their efforts.
Principal’s position of authority is not merely defined by how long he sit in office, how many papers he signs and what directions he gives, but by how visible he is to others at their workspaces.
We can take this example from our beloved King who walks the valleys amd hills, towns and offices to learn the lives he is king for.
5. Acknowledge and gratify small things
A success of an organisation is a cumulative contribution from everyone and everything people do. A principal must appreciate and acknowledge students and staff when they contribute in little ways, for effort and even attitude. When small efforts are honoured and thanked, people begin to learn faster, change better and contribute more. Gratification can be words, a pat, a token, a certificate and recognition to show appreciation.
When we draw on the failures of students and staff, naming and shaming the hiccups, people become demotivated and displeased.
6. Show empathy with fairness
Everyone looks at the leader as source of support and strength, guide and hope, when they face difficulties and discomforting situations. While there are rules of work, a leader must be able to demonstrate empathy and provide help with fairness. A principal must not differentiate between support staff and a teacher, between sweeper and a teacher. The more lowly their job, the more we must understand them, support and guide, without being lenient and gullible.
When a student or staff is facing painful situations, we must be able to reach out, represent or be present as a family. We must be able to cross borders, without disparity, disregard and divisions. School is a family, and when family needs helps, everyone must be able to help.
7. Make your office their home
An office of a leader must be a home to find solution with ease. It must never be a place where people have to enter with fear, bracing for harsh words, unsure what will their fate be, even for usual works. A principal must be a teacher, someone everyone turn to for answer and solace, a place where a role model by thought, speech and action resides. Everyone feel a sense of psychological safety, feeling free and respectful to share work dilemmas and personal issues. A warm and lively culture of school begins from principal’s office.
8. Work as a team
An organisation fails when team fails, and accomplishes as a team too. A leader’s responsibility is to manage his people as a team. A herd accountability is what drives performance at work. A principal’s primary responsibility is to manage how his people work, how he optimizes on everybody’s strengths and time. We must never disregard anyone for what they cannot do, as each will have their strength. A wise leader will always honour individuals for their strengths and services. He will attribute all achievements to the whole and failure upon himself.
9. Help your team grow
One of the best resource in school is the skill and knowledge of teacher. Principal must be able to raise awareness, skill and aptitude of his staff through talks, guidance, training and other opportunities. Our ability to motivate each member to learn, experience and grow contributes to transforming school culture to a vibrant system.
The growth of soft skills has more profound and everlasting impact on student learning and behaviour change than by infrastructural growth. The richness of school library has no use unless principal can inspire everyone to read, a variety of chemical amd equipments in science lab is a failed showcase of principal do not drive teachers to utilize and experiment.
10. There are many things I must improve to become a specimen as a leader. For the coming year, I shall tap into students’ strengths and teachers’ potential, and look more at how and what I must grow most about myself .
What others things you think our principals must grown on??
0 comments:
Post a Comment