Michelle Loewenhagen

Signature Assessment

A person who guides or directs a group is how Dictionary.com defines

leadership. I believe John Quincy Adams captured the true meaning of leadership

when he said, If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and

become more, you are a leader. Leadership is more than guiding or directing a group

of people. It is about humbly serving others, having integrity, clear communication,

inspiring others and working together to achieve common goals.

Servant leadership is about serving others. In the book, W

hy Leadership Sucks:

The Fundamentals of Level Five Leadership and Servant Leadership, Miles Anthony

Smith refers to Robert K. Greenleafs servant leadership philosophy, The

servant-leader is servant first...It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve,

to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is

sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage

an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions...The leader-first and the

servant-first are two extreme types. (Smith, 2012, pg. xii) Leadership isnt about

having power, its about sharing power and doing what is best for the group. Servant

leaders keep the well being and growth of the people they are working with as a priority.

Leaders need to have integrity. I believe integrity means you are honest,

trustworthy, reliable, transparent, consistent with your actions and values, and doing

what is right even when no one is looking. When you make a mistake, it means

admitting the mistake and taking the necessary actions to help correct it. It shows your

true character and vulnerability. Leading with integrity builds a foundation of trust with

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the organization you are leading. Mendels says in her publication T
he Effective

Principal, They also know how to give their teachers the backing they need to thrive.

(Mendels, 2012, pg. 56) When a leader is trusted, your team is comfortable, willing and

not afraid to come to you or to task risks within the organization.

A leader is able to listen, ask questions and communicate clearly. Active

listening shows your team you value their opinions/ideas. Being able to analyze data

and situations to ask quality, thoughtful questions will help move forward towards

meeting goals. An effective leader is able to communicate clearly to their team

expectations, a vision and a mission. This ensure the entire team is on the same page.

Great leadership inspires others to be better. They know the strengths and

weakness of their team. And, use their strengths to work towards common goals.

Effective principals know they cannot go it alone. They are not the lonely-at-the-top,

hero principal who has become a fixture of popular culture. Instead, they make good

use of all the skills and knowledge on the faculty and among others, encouraging the

many capable adults who make up a school community to step into leadership roles and

responsibilities. (Mendels, 2012, pg. 56) Cultivating a safe environment for staff to

learn and grow along with encouragement, will impact student learning on a daily basis.

Leaders also see leadership potential in others; then they develop that potential. As

you can see, being a leader is more than just guiding a group of people.

As an educational leader, my vision is to create a culture where educators are

empowered to inspire themselves and children to invest in education and to be lifelong

learners. Tim Waters, Robert Marzano and Brian McNulty used research to create a

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leadership framework that believes effective leaders understand and value the people

in the organization. They know when, how and why to create learning environments

that support people, connect them with one another, and provide the knowledge, skills

and resources they need to succeed. (Waters, Marzano & McNulty, 2003, pg. 4)

People need to feel safe and protected in their working environment, just like kids need

to feel safe and protected to learn. As a leader, I will strive to create this environment

by being grateful, trustworthy, celebrating successes, encouraging positive thinking,

listening carefully, believing in my team, and also having a little fun.

Not all leaders have the same leadership style. My leadership style according to

Matthew Lynch is transformational. Transformational leadership foundation is built on

servant leadership. (Lynch, 2016) I will support, guide and empower my team through

my honesty, integrity and determination. Because we have built a strong, trusting

relationship together as a team. We know and understand each other's strengths and

weaknesses. In return, we utilize our strengths to help us obtain our goal.

I am analytical and organized. I use data to write goals, action plans and make

decisions. Effective leadership means more than simply knowing what to do--its

knowing when, how and why to do it. Effective leaders understand how to balance

pushing for change while at the same time, protecting aspects of culture, value and

norms worth preserving. They know which policies, practices, resources and incentives

to align and how to align them with organizational priorities. (Waters et al., 2003, pg.4)

Not only do I analyze data, I keep my core values in mind when making

decisions. Being true to who you are is deeply root in my personal definition of

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leadership. Research supports that Effective leadership thus not only depends on a

leader with firm personal beliefs, values and the ability to influence others, but requires

the inclusion of professional, organizational (school) and social values that underscore

the schools vision. (van Niekerk, M. & Botha, J., 2017, pg. 134) I will clearly define

and make known my values known through my actions and conversations. Eikenberry

explained (as cited in van Niekerk, M. & Botha, J., 2017, pg. 134) When leaders values

are not clearly defined and understood, their own and others development and growth

could be jeopardised as values are located and fundamental to human-decision

making. Decision making is part of being a leader. I will use all the information along

with the help of others to make decisions. If a poor decision is made, I will not be afraid

to admit my mistakes, apologize and move on.

I am dedicated, persistent and humble. Building an organization that will stand

the test of time, without broadcasting my accomplishments is important to me. I want to

be wise in my decisions and actions. In Smiths book, W

hy Leadership Sucks: The

Fundamentals of Level Five Leadership and Servant Leadership, he discusses the

importance of substance over style. Build icebergs, not skyscrapers. The foolish are

continually busy building an edifice above the surface, while the wise are building below

the surface where no one can see...You cant see it normally, but what lies below has an

enormous impact. (Smith, 2012, pg. 123) This is something I always want to

remember as a leader.

In order to meet my personal definition of leadership, I need to continue to learn,

grow and experience. Reading professional leadership literature, research and case

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studies will help me learn more about the foundation skills of leadership. As well as the

roles a leader needs to take, what they need to understand and what to watch out for.

Taking classes and finishing Viterbos Innovative Teacher Leadership and Instruction

Coaching program will allow me to continue learning more about leadership. I will

observe leaders I currently work with, keeping a notebook of leadership traits I want to

emulate.

As I have learned in the past, I learn the most through experience. There are no

classes, books or mentors that can completely prepare me for leadership. They can

build a solid foundation for me to stand on. They can provide knowledge for me to refer

too, but there will always be situations which arise that catch me off guard. I will do my

best to prepare.

It is my job a leader to inspire others to become better. Smith discuss in his

book, the importance or enabling others so they can achieve greater things than you.

The world would be a better place if everyone would encourage others to have more

success than our own. (Smith, 2012, pg. 124) I will guide my team to success through

my actions. I will equip my team with necessary materials to complete the job, I will not

be afraid to jump in and help out where I am needed. Smith states, When people see

that you are not above doing any job, they rally behind you. If you get this right, it will

breed a fierce loyalty in people that cannot be coerced, controlled, or managed any

other way. (Smith, 2012, pg. 123) Instead of telling, I will show my team.

I strongly believe, I have the skills, mindset and heart to be a great leader.

However, I have to remember, being a great leader takes a lot of time, hard work and

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dedication. It means humbly serving others, having integrity, clear communication,

inspiring others and working together to achieve common goals. Keeping in mind what

Mahatma Gandhi said, There goes my people. I must follow them, for I am their

leader, I know I can become a great leader.

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Lynch, M. (2016). 4 Major Types of Educational Leadership. The Advocate. Retrieved

from http://www.theedadvocate.org/4-major-types-of-educational-leadership/

Mendels, P. (2012). T
he Effective Principal. Journal Of Staff Development, 33(1), 54-58.

Smith, M. A. (2012). Why Leadership Sucks: The Fundamentals of Level Five

Leadership and Servant Leadership, Vol.1. Kompelling Publishing.

Van Niekerk, M., & Botha, J. (2017). Value-Based Leadership Approach: A Way for
Principals to Revive the Value of Values in Schools. E
ducational Research and
Reviews, 12(3), 133-142.

Waters, T., Marzano, R. J., McNulty, B., & Mid-Continent Regional Educational Lab., A.
C. (2003). B alanced Leadership: What 30 Years of Research Tells Us about the Effect
of Leadership on Student Achievement. A Working Paper.