Six Best Kept Secrets of Successful Leadership

Having a job in the field of education can be stressful at times. But if you hold a leadership position, things are even more trickier. Yo...

Having a job in the field of education can be stressful at times. But if you hold a leadership position, things are even more trickier. Your days will be stressful, there will be too many expectations, your staff will have many problems, and the students in your institution will sometimes behave like unstoppable energy forces ready to wreak havoc. There will be days when you will think about leaving this role.

To deal with such challenges, you need to know some things that many great leaders have believed and have helped them succeed in their roles. These secrets will help you become an exceptional instructional leader while making a safe space for your colleagues. Even if you don’t become an example, these will definitely help you survive your job as a leader.

 

There is No Single Leadership Style

Irrespective of the type of leader you are or want to be, no single leadership model fits everyone. You have a personality, the people around you are different, and your organization’s structure is distinct from others. You cannot randomly select a leadership style that you may have assumed best for others. You can face challenges of a different kind that others may not have experienced previously.

We believe that often, you will have to adopt new styles for every new issue. Get familiar with all styles you can use and employ them accordingly. If you are new in your role, we recommend enrolling in Online EdD in Educational Leadership degree. It can accommodate your schedule as a working professional and improve your educational leadership skills, especially if you are working in a K-12 setting.

 

Sometimes, You Will Fail

Being the principal or the headmaster of the institute, you might have better knowledge and experience than others. You have the power to make big decisions for your staff, teachers, students, and the organization. But you cannot always be right or give your best performance. You might make some bad decisions that negatively affect the organization.

Things like mistakes, failures, and lack of experience or lack of the ability to perform a specific task are part of this role. Understand that it is best to accept your failings, take steps to correct them, and proceed to deal with the next thing.

Learn to share the burden of leadership with others by valuing their opinions and inspiring them to play a better role at their workplaces. 

 

It is Not For the Faint-Hearted

Any person can take the role of a manager, administrator, head, or boss, but assuming the role and challenges of leadership is not for everyone. It requires dealing with the issues and people bravely, knowing when and where to take the initiative, being a risk-taker, showing empathy towards others, having strong beliefs, and yet being adaptable. In simpler words, you must be both hard and soft, which is something not faint-hearted people can do.

Learn from your mentors; however, lead from your heart only. This means having core values and principles, knowing your strengths and weaknesses, and building trustworthy relationships with people around you. Leadership requires a little bit of everything, like courage, vulnerability, transparency, confidentiality, honesty, and fragility. If you know how to use these traits correctly, you can be a great educational leader. 

 

Listen to Everyone, Including the Students

Communication is key to effective leadership, but it’s not about talking. Excellent listening skills in leadership mean engaging with stakeholders at all levels. If a teacher has some problems, listen to them closely. Their words and behavior will not only tell you about their problem but might also reveal things discussed in the staffroom.

When you listen to the students, you learn about the learning process from their perspective. It gives an idea of the teaching outcomes and educational issues you may not have known before. You get a chance to learn about positive things, encouraging you to perform better.

Try talking to everyone if you are in an administrative position. Assessing the employee input and student feedback will become easier for you, which will be helpful in the implementation of innovative ideas.

 

Emotional Intelligence is A Must

A leader with high EQ knows how to stay calm under pressure, treat others with empathy, and resolve conflicts more efficiently. A survey by CareerBuilder shows that 71% of hiring managers prefer EQ over IQ as it is a better indicator of performance.

EQ has six core values. First is authenticity, which we have already discussed above. The second is self-awareness which requires understanding and accepting your behavior, emotions, skills, strengths, and flaws. The third point is self-management, which describes the importance of controlling things in your proximity to make a bigger difference later. The fourth aspect is being aware of others. You must listen to people, learn about their issues, make them feel valued, and guide them. The fifth thing is the positive influence, where you need to know how to motivate and encourage people toward better performance. The last value is emotional reasoning. You must know a way to align your and others’ emotions when analyzing the technical information and making decisions. The more you know about practicing these skills, the better leader you can be in education.

Balance the Culture and Professionalism

Building a culture of respect, motivation, and collaboration is very important when working as the head of any educational organization. You must integrate diversity and encourage others to accept people from different areas of life. However, you must maintain professionalism as well. Even though people need to feel valued, they must be aware that everyone is working in a professional environment.

Ensure a culture of positive relations between all and their right to be creative. But despite this, make sure you and others are always working within the defined boundaries. Being professional as a leader means leading by example and guaranteeing everyone is treated with respect.

 

Final Thoughts

We often hear that success can breed further success. Leadership, too, works on the same principle. With a successful leader, positive energy develops in the organization leading to continuous improvements and innovations in education. Everyone can feel the presence of a great leader, including the teachers, staff, and students. However, you cannot become a leader by reading some books or following mentors. Instead, follow some leadership tips that not everyone knows.