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This post is excerpted from the March 2018 issue of English Journal. For this issue, editors Julie Gorlewski and David Gorlewski invited three current leaders-Jocelyn Chadwick, Leigh Patel, and Ken Lindblom-to respond to a series of questions in order to offer a broader perspective on the concept of leadership in education.
EJ: What does "leadership in education" mean to you?
Jocelyn A. Chadwick: As Carol Gilligan asserts, leadership at times requires a negotiative discourse. At other times, it is linear, objective, and singular with leaders needing to stand alone, if necessary, for ethical reasons. Effective leadership is always understanding and probing the audience to inform oneself. Leadership is tapping into human resources to provide the highest level of service.

Leadership is not believing your own press; and leadership is never forgetting the why and the ethics of the mission and all those individuals-teachers and students-who have placed their trust in you.

Leigh Patel: First and foremost, leadership in education must marshal a humble stewardship of learning. At this moment, we are flush with well-paid leaders in education who have much to say about innovation but precious little to say about learning, and even less to say about the population-level patterns of denied access to education.

Leadership in education must be able to reckon with the legacies and the shortcomings of Eurocentric frames of human development that are individualistic and exist for the purpose of achievement and domination.

In kind, it must also know of epistemologies that aren't simply counter to Eurocentric empire, but are grounded in what came before, . . . and what is possible when we prioritize relation and connectivity over achievement and certificates.

If an educational leader does not know what kind of learning took place in Noir Marron communities, then I believe they, minimally, have much to learn about learning and its steady relationship to freedom. I think it is difficult to be an education leader who has only learned about one narrow form of being on this planet.

Ken Lindblom: Leadership in education means always keeping the learning of the students as the only goal. Keeping that front and center will always keep an education leader focused on the right things.

Of course, that means doing everything necessary to support students and teachers. It means ensuring that teachers have everything they need to do their jobs well.

It means keeping up on the latest knowledge in teaching, content, and organizational theory. It means motivating and educating. It means keeping unproductive, even hostile, external forces at bay, and it means supporting societal change that will increase all students' learning. It means advocating externally and internally for student learning.

It means doing everything necessary to ensure all students have all they need (e.g., food, quiet space, safety) to be able to learn at their best. It means providing a professional context that allows-and obligates-teachers to do what they know is best for their students' learning, allowing them to ignore, if needed, anything that could impede student learning.

We have a "bottom line" in education: it is student learning-and standardized exams don't reflect student learning well enough to be reliable measures on their own.

Jocelyn A. Chadwick is president of the National Council of Teachers of English and author of The Jim Dilemma: Reading Race in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Leigh Patel is an interdisciplinary researcher, educator, and writer. Ken Lindblom is an associate professor of English and dean of the School of Professional Development at Stony Brook University on Long Island, New York.

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What Does Leadership in Education Mean to You? - NCTE

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This post is excerpted from the March 2018 issue of English Journal. For this issue, editors Julie Gorlewski and David Gorlewski invited three current leaders-Jocelyn Chadwick, Leigh Patel, and Ken Lindblom-to respond to a series of questions in order to offer a broader perspective on the concept of leadership in education.

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Over the past couple of years, I've spent a lot of time working to become a better leader. I've studied other leaders, taken classes, and applied for and taken part in many leadership development fellowships that have helped me understand my personal leadership ability and some of the areas I need to develop. With all of the work, I have come to realize that becoming a better leader requires the same kind of deliberate action and practice that it does to become better at anything else. It takes practice and time and most importantly it requires a plan. Your plan doesn't have to be long, it doesn't need to be overly verbose, but it does need to be focused and intentional.

Simon Sinek has a simple illustration for inspirational leadership. He starts with a golden circle and ask the question "Why". At the center of the Golden Circle is WHY. The next concentric circle is HOW. And finally, the outermost circle is WHAT.

Most people can tell you the WHAT. They can describe what they do. Many other can share HOW they do WHAT they do their unique value proposition and their values. However, do you know your WHY - your purpose, your cause or what you believe? The WHY is what makes others care. John Quincy Adams said, "Leadership is not a title, it's influence." Others must care in order for you to influence them. Which means others must care for them to follow your leadership.
2. Determine Your Goals
After you've established your WHY then you must define specific goals. What are the outcomes and impact you're seeking to have with your life, your work, and your effort? Creating 3 to 4 SMART goals related to your why will give you a solid foundation for your plan. Think of this as your life business plan and these goals are the supportive elements of your statement of purpose.
3.Create Measureable Steps to Achieve Your Goals With A Timeline
Remember the old children's riddle? "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." You have to approach your goals in the same manner. You have to create action steps to achieve each goal with measurables to track progress and they have to be on a timeline. If your goal is to Get your Master's Degree by 2023. One of your action steps may be. Prepare for and take the GRE by April 2019. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg says that you practice this chunking method with all goals and then reward yourself as you accomplish the smaller milestones. This will create good habits for you in the pursuit of your plan.
4. Get Feedback and Check Progress Against Desired Outcomes
Mentoring is essential to growth as a leader. Having a good mentor can be critical to your development as a leader and person. They can help you course correct when perhaps you are out of alignment and they can give you real-time feedback when you may need it the most. Chicago Scholars President and CEO, community leader, and 2018 Obama Fellow Dominique Jordan Turner always says "Feedback is love" and believes that is essential to practicing leadership and creating performance cultures.

After you get feedback on your plan then spend time doing an assessment on how you are tracking toward your goals. You can ask others to help you with this or spend time doing this on your own but it's important to make sure you do this.
5. Be Agile With Your Plan -
Agile is a project management methodology used to build software. It uses incremental, iterative work sequences that are commonly known as sprints. It revolves around an idea that you build something, test it with users, deploy it and iterate (version 1, 2,3 ... think of a mobile app) to make it better. I'm encouraging you to treat your leadership plan in the same fashion. After you get feedback and counsel, assess your progress toward your goals, and notice a misalignment or that you're off track don't' hesitate to adjust or iterate on the plan to get to where you want to be. Be kind to yourself and give your space room to grow and change. Remember, a failure to plan is a plan for failure.

Jeff Beckham Jr. is Vice President of Career and Leadership Development for Chicago Scholars, a youth advocate and community leader from Chicago.

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5 Steps to Crafting a Leadership Action Plan

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Over the past couple of years, I've spent a lot of time working to become a better leader. I've studied other leaders, taken classes, and applied for and taken part in many leadership development fellowships that have helped me understand my personal leadership ability and some of the areas I need to develop.

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The Global Emotional Intelligence Test uses 40 questions which are derived from, the Global instrument, which contains 158 items. These are based on Goleman's four quadrant Emotional Intelligence Competency Model (2002). Click EI Capability Assessment here for more details. Short EI quizzes such as this are meant to be fun, and to give you a guide to which EI areas you are doing well in and those which perhaps you need to focus on for development.

This Test, is a forced-choice psychological test which requires you to choose Instructions for the FREE EI Test one statement in each pair of statements that describes you best. For each pair of statements, select the statement that best applies to you. Do not over-analyse the questions, or try to think of "exceptions to the rule." Be spontaneous and choose the statement that comes closest to the way you are.

Occasionally there will be questions that ask you to make a close call between two choices. This is because the Test is trying to distinguish between specific areas. If a question is very close and you can't decide which statement applies to you best, you can come back to it after you have completed the other questions.

The Test usually takes about 10 minutes to complete. At the end of the test, click on the Score Test button, and wait for the computer to generate an EI profile of your scores. If you have answered honestly and accurately, your scores will reflect your capability level within each of the EI quadrants.

We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the results of this Test - only that it can help you begin your journey of self-development!

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Emotional Intelligence Test - Global Leadership Foundation

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Free emotional intelligence test developed by Global Leadership Foundation

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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People explores the principles of effective self-leadership, influence, collaboration, and improvement.

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Yes, those are two drastically different kinds of management. But here's the thing: Leadership style isn't always so straightforward.

There are numerous styles of leadership that aren't inherently good or bad-they're just different. They all have their benefits and drawbacks, as well as their appropriate uses in certain scenarios.

Read on to find out why understanding your own approach matters, to get a breakdown of eight common leadership styles-along with their pros, cons, identifying characteristics-and to learn how you can change your leadership style.

What Is Leadership...Really?

Complete this sentence: "A leader is..."

What's your answer? Someone who's in a formal position of power? Whoever's ranked above you on the org chart? The person with the corner office and the higher salary?

Those might be the traditional perceptions, but it's important to recognize that anybody can be a leader. Yes, that means you, too.

Fundamentally, a leader is somebody who influences or guides other people through their own actions and behaviors. That might mean someone who's the designated head of a department. But make no mistake-having that seniority isn't a prerequisite.

Even if you're not managing a team on a daily basis, you might still have to step into a leadership role from time to time. Maybe you're spearheading an important cross-functional project or you have to host a meeting.

Those are opportunities for you to fulfill a leadership role and be looked to as an example. They're also moments when your own leadership qualities and style will bubble to the surface. So, don't write off these approaches as something that don't apply to you just because you don't have a C-suite role.

Why Is it Important to Understand Your Leadership Style?

Before we jump right into the nitty gritty, there's one critical question that needs to be answered: Why the heck do leadership styles matter?

"Understanding how you lead and want to lead will give you a better sense of control over the size and scope of your reach and impact," explains Joyel Crawford, a Muse career coach and leadership development consultant.

"Bringing awareness allows you to take ownership and responsibility," adds Tara Padua, executive coach, entrepreneur, and startup advisor. "Our leadership style is a whirlpool of our values, our natural strengths and abilities, [and] our beliefs and experiences. Knowing your leadership style can help you align that whirlpool with your vision, goals, and even your organization's mission and vision."

Put simply, to have an impact as a leader, you need to be an effective one. And in order to be effective, you have to understand exactly where you're starting from-as well as where you want to go. Knowing your current approach gives you a baseline that you can use to identify the improvements you need to make.

8 Different Leadership Styles (and Their Pros and Cons)

Here's the good, bad, and the ugly on eight common, "textbook" approaches to leadership.

These styles are based on the findings of several well-known leadership researchers (such as Karl Lewin, Bernard M. Bass, Robert K. Greenleaf, and more). However, be aware that you'll see different experts define these buckets differently.

1. Transactional Leadership

The best way to understand transactional leadership is to think of a typical transaction: I give you this, and you do this in return.

That's really the basis of this leadership style. Transactional leaders dish out instructions to their team members and then use different rewards and penalties to either recognize or punish what they do in response.

Think of a leader offering praise to applaud a job well done or mandating that a group member handles a despised department-wide task because they missed a deadline. Those are examples of rewards and punishments in a work setting.

Needless to say, this approach is highly directive, and is often referred to as a "telling" leadership style.

Pro: Confusion and guesswork are eliminated, because tasks and expectations are clearly mapped out by the leader.

Con: Due to the rigid environment and expectations, creativity and innovation may be stifled.

You Might Be a Transactional Leader If...

You frequently use the threat of having to stay late when you need to motivate your team.

You're constantly brainstorming clever ways to recognize solid work-your team can't wait to see what you come up with after last month's taco party.

2. Transformational Leadership

Again, with this leadership style, it's all in the name: Transformational leaders seek to change (ahem, transform) the businesses or groups in which they lead by inspiring their employees to innovate.

These leaders are all about making improvements and finding better ways to get things done. And as a result, they inspire and empower other people to own their work and chime in with their suggestions or observations about how things could be streamlined or upgraded.

Under transformational leaders, people have tons of autonomy, as well as plenty of breathing room to innovate and think outside the box.

Pro: Leaders are able to establish a high level of trust with employees and rally them around a shared vision or end goal.

Con: In environments where existing processes are valued, this desire to change things up can ruffle some feathers.

You Might Be a Transformational Leader If...

You look at every single existing process with a discerning eye and a strong sense that it could be better.

You're always encouraging others to get outside their comfort zones and push their own limits.

You could burst with pride whenever you see a team member achieve something that was previously thought to be impossible.

3. Servant Leadership

Servant leaders operate with this standard motto: Serve first and lead second.

Rather than thinking about how they can inspire people to follow their lead, they channel the majority of their energy into finding ways that they can help others. They prioritize the needs of other people above their own.

Despite the fact that they're natural leaders, those who follow the servant leadership model don't try to maintain a white-knuckle grasp on their own status or power. Instead, they focus on elevating and developing the people who follow them.

As Simon Sinek eloquently explains in his book, Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't, "leaders are the ones who are willing to give up something of their own for us. Their time, their energy, their money, maybe even the food off their plate. When it matters, leaders choose to eat last."

Pro: This approach boosts morale and leads to a high level of trust, which results in better employee performance and a more positive company culture overall.

Con: It's challenging. Constantly pushing your own needs and priorities to the backburner isn't something that comes as second nature for most of us.

You Might Be a Servant Leader If...

You're known for asking, "What can I do to help?" at least three times a day.

You place a high priority on removing roadblocks and helping others get things done.

You never think twice about helping out when you're asked-because you know that your own to-do list will still be there when you return.

4. Democratic Leadership

You might also hear this leadership style referred to as "participative leadership." Leaders in this category run groups and projects like...well, a democracy.

Even if these leaders are technically higher on the org chart, they emphasize working together and actively involve their teams in the decision-making process. Democratic leaders value ideas and input from others, and encourage discussion about those contributions.

They aren't handing down orders from on high, and instead take a much more collaborative approach to getting things done.

Pro: Creativity and innovation are encouraged, which also improves job satisfaction among employees and team members.

Con: Constantly trying to achieve consensus among a group can be inefficient and, in some cases, costly.

You Might Be a Democratic Leader If...

You think the best meetings are the ones where everyone has an equal chance to weigh in.

You can't remember the last time you made an important decision without getting input from at least one other person.

5. Autocratic Leadership

Autocratic leadership exists on the opposite side of the spectrum from democratic leadership.

You can think of this as a "my way or the highway" approach.

Autocratic leaders view themselves as having absolute power and make decisions on behalf of their subordinates. They dictate not only what needs to be done, but also how those tasks should be accomplished.

Pro: Decisions are often made quickly and strategically, and teams are kept on track as a result.

Con: Employees can feel ignored, restricted, and-in the absolute worst of cases-even abused.

You Might Be an Autocratic Leader If...

You think group discussions and brainstorming only slow things down, and it's better if you make important decisions alone.

You dislike it when employees question your decisions-when you've said something, that's final.

6. Bureaucratic Leadership

Bureaucratic leadership goes "by the book," so to speak. With this leadership style, there's a prescribed set of boxes to check in order to be a true leader.

For example, bureaucratic leaders have hierarchical authority -meaning their power comes from a formal position or title, rather than unique traits or characteristics that they possess.

They also have a set list of responsibilities, as well as clearly-defined rules and systems for how they'll manage others and make decisions. They just need to follow that roadmap that's laid out for them.

Pro: There's plenty of stability. Since this is a systematized approach to leadership, things remain constant even through personnel changes and other shifts that threaten to rock the boat.

Con: It's tempting to fall into the "we've always done it this way" trap. This approach can be inflexible and neglect to leave room for creativity or ideas from employees.

You Might Be a Bureaucratic Leader If...

You frequently find yourself asking how your predecessor handled certain scenarios-you want to make sure that you're following the accepted procedure.

You always request confirmation that you're doing things right whenever you're tasked with something new.

7. Laissez-Faire Leadership

Do you remember the term "laissez-faire" from your high school French or history class? If not, let's refresh your memory.

This is a French term that translates to "leave it be," which pretty accurately summarizes this hands-off leadership approach. It's the exact opposite of micromanagement.

Laissez-faire leaders provide the necessary tools and resources. But then they step back and let their team members make decisions, solve problems, and get their work accomplished-without having to worry about the leader obsessively supervising their every move.

Pro: This level of trust and independence is empowering for teams that are creative and self-motivated.

Con: Chaos and confusion can quickly ensue-especially if a team isn't organized or self-directed.
You Might Be a Laissez-Faire Leader If...

You hardly do any of the talking in project status update meetings. Instead, your team members are the ones filling you in on where things are.

You're really only involved in most tasks and projects at two key points: the beginning and the end.

8. Charismatic Leadership

You know what it means to have a lot of charisma, and that's exactly what these leaders possess.

Charismatic leaders have magnetic personalities, as well as a lot of conviction to achieve their objectives.

Rather than encouraging behaviors through strict instructions, these leaders use eloquent communication and persuasion to unite a team around a cause. They're able to clearly lay out their vision and get others excited about that same goal.

Pro: Charismatic leaders are very inspirational and effective at getting an entire group invested in a shared objective.

Con: Due to their intense focus, it's easy for these leaders to develop "tunnel vision" and lose sight of other important issues or tasks that crop up.

You Might Be a Charismatic Leader If...

You're known for giving amazing "rally the troops" types of presentations.

You're usually the one elected to give toasts and speeches at various company events.

How Hard Is it to Change Your Leadership Style?

So you've familiarized yourself with the ins and outs of the above approaches...what if you've realized that you want to make some changes? Perhaps you've pegged yourself as a transactional leader and want to be more transformational, or you think you could incorporate more servant leadership into your existing style.

The good news: You absolutely can change your personal leadership style. "Your leadership style isn't an annual membership," says Crawford. Altering your approach is actually fairly straightforward in concept (although a little more difficult in practice), and you can do it at any time. The key is to swap out ineffective habits for new ones that are more in line with the style you'd like to align with, and "stay committed to practicing your new leadership style and technique."

For example, if you tend to be autocratic and want to incorporate some more democratic practices, try some things that force you to relinquish some power like:

Requesting a second opinion on a decision you're making.

Instituting a weekly brainstorming session with your team.

Asking a colleague to co-lead a project that you otherwise would've handled alone.

If you're struggling to even figure out how you can be more effective or what the best leadership style for you is in the first place, Padua recommends that you start by thinking about a leader or mentor you admired. "What were their qualities?" she asks. "What did they do? What did they say? How did it impact you?"

That exercise can help you identify some traits that you'd like to implement in your own style.

Here's the thing: There's no such thing as a "perfect" leadership style, because leadership isn't one size fits all. All of these approaches come with their benefits and drawbacks, and some of them will be more effective in certain scenarios.

That very idea has paved the way for one final style: situational leadership. It's highly flexible and suggests that leaders should adapt their approach to the specific circumstances they're in.

Regardless of where you think your own current style fits in, there are likely a few changes you can make to be even more effective. Like anything, leadership is a learning process, and it takes a little bit of trial and error to get it right.

"Don't be afraid to make mistakes," concludes Crawford. "That's how we learn. Sometimes you may have to take a few tries at different styles to make things work. Be easy on yourself."

Kat is a Midwest-based freelance writer, covering topics related to careers, productivity, and the freelance life. In addition to The Muse, she's a contributor all over the web and dishes out research-backed advice for places like Atlassian, Trello, Toggl, Wrike, The Everygirl, FlexJobs, and more. She's also an Employment Advisor at a local college, and loves helping students prepare to thrive in careers (and lives!) they love. When she manages to escape from behind her computer screen, she's usually babying her two rescue mutts or continuing her search for the perfect taco. Say hi on Twitter @kat_boogaard or check out her website.

More from Kat Boogaard

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8 Common Leadership Styles (and How to Find Yours)

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Yes, those are two drastically different kinds of management. But here's the thing: Leadership style isn't always so straightforward. There are numerous styles of leadership that aren't inherently good or bad-they're just different. They all have their benefits and drawbacks, as well as their appropriate uses in certain scenarios.

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Anyone trying to come up to speed on emotional intelligence would have a pretty easy time of it since the concept is remarkably recent, and its application to business newer still. The term was coined in 1990 in a research paper by two psychology professors, John D. Mayer of UNH and Peter Salovey of Yale. Some years later, Mayer defined it in HBR this way:

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How Emotional Intelligence Became a Key Leadership Skill

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A reading list to bring you up to speed.

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Leadership Theories: Trait vs Behavior Theory