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What it takes to be a great leader | Roselinde Torres | TED

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The Principal's Role in Supporting Learning Communities

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The Principal's Role in Supporting Learning Communities

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February 2009 | Volume 66 | Number 5
How Teachers Learn Pages 22-23

Shirley M. Hord and Stephanie A. Hirsh

Principals have found that the following approaches support strong learning communities:

Emphasize to teachers that you know they can succeed-together. Particularly in schools with a history of low achievement where many interventions have been introduced to "fix" teachers, lay the groundwork for professional learning communities by telling teachers you believe they have the expertise to make student learning happen. Make clear you expect them to pool that expertise.

One principal, hired to turn around a low-achieving high school whose discouraged staff had come to accept the "low-achieving" label, told teachers, "This year the conversation will be about learning for students and learning for adults." This principal identified one nonnegotiable expectation: Teachers in the school had to pull together and could no longer work in isolation.

Expect teachers to keep knowledge fresh. Let teachers know you expect them to keep their skills up-to-date through collaborative study. Professionals subscribe to a codified body of knowledge and commit to monitoring the latest information and skills to increase their effectiveness. We expect people in the medical and legal fields to continually review current research and exemplary practices. We should expect the same of educators.

Guide communities toward self-governance. Effective learning communities are democratic and participatory. Although you may take the lead in arranging meetings at first, over time, urge community members to assume prominent roles. Share authority and decision making from the beginning and gradually prepare other members to take the lead. Self-governance will both help a professional learning community continue and boost teachers' feelings of professionalism.

Make data accessible. One element of an effective learning community is adroitness in using data for instructional decision making. Ensure that an array of data on student performance is available in a format that teachers find understandable and that invites interpretation. You may need to help staff members acquire skills needed to interpret data, perhaps bringing in a seasoned professional to guide them.

Teach discussion and decision-making skills. Especially if collaboration is new in your school, help teachers develop skills in talking and making decisions together. Explain the different modes of dialogue and discussion. Dialogue-in which members share their knowledge, feelings, or biases-is preferable when the goal of conversation is to help participants understand one another. Such sharing often exposes the unacknowledged "elephant in the room" that can interfere with learning. Discussion is a good choice when the goal is to make a decision about a course of action. In this case, members clearly set out and support their points of view in hopes of persuading the group to adopt a particular action. Learning communities should know different strategies for finalizing decisions, including voting and consensus building.

Show teachers the research. Research on professional learning communities indicates that teachers reap such benefits as collective responsibility for student success, increased understanding of teachers' roles in helping students achieve, feedback and assistance from peers, and professional renewal. Research shows that learning in a social context is deeper than independent learning.

Take time to build trust. These activities will be effective only if mutual trust exists between the faculty and the principal as well as among teachers. Teachers will never openly express themselves if they fear their colleagues. Giving teachers guided practice in conducting appropriate conversations, making decisions, and managing conflict will help strengthen trust; so will keeping the focus on building student and teacher learning.

Shirley M. Hord is a Scholar Laureate with the National Staff Development Council and author of Leading Professional Learning Communities: Voices From Research and Practice (Corwin, 2008); shirleyhord@gmail.com. Stephanie A. Hirsh is Executive Director of the National Staff Development Council and author of The Learning Educator (NSDC, 2008); stephanie.hirsh@nsdc.org.

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The Principal's Role in Supporting Learning Communities

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February 2009 | Volume 66 | Number 5 How Teachers Learn Pages 22-23 Shirley M. Hord and Stephanie A. Hirsh Principals have found that the following approaches support strong learning communities: Emphasize to teachers that you know they can succeed-together .

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Creating your Personal Leadership Philosophy

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Creating your Personal Leadership Philosophy

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This article dives further into what a transformational leader is. In addition, it discusses the values an effective leader believes and practices.
http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.easydb.angelo.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=2&sid=d5a4bcb6-505f-4503-a699-9ef14bc476ff%40sessionmgr4008

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This article includes various ways leaders can create a multicultural environment. By incorporating these methods, the academic development and educational success of their students will be increased. Moreover, a positive campus culture will be established.
http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.easydb.angelo.edu/eds/ebookviewer/ebook/bmxlYmtfXzgwMDkwM19fQU41?sid=ffd3bcf5-0c73-49d2-af1b-caa2afada864@sessionmgr4009&vid=1&format=EB&rid=1

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The article expresses the role educational leaders and parents have in assisting the schools low-income population.

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With all of the talk of education reform and what's needed to revitalize public schools, it's refreshing to read Paul Tough's new book, Helping Children Succeed: What Works and Why. In this slim volume, Tough pulls together decades of social science research on the impacts of poverty and trauma on kids' brains and behavior, and makes a cogent, convincing argument for why this research should lie at the center of any discussions about reform.

Researchers have found that the chronic stress of living in chaotic, impoverished environments affects brain centers involved in executive functioning, which controls things like attention, working memory, planning, reasoning, and inhibition. Children who grow up in stressful environments tend to have more emotional and behavioral problems, making the transition to school problematic. Yet, as Tough points out, more than 50 percent of school-aged kids are now coming from low-income families, without the optimal cognitive or emotional development to succeed as students.

Disadvantaged kids with neuro-cognitive problems should not be blamed for having trouble learning to read and write early on, he writes. It's understandable that, as academic material gets more difficult, they will likely fall behind further, emotionally and relationally. When these kids hit adolescence, though, they often are labeled as unmotivated or as having attitude problems, which just alienates them even more.

Though the picture looks dire, character strengths like perseverance, conscientiousness, self-control, and optimism can help kids succeed in spite of hardship, according to Tough. They are not easily taught, though, at least not directly. Instead, contextual influences in the environment are what nurture them.

"If we want to improve a child's grit or resilience or self-control, it turns out that the place to begin is not with the child himself," writes Tough. "What we need to change first, it seems, is his environment."

The role of parents

What does Tough mean by environment? The adults in a child's life, starting at the very beginning with parents.

Research has shown that all young children need certain types of supports from parents to develop in positive directions-starting with consistent, safe, and loving attention. When children come from homes where there is abuse, domestic violence, an incarcerated parent, or a parent with drug or mental health problems, they don't get that kind of attention and suffer the consequences: higher risks of later-life depression, adolescent pregnancy, alcoholism, drug use, and poor academic performance.

Parents can also shape their children's life trajectory by how they role-model emotional resilience. If stressed-out parents react to children's emotions by yelling at or hitting them, or ignoring or neglecting them, they create an unsafe environment that ratchets up the children's stress and distrust of others. Negative parenting can affect a child's ability to regulate emotion, which creates problems in interpersonal interactions as well as learning.

"By contrast, parents who are able to help their children handle stressful moments and calm themselves down after a tantrum or scare often have a profoundly positive effect on the children's long-term ability to manage stress," writes Tough.

Rather than focusing on heartwarming stories, Tough chooses to spend time detailing the types of interventions that show promise. Programs like FIND, which trains parent coaches to work with low-income, stressed parents, focus less on pointing out what parents do wrong and more on what parents do right, in order to nudge parents toward behaviors that help their kids.

The role of schools

Tough also describes successful programs aimed at preschool-aged kids-like Educare, All Our Kin, and CSRP, all of which focus on improving the learning environment for young kids (rather than direct skills training). In a randomized trial of CSRP, children who spent a pre-K year in CSRP had better cognitive skills and better self-regulation-the ability to sit still, follow directions, and pay attention-than kids who hadn't gone through CSRP. The improvements were all credited to the stable, nurturing, predictable learning environment, where good behavior was recognized more than bad behavior punished.

"Changing the environment in the classroom made it easier for [the kids] to learn," writes Tough.

For older kids, Tough eschews our current tactic of offering students extrinsic rewards, and instead encourages teachers to nurture intrinsic motivation, fueled by the basic human need for competence, autonomy, and relatedness (or connection). Tough suggests teachers assign tasks that are challenging, but not too challenging; minimize coercion and control; and show warmth and respect for students, so they feel part of the learning community.

"These motivational dynamics can play an even greater role in the school experience of low-income students, especially those whose development has been affected by early exposure to toxic stress," he writes. Punitive policies targeting behavioral problems have been shown to backfire, he adds, putting kids even further behind their peers.

In other words, motivation to learn has little to do with grit and more to do with the learning environment. Tough recounts an experiment by David Yeager and colleagues in which teachers provided feedback to students on their essays and then added a Post-it that said either the comments were given as feedback or the comments reflected the teacher's high expectations for the student. This relatively small difference had a profound effect, particularly on black students: 72 percent revised their paper if they were told the teacher had high expectations, while only 17 percent revised it otherwise.

"At the very moment when a student might be gearing up to react to the teacher's comments as a threat, a sign of the teacher's personal disapproval or bias, the Post-it gave the student an alternative frame through which to view those comments-not as an attack, in other words, but as a vote of confidence," writes Tough.

It's also important that teachers provide challenge to students, says Tough. He highlights some of the innovative programs that are working on creating a positive learning environment, both relationally and academically. EL Education is a research-based program that helps schools work with emotionally or behaviorally challenged students in therapeutic ways, then provides curriculum allowing students more autonomy and challenge. Independent evaluators have found that schools embracing EL Education programs significantly advance students' reading and math abilities in comparison to other schools.

But of course these are only isolated programs, albeit ones that are growing in influence. Though science may inform positive reforms, the reforms may be difficult to scale up, even if they are effective. Education experts have a long history of imposing well-meaning but ineffective policy changes on schools, and the authority to reform schools often lies within each state or even within individual school districts. .

But Tough is hopeful. If we can change our policies and our practices in the classroom, and work with researchers devoted to finding ways to help our children, we can "make a tremendous difference, not only in the lives of individual children and their families, but in our communities and our nation as a whole."

His book may just help get us there.

Greater Good wants to know: Do you think this article will influence your opinions or behavior?

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With all of the talk of education reform and what's needed to revitalize public schools, it's refreshing to read Paul Tough's new book, Helping Children Succeed: What Works and Why .

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Economically Disadvantaged Students Provide Additional Challenges to School Districts

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Economically Disadvantaged Students Provide Additional Challenges to School Districts

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The articles expresses the many challenges leaders face with students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds. In addition, the article includes intervention methods proven to increase student development.

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Estacado High School Principal Sam Ayers recalls getting regular visits an average of two mornings a week from a hungry student.

"She came by for conversation but also to see if I had any cheese crackers or another snack to help her get through the morning," he said.

The student received free breakfasts and lunches at the school, but she wouldn't have dinner the night before, Ayers said. The breakfast helped fill her empty stomach, but it wouldn't always be enough to last her until lunchtime.

Ayers said the tendency is to picture students from poverty who don't have enough to eat as being elementary age. The reality is the sad circumstance continues on into high school, he said.

"Regardless of the age, if you are hungry, it is hard to concentrate on the teaching and learning going on in the classroom," Ayers said.

Many factors

Economically disadvantaged students have it tougher from the very beginning of their lives. In fact, it starts even before they are born with less prenatal care - or perhaps no prenatal care - than mothers of other children receive.

The January 2010 issue of "Educational Leadership" magazine looked at factors in and out of school that affect poor children.

Children born into poverty have lower birth weights, and many suffer from hunger and poor nutrition - and some even from lead poisoning - as they get older, according to the magazine.

Lubbock Independent School District Superintendent Karen Garza said they have less intellectual stimulation at home as well as being food insecure.

Children in poverty tend to watch television too much, according to "Educational Leadership." They don't have many, if any, books at home. They are slower to develop cognitively.

Economically disadvantaged families also tend to move a lot, which means the children must change schools frequently.

Parents, who often are single and have more than one job, visit their children's schools less frequently than do other parents and are less involved in homework and school projects.

Gaps in learning

Lisa Leach, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction at the Lubbock Independent School District, said research on the subject shows economically disadvantaged children often have gaps in learning and have fallen behind other students.

"Statistically speaking, it is overwhelmingly true economically deprived kids don't do as well in school," said Rick Baumgartner, director of Rise Academy, an East Lubbock charter school.

Research from the National Association of the Education of Young Children shows 3-year-olds in poverty situations know 600 fewer words than those from middle-class families, said Denise Mattson, LISD executive director of school support services.

The gap widens to 4,000 words by the second grade, she said.

"Vocabulary development is the key to academic learning," Mattson said.

Kayla Morrison, the Roosevelt ISD assistant superintendent, said a lack of life experiences is another factor that shows up in the schoolwork of children in poverty.

"For example, the kids haven't been to the beach or to what they call 'sit-down restaurants.' Their parents' limited income keeps them from having experiences other children have," she said.

Multiple challenges

Frances Alonzo, principal of Lubbock-Cooper ISD's South Elementary School, categorizes challenges faced by economically disadvantaged students into five areas: basic needs, emotional needs, academic needs, behavior and parental support.

Basic needs are food, clothing, health, school supplies, books and extras, she said. Health includes vision and dental, and extras include items all children would like to have, such as money for field trips and school pictures, she said.

Economically deprived children vary from one another in many different ways. Each child has a unique set of needs, problems and challenges to deal with, she said.

"Some have multiple problems. Some might have one little thing that needs to be fixed," she said.

The first step is identifying the needs and challenges for each student, she said. From that point, the teachers, counselors and others can address them, she said.

Food is crucial

"It is incumbent upon us as school leaders to make sure we are meeting the basic needs of students," Garza said.

Through the federal government, schools are able to provide a quality breakfast and lunch, she said.

"We provide additional instruction for kids who may be academically behind, and we provide a lot of social and emotional support to students," Garza said.

Each LISD quadrant has a social worker to deal with social and emotional needs of children, Mattson said.

Forty-one of the 49 traditional campuses in the LISD have more than 50 percent economically disadvantaged students, she said.

The percentage of economically deprived students in the Lubbock district is 66.64 percent, Leach said. That means two out of every three students in the district are eligible for free or reduced lunches, Mattson said.

"The food program is an important part of getting them ready for learning," she said.

Filling the gaps

Other key uses of federal Title I money are prekindergarten programs to address the gaps in learning of preschoolers and similar programs for school-age children, Mattson said.

The crucial gap regarding economically disadvantaged prekindergarten children is language development, said Della Frye, LISD director of early childhood.

"Language development is the foundation that later learning is built upon. Language and vocabulary plays a big role in all learning, whether it is language arts, math or science," she said.

Federally funded programs in kindergarten and later grades are designed to address gaps that remain, Mattson said.

"Most Title I campuses have reading specialists to work with students. We have them at the secondary level, too," she said.

Students in kindergarten, first and second grade have three assessments during the school year - at the beginning of the year, the middle of the year and the end of the year, Mattson said.

The schools can find out where the gaps are with each child and provide intervention to fill the gaps.

Supporting each child individually requires establishing cultures on each campus and throughout the district that support learning, build trust and build academic success for each student, Leach said.

"It is important to really know our kids and to have a relationship with them so they trust us," she said. "That is important for all kids but absolutely critical for children from poverty."

Intervention

Leach said a well-documented phenomenon called "socioeconomic determinism" basically says students' economic statuses will determine their assessment test scores unless the school district provides intervention to prevent that.

Intervention is therefore very important to educators of every district and is provided at all levels of classroom teaching, she said.

Ayers gave an example of an intervention on the high school level involving a senior girl who was taking two math classes.

She had given up an elective to take the second math class, which actually was the retaking of a class she had already taken.

The student had a second elective class, but she spent class time in it two days a week with intervention to learn math concepts so she could pass Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAKS) tests, Ayers said.

The math teacher voluntarily met with the student during lunch periods and after school, he said.

"It took a great deal more effort on the student's part and on the part of the teacher, but it paid off. She passed the TAKS tests, passed the classes and participated in graduation exercises," Ayers said.

The parent factor

Baumgartner said, "Virtually all parents will say they want the best for their child educationally, but some just don't do their part - like getting the child to school on time or seeing that homework gets done or returned."

The problem is made worse by the high percentage of single-parent households among economically disadvantaged people, he said.

"I think parents today are less situated to do what they need to do because of the family structures. That hampers our ability to educate their children properly," Baumgartner said.

Many economically disadvantaged students come home to working parents or to a mother at home, but some don't have a strong, positive support system at home, Morrison said.

The district strives for teachers to have positive relationships with students to provide those support systems, whether the students have them at home or not, she said.

The Roosevelt ISD has a special circumstance of having 10 percent of its students in foster care or a residential facility. Texas Boys Ranch and the Children's Home of Lubbock are in the district, she said.

"No matter what situation a kid is living in, Roosevelt expectations are the same for every student. Most of those students step up to meet those expectations," Morrison said.

Alonzo said Lubbock-Cooper schools develop a welcoming atmosphere for parents and encourage parent visitations by setting events throughout the year.

"We also have consistent parent communication with notes, emails, Web information, folders and 'old-fashioned' letters sent home," she said.

The key to student success is the partnership between parents and the school community that promotes a supportive environment focusing on student individual needs and nurturing the whole child in school and at home, Alonzo said.

Populations vary

The percentages of students in poverty can be widely different from one school district to another and from one campus to another in a large district such as the Lubbock ISD.

The variance brings about an interesting situation in an educational world where school districts and campuses receive accountability ratings based on student assessment test scores.

Low socioeconomic students generally make lower scores on student assessment tests than those who are not economically deprived.

The percentage of Texas students passing Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills math tests in 2010-2011 was 89 percent for non-economically disadvantaged and 76 percent for economically disadvantaged. For reading/English/language arts the same year, the numbers were 95 percent and 76 percent.

It follows that districts and campuses with higher percentages of economically deprived students are more likely to have lower test scores.

Every district has its own students, and every district has the charge to teach its own students, Leach said.

"We recognize and understand the challenges of issues involved with poverty, but that is not an excuse," Garza said.

Leach agreed, saying it is not about making excuses but finding out what works for each child.

"Lowering expectations is absolutely not the answer. The key is to hold high expectations and provide the students with appropriate support to reach the expectations," she said.

Referring to the LISD slogan of "Every child, every day," Garza said district employees desire to prepare every child for success beyond high school, regardless of his or her circumstances.

To comment on this story:

joe.gulick@lubbockonline.com
* 766-8758

leesha.faulkner@lubbockonline.com
* 766-8706

Source: National Kids Count Program

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Economically disadvantaged students provide additional challenges to school districts

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Estacado High School Principal Sam Ayers recalls getting regular visits an average of two mornings a week from a hungry student."She came by for conversation but also to see if I had any cheese crackers or another snack to help her get through the morning," he said.The student received free breakfasts and lunches at the school, but she wouldn't have dinner the night before, Ayers said.

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Module 5: Parent Involvement and Leadership

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Effective Leadership Practices for the Disadvantage Population

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Effective Leadership Practices for the Disadvantage Population

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The journal article includes various strategies leaders must follow to ensure they understand and meet the needs of their diverse students.

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Leadership Practices in Effective Schools in Disadvantaged Areas of Canada

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Purpose. The purpose of this paper was to examine leadership practices in effective schools located in economically disadvantaged areas of three Canadian provinces: Ontario, Québec, and New Brunswick. Research Design.

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Difference between Transformational Leadership and Servant Leadership

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Difference between Transformational Leadership and Servant Leadership

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The article explains the similarities and differences between transformational and servant leadership.

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This article expresses the ten characteristics of an effective and caring servant leader.

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The article describes the meaning of servant leadership. It also expresses how an individual can become a servant leader.

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A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better. - Jim Rohn, American entrepreneur.

Everyone on Samit's team knows that he's "there for them." He checks in with them often to see how they are, and he helps them develop the skills they need to advance their careers, even if this means that they may move on.

Samit also makes an effort to see situations from others' perspectives. He makes decisions with the team's best interests in mind, and ensures that everyone has the resources and knowledge they need to meet their objectives.

As a result of this, his team is one of the most successful in the department, with low staff turnover and high engagement.

Samit is an example of a "servant leader." In this article, we'll explore what servant leadership is, and the advantages it can bring you as a leader. We'll also look at situations where it isn't appropriate.

What Is Servant Leadership?

Robert K. Greenleaf first coined the phrase "servant leadership" in his 1970 essay, " The Servant as a Leader." However, it's an approach that people have used for centuries.

As a servant leader, you're a "servant first" - you focus on the needs of others, especially team members, before you consider your own. You acknowledge other people's perspectives, give them the support they need to meet their work and personal goals, involve them in decisions where appropriate, and build a sense of community within your team. This leads to higher engagement, more trust, and stronger relationships with team members and other stakeholders. It can also lead to increased innovation.

However, servant leadership is problematic in hierarchical, autocratic cultures where managers and leaders are expected to make all the decisions. Here, servant leaders may struggle to earn respect.

Important:

Remember that servant leadership is about focusing on other people's needs - not their feelings. Don't avoid making unpopular decisions or giving team members negative feedback when this is needed.

Also, do not rely on it exclusively - use it alongside styles like Transformational Leadership, where you develop an inspiring vision of the future, motivate people to deliver this, manage its implementation, and build an ever-stronger team.

How to Become a Servant Leader

According to Larry C. Spears, former president of the Robert K. Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, these are the 10 most important characteristics of servant leaders:

1. Listening.

2. Empathy.

3. Healing.

4. Awareness.

5. Persuasion.

6. Conceptualization.

7. Foresight.

8. Stewardship.

9. Commitment to the growth of people.

10. Building community.

Once you've decided to prioritize other people's needs over your own in the long term, you can work on developing your skills in each area. Let's look at how you can do this.

1. Listening

2. Empathy

3. Healing

This characteristic relates to the emotional health and "wholeness" of people, and involves supporting them both physically and mentally.

4. Self-Awareness

You can become more self-aware by knowing your strengths and weaknesses, and asking for other people's feedback on them. Also, learn to manage your emotions, so that you consider how your actions and behavior might affect others.

5. Persuasion

There are many tools and models that you can use to be more persuasive, without damaging relationships or taking advantage of others. You should also build your expert power - when people perceive you as an expert, they are more likely to listen to you when you want to persuade or inspire them.

6. Conceptualization

This characteristic relates to your ability to "dream great dreams," so that you look beyond day-to-day realities to the bigger picture.

7. Foresight

Foresight is when you can predict what's likely to happen in the future by learning from past experiences, identifying what's happening now, and understanding the consequences of your decisions.

You can use tools such as SWOT Analysis and PEST Analysis to think about your current situation and environment, while Scenario Analysis helps you understand how the future could play out. Use the ORAPAPA checklist when you make a decision, to learn from experience and make sure that you've considered all the angles.

Also, learn to trust your intuition - if your instinct is telling you that something is wrong, listen to it!

8. Stewardship

Stewardship is about taking responsibility for the actions and performance of your team, and being accountable for the role team members play in your organization.

9. Commitment to the Growth of People

Servant leaders are committed to the personal and professional development of everyone on their teams.

10. Building Community

The last characteristic is to do with building a sense of community within your organization.

You can do this by providing opportunities for people to interact with one another across the company. For instance, you could organize social events such as team lunches and barbecues, design your workspace to encourage people to chat informally away from their desks, and dedicate the first few minutes of meetings to non-work-related conversations.

Encourage people to take responsibility for their work, and remind them how what they do contributes to the success and overall objectives of the organization.

Tip:

See our article on Leadership Styles to explore popular leadership approaches and the advantages and disadvantages of each one.

And see this Expert Interview for a valuable discussion on the misconceptions and realities of servant leadership.

Key Points

You are a servant leader when you focus on the needs of others before you consider your own. It's a longer-term approach to leadership, rather than a technique that you can adopt in specific situations. Therefore, you can use it with other leadership styles such as Transformational Leadership.

You can become a servant leader by working on these 10 characteristics:

1. Listening.

2. Empathy.

3. Healing.

4. Awareness.

5. Persuasion.

6. Conceptualization.

7. Foresight.

8. Stewardship.

9. Commitment to the growth of people.

10. Building community.

Servant leaders are likely to have more engaged employees and enjoy better relationships with team members and other stakeholders than leaders who don't put the interests of others before their own.

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Servant Leadership: Putting Your Team First, and Yourself Second

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A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better. - Jim Rohn, American entrepreneur. Everyone on Samit's team knows that he's "there for them."

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The video expresses ways a transformational leader establishes a vision and inspires others to accomplish organizational goals.

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Stakeholder Management and Power Interest Grid Example

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To learn more about Transformational Leadership, see the article at www.mindtools.com/transformationalleadership. Have you ever wondered just what is it about your leadership style that brings out the best in your people? And have you ever thought about the aspects that might need improvement? What are you going to do about it?

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The article describes the necessary steps to become a transformational leader.

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Access the essential membership for Modern Managers

What makes a truly exceptional leader? Chances are we've all encountered them at some point in our careers: those leaders who stand out above the rest. Those who bring out the best in every one of their team members, and who consistently strive for greatness.

Take Molly for example. Everyone respects Molly. She inspires and encourages her team members, while expecting and demonstrating the highest standards. In return, her people are fiercely loyal, and they're highly successful - as individuals, and as a team. In short, Molly is a Transformational Leader.

By contrast, other leaders in the organization report that their people seem disengaged. They experience high staff turnover, and their results are often disappointing. So, what does Molly do that other leaders don't?

To begin with, Molly regularly reminds her team members of the purpose of their work. And she knows that she's a role model for her team, so she acts with integrity in all of her working relationships.

In this article and video, we'll explore what transformational leadership is, and discover what it takes to become a transformational leader.

What Is Transformational Leadership?

Leadership expert James MacGregor Burns introduced the concept of transformational leadership in his 1978 book, "Leadership." He defined transformational leadership as a process where "leaders and their followers raise one another to higher levels of morality and motivation." [1]

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Watch this video to learn the definition of Transformational Leadership. Explore the theory behind this leadership style, and discover the characteristics of transformational leaders.

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The article details the components of transformational leadership, as well as the effects it can have on an organization.

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Have you ever been in a group where someone took control of the situation by conveying a clear vision of the group's goals, a marked passion for the work, and an ability to make the rest of the group feel recharged and energized? This person just might be what is called a transformational leader.

Transformational leadership is a leadership style that can inspire positive changes in those who follow. Transformational leaders are generally energetic, enthusiastic, and passionate. Not only are these leaders concerned and involved in the process; they are also focused on helping every member of the group succeed as well.

Quick Background

The concept of transformational leadership was initially introduced by leadership expert and presidential biographer James MacGregor Burns. According to Burns, transformational leadership can be seen when "leaders and followers make each other to advance to a higher level of moral and motivation."﻿﻿

Later, researcher Bernard M. Bass expanded upon Burns's original ideas to develop what is today referred to as Bass's Transformational Leadership Theory. According to Bass, transformational leadership can be defined based on the impact that it has on followers. Transformational leaders, Bass suggested, garner trust, respect, and admiration from their followers.﻿﻿

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Components

Bass also suggested that there were four different components of transformational leadership.

1. Intellectual Stimulation: Transformational leaders not only challenge the status quo; they also encourage creativity among followers. The leader encourages followers to explore new ways of doing things and new opportunities to learn.

2. Individualized Consideration: Transformational leadership also involves offering support and encouragement to individual followers. In order to foster supportive relationships, transformational leaders keep lines of communication open so that followers feel free to share ideas and so that leaders can offer direct recognition of the unique contributions of each follower.

3. Inspirational Motivation: Transformational leaders have a clear vision that they are able to articulate to followers. These leaders are also able to help followers experience the same passion and motivation to fulfill these goals.

4. Idealized Influence: The transformational leader serve as a role model for followers. Because followers trust and respect the leader, they emulate this individual and internalize his or her ideals.

So what are some typical signs of a transformational leader? Groups led by this type of leader tend to be both successful and loyal. They give a lot to the team and care deeply about the group's ability to accomplish its goals. Turnover tends to be quite low as transformational leaders are able to inspire a great deal of commitment in their followers.

In their classic text, Transformational Leadership, authors Bass and Riggio explained:

"Transformational leaders...are those who stimulate and inspire followers to both achieve extraordinary outcomes and, in the process, develop their own leadership capacity. Transformational leaders help followers grow and develop into leaders by responding to individual followers' needs by empowering them and by aligning the objectives and goals of the individual followers, the leader, the group, and the larger organization."

"Research evidence clearly shows that groups led by transformational leaders have higher levels of performance and satisfaction than groups led by other types of leaders," explained psychologist and leadership expert Ronald E. Riggio in an article for Psychology Today.

The reason, he suggests, is that transformational leaders believe that their followers can do their best, leading members of the group to feel inspired and empowered.

What can you do to become a more transformational leader? Leadership experts suggest that having a strong, positive vision of the future plays a critical role. Not only is it important to believe in this vision yourself; you've also got to inspire others to buy into your vision as well.

Link to Well-Being

According to the results of one study, this style of leadership can also have a positive influence on employee well-being.﻿﻿

The study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine involved surveying workers at several different German information and communication technology companies. Researchers asked participants to answers questions about their employer's leadership style.

A score for transformational leadership was then determined based on qualities such as providing intellectual stimulation, giving positive feedback for good performance, leading by example, and helping employees feel like they were making a contribution toward the goals of the group.

The researchers discovered that employees who identified a higher level of transformational leadership in their employers also had higher reported levels of well-being. The effect stayed significant even after researchers controlled for factors that are linked to well-being such as job strain, education, and age.

"The results of this study suggest that a transformational leadership style, which both conveys a sense of trust and meaningfulness and individually challenges and develops employees, also has a positive effect on employee well-being," the authors summarized.

Real-World Applications

So what impact could such results have for managers and workers?

The study's authors suggest that the results are important and can help companies develop leadership training programs that can be used to teach transformational leadership skills. Acquiring communication skills such as resolving conflicts in the workplace and recognizing the needs of employees are an important part of transformational leadership.

"Such training programs can be seen as another essential component of workplace health promotion and prevention efforts and therefore should receive wide support," explained the study's authors.

A Word From Verywell

The transformational style of leadership can be highly effective when used appropriately, but it might not necessarily be the best choice for every situation. In some cases, groups may require a more managerial or autocratic style that involves closer control and greater direction, particularly in situations where group member are unskilled and need a lot of oversight.

One way to improve your own leadership skills is to assess your own current leadership style and think about ways in which your strengths can benefit the group you are leading. By evaluating your own skills, you will be better able to play to your strengths and work on improving your areas of weakness.

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How Do Transformational Leaders Inspire and Motivate Followers?

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Have you ever been in a group where someone took control of the situation by conveying a clear vision of the group's goals, a marked passion for the work, and an ability to make the rest of the group feel recharged and energized? This person just might be what is called a transformational leader.

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5 Aspects of Emotional Intelligence Required for Effective Leadership

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5 Aspects of Emotional Intelligence Required for Effective Leadership

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The article describes the 5 aspects of emotional intelligence. Additionally, the author expresses why each aspect is necessary to be an effective and successful leader.

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Why Emotionally Intelligent People are more Successful

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Why Emotionally Intelligent People are more Successful

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The article discusses the reasons why emotionally intelligent people are successful in their careers. For instance, the article expresses that EI individuals are responsible, reliable, and capable of accomplishing company goals. Therefore, they are considered trustworthy and are chosen for higher paying positions.

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Research by the respected Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) in the U.S. found that the primary causes of executive derailment involve deficiencies in emotional competence. Each year, CCL serves more than 20,000 individuals and 2,000 organizations, including more than 80 of the Fortune 100 companies. It says the three main reasons for failure are difficulty in handling change, inability to work well in a team, and poor interpersonal relations.

International search firm Egon Zehnder International analyzed 515 senior executives and discovered that those who were strongest in emotional intelligence were more likely to succeed than those strongest in either IQ or relevant previous experience. Research that has been done on the relationship between emotional intelligence (EQ) and IQ has shown only a weak correlation between the two.

The Carnegie Institute of Technology carried out research that showed that 85% of our financial success was due to skills in "human engineering", personality, and ability to communicate, negotiate, and lead. They found that only 15% was due to technical ability. In other words people skills or skills highly related to emotional intelligence were crucial skills. Nobel Prize winning Israeli-American psychologist Daniel Kahneman found that people would rather do business with a person they like and trust rather than someone they don't, even if that that person is offering a better product at a lower price.

People would rather do business with a person they like and trust rather than someone they don't, even if that that person is offering a better product at a lower price.

To test out his findings, think of the last time you purchased a major item, a home, automobile, or large appliance where you had to dealings with a salesperson. Was the person someone who you liked and trusted? In my talks, I have found that whenever I asked that question, inevitably the entire audience answered that, yes, the person they bought a large item from was someone they liked and trusted. This theory about why salespeople with the right people skills do better than those who lack them is borne out by a study carried out by the Hay/McBer Research and Innovation Group in 1997. In a study carried out in a large national insurance company in 1997, they found that sales agents weak in emotional areas such as self-confidence, initiative, and empathy sold policies with an average premium of $54,000, while those strong in 5 of 8 emotional competencies sold policies on the average worth $114,000.

Much of the research that has been done on emotional intelligence has been at the executive leadership level. The higher up the organization, the more crucial emotional intelligence abilities are as the impacts are greater and felt throughout the entire organization. There have been some studies, however, that show impacts at all levels.

The higher up the organization the more crucial emotional intelligence abilities are as the impacts are greater and felt throughout the entire organization.

For example, a study by McClelland in 1999 showed that after supervisors in a manufacturing plant received training in emotional competencies such as how to listen better, lost-time accidents decreased by 50% and grievances went down from 15 per year to three. The plant itself exceeded productivity goals by $250,000.

The same principles apply in all areas of life, whether at work or in relationships. Everyone wants to work with people who are easy to get along with, supportive, likeable, and can be trusted. We want to be beside people that do not get upset easily and can keep their composure when things do not work out according to plan.

Self-awareness. The first thing that is essential for any degree of emotional intelligence is self-awareness. People with a high degree of self-awareness have a solid understanding of their own emotions, their strengths, weaknesses, and what drives them. Neither overly critical nor unrealistically hopeful, these people are honest with themselves and others. These people recognize how their feelings impact them, other people around them, and their performance at work. They have a good understanding of their values and goals and where they are going in life. They are confident as well as aware of their limitations and less likely to set themselves up for failure.

We can recognize self-aware people by their willingness to talk about themselves in a frank, non-defensive manner. A good interview question is to ask about a time that the interviewee got carried away by their emotions and did something they later regretted. The self-aware person will be open and frank with their answers. Self-deprecating humor is a good indicator of someone who has good self-awareness. Red flags are people who stall or try to avoid the question, seem irritated, or frustrated by the question.

Ability To Self-Regulate Emotions. We all have emotions which drive us and there is nothing we can do to avoid them. People who are good at self-regulation, however, are able to manage their emotions so that they do not control their words and actions. While they feel bad moods and impulses as much as anyone else, they do not act upon them. People who act upon their negative feelings create havoc, disruptions, and lasting bad feelings all around them. We feel before we think and people who constantly react from an emotional state never wait long enough to allow their thoughts to override their emotions.

People who self-regulate have the ability to wait until their emotions pass, allowing them to respond from a place of reason, rather than simply reacting to feelings. The signs of someone who is good at self-regulation are reflection, thoughtfulness, comfort with ambiguity, change, and not having all the answers. In an interview, look for people who take a little time to reflect and think before they answer.

Empathy. Empathy is another important aspect to look for when hiring. Someone who has empathy will have an awareness of the feelings of others and consider those feelings in their words and actions. This does not mean that they will tiptoe around or be unwilling to make tough decisions for fear of hurting someone's feelings. It simply means that they are aware of, and take into consideration the impact on others. They are willing to share their own worries and concerns and openly acknowledge other's emotions. A good way to look for empathy in an interview is to ask a candidate about a situation where a co-worker was angry with them and how they dealt with it. Look for a willingness to understand the source of the co-workers anger, even though they may not agree with the reasons for it.

Social skills. Social skill is another area of emotional intelligence that is highly important in the workplace. To have good social skills requires a high level of the other skills aforementioned as well as the ability to relate and find common ground with a wide range of people. It goes beyond just friendliness and the ability to get along with others.

People with social skills are excellent team players as they have the ability to move an agenda along and keep focus while at the same time remaining aware of the emotional climate of the group and possess the ability to respond to it. These people are excellent at making connections, networking, and bringing people together to work on projects. They are able to bring their emotional intelligence skills into play in a larger arena. To look for social skills in an interview, ask questions related to projects and difficulties encountered around varying agendas, temperaments, and getting people to buy in.

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Why Emotionally Intelligent People Are More Successful

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Research by the respected Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) in the U.S. found that the primary causes of executive derailment involve deficiencies in emotional competence. Each year, CCL serves more than 20,000 individuals and 2,000 organizations, including more than 80 of the Fortune 100 companies.

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A Leaders Response to Demographic Change 

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A Leaders Response to Demographic Change 

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This peer reviewed article centers on the administrators response to demographic change. It is important for educational leaders to understand their student population, as well as how to accurately and appropriately respond to meet the needs of their students. The title of the article is Color Conscious, Cultural Blindness: Suburban School Districts and Demographic Change. Here is the link where the article can be located: http://journals.sagepub.com.easydb.angelo.edu/doi/pdf/10.1177/0013124513510734

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How Educational Leaders can improve Parental Involvement

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How Educational Leaders can improve Parental Involvement

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The following peer reviewed article discusses how educational leaders need to increase parental involvement. I found this article to be eye opening as it mentions parent engagement helps to improve the academic achievement of minority students. The title of the article is Collaborative Partnerships Between High Poverty and Minority Parents and Educational Leaders: Reversing The School and Home Divide. The following is the link where the article can be located: https://www-emeraldinsight-com.easydb.angelo.edu/doi/full/10.1108/JME-11-2015-0035