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Pre-College Summer Enrichment Programs for Students

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Since 1989, The National Student Leadership Conference has been the premier provider of career-focused leadership conferences. Tens of thousands of high school students from across the globe have come to the NSLC for an unparalleled opportunity to meet with and learn from world leaders, academic experts and their peers.

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What We Do

Leader in Me helps educators design lasting solutions to common challenges through the lens of students' strengths and leadership. Leader in Me approaches every goal or initiative with a proven comprehensive model that transforms paradigms, improves behavior, and achieves measurable results. By integrating The 4 Disciplines of Execution® ( 4DX®), educators can use its results-driven formula to address a variety of challenges in the areas of leadership, culture, and academics.

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Leader in Me | Educational & Student Leadership Programs & Curriculum

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Leader in Me boosts development in academics, culture and leadership, with proven teaching methods, classroom techniques, & goal-setting systems that support academic achievement.

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The Leader in Me: How to Teach Students Leadership Skills

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The Leader in Me: How to Teach Students Leadership Skills

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The Leader in Me: How to Teach Students Leadership

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Kid President: What Makes an Awesome Leader?

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Kid President: What Makes an Awesome Leader?

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Kid President Asks "What Makes an Awesome Leader?"

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Journal of School Leadership: SAGE Journals

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Journal of School Leadership invites the submission of manuscripts that promotes the exchange of ideas and scholarship about schools and leadership in education. All theoretical and methodological approaches are welcome. The editors advocate for non-biased approaches toward any mode of inquiry and encourage any methodologically sound research with the potential to contribute to further informing the craft of school leadership.

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Principals Share Hard Lessons in Leadership from the Pandemic

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Principals Share Hard Lessons in Leadership from the Pandemic

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The pandemic has tested principals' resolve to an unprecedented degree, even as it's offered many of them valuable lessons in school leadership.

Presiding over this lengthy and ever-evolving crisis has left many school leaders questioning their ability or desire to continue leading. In a May 2020 survey, 42 percent of principals polled indicated that they were considering quitting their jobs, a 110 percent increase over past years.

But despite the threats, many educators stayed put-more than in pre-pandemic times. An estimated 470,000 public-education employees quit their jobs between April and August of 2019, compared to approximately 300,000 in 2021 during the same months, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

And those who stayed often are determined to apply what they've learned from the experience. Principals who Education Week interviewed talked about how they managed through the crisis, and how their responses could serve as important lessons long after the pandemic ends.

Don't assume too much, listen more, and ask what parents and students need

Daman Harris, principal at Wheaton Woods Elementary School in Montgomery County, Md., thought he knew what his community members needed when schools closed their doors in March 2020.

Wheaton Woods has a high concentration of poverty among its families, many of whom are recent immigrants. Harris, assuming that food insecurity was a top priority, partnered with a community resource to provide dry goods to families once a week. While some families welcomed the assistance, the need wasn't as widespread as he anticipated.

"We were doing things based on what we believed folks needed, based on stereotypes and what we took for historical knowledge," he said. "But we didn't ask."

That strategy, Harris said, was a carryover from a pre-pandemic decision model that he has since reevaluated.

Recently, Harris began to make a more concerted effort to listen to his school's families. He conducts virtual parent coffees over Zoom where he asks participants directly what they need. The school also employs community liaisons available to students' caregivers during arrival and dismissal throughout the week.

Through these multiple efforts, Harris learned that families' top needs included "wraparound supports" like physical access to medical services and opportunities for students beyond what the school day provided. Armed with this knowledge, the school helped families organize around these needs and shared their wish list with local politicians. They listened, and now the school has a county-sponsored after-school program that focuses on academic help, group games, and sporting activities.

"We need to make sure we are plugged in a way that honors the needs of the community we serve," Harris said.

Get to know the people in your community, and meet them where they are

Understanding the nuances of a school community can make an enormous difference in effective communication. The pandemic offered countless opportunities for school leaders to act on this critical lesson.

Some were more successful than others, as revealed by one of several research briefs based on an analysis derived from interviews with 120 principals' responses to the pandemic. For instance, one principal surveyed recounted how, early in the pandemic, the school district wanted to learn which families were in need of computers. It sent an electronic message to gauge the need, failing to recognize that families without computers would be unable to respond to the inquiry.

Another principal surveyed demonstrated a better understanding of her audience. She displayed signs with school announcements at local businesses frequented by families, knowing they'd be more likely to see them there than on a school website, as many didn't have access to computers.

Principal Jennifer Halter has served at two different schools in Clay County, Fla., during the pandemic, and learned quickly that she needed to respond differently to each. While the schools themselves were just a few miles from each other, their community members were far apart in their response to pandemic safety protocols.

In the school that Halter led during in the first part of the pandemic, students and faculty unequivocally followed the district's mask mandate, which was in effect through the 2020-21 school year.

She then became principal at another school in the same district, less than two miles away.

Halter describes her new school community as very rural and conservative. She estimates that about one-third of her staff and students choose to wear masks. In July 2021, the Clay County School Board approved a plan that recommends but does not mandate masks in school buildings for the current school year.

"It's a different belief system," said Halter of her new school community, adding, "I model what I expect. But I'm building trust, so I don't broach the topic [of vaccines or masks]."

Lean on your teachers' and staff members' passions to maintain your priorities

As school leaders confronted a host of new challenges during the pandemic, such as revised and ever-evolving student schedules and health and safety protocols, it could be easy to let go of priorities considered nonessential. Harris, in Montgomery County, Md., found a way to hang on to initiatives that he cared deeply about.

"In the flurry of [pandemic-related] activity, George Floyd was no longer in the headlines. It would have been easy to let anti-racism slide," he said, referring to the Minneapolis man whose murder generated nationwide activism over the issue of police-related killings.

Harris leaned on the passions of his staff to stay the course.

"I said to our staff: Hey, anti-racism is still a focus. How can we make it fit into what you're already excited about?" Already, Harris says, a few staff members have stepped forward as early adopters of these efforts.

Harris sees his role in developing an "anti-racist infrastructure" within his school building as multi-pronged: establishing a vision for the work, finding any available funding for materials or payment, carving out time in the school schedule and promoting the efforts, and supporting staff members who take on the work. Recently, Harris has set aside some Title I funding toward these efforts and extended the duration of staff meetings by 15 minutes to allow time for content that connects to the school's anti-racism outcomes in some way.

Having a supportive district makes it easier for Harris to champion these efforts. "It publicly promotes a culture of collaboration, equity, and cultural proficiency. Therefore, I had no concern about articulating a vision, allocating funds, or allowing my staff to partner with high school students [on anti-racism initiatives]," Harris said.

Recognize your 'sphere of control'

The pandemic's unpredictability and its impact on how to plan and what to do was a common source of frustration among both school leaders and their staff.

"My staff is used to me talking about our sphere of control," said Halter. "We can't control a lot of things, like students doing their work. But we can call students and check up on them."

She also recognized that personally thanking staff members for their commitment was something within her control that she could do to help alleviate their anxiety and discontent.

"You need to support your staff; that's what the job's all about," Halter said. "One thing we have learned, as educators, is grace."

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The pandemic has tested principals' resolve to an unprecedented degree, even as it's offered many of them valuable lessons in school leadership. Presiding over this lengthy and ever-evolving crisis has left many school leaders questioning their ability or desire to continue leading.

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A recent study found that not one school (of 180 surveyed) was able to improve student achievement records without effective school leadership. This research shows a clear connection between skilled school leadership and positive student learning outcomes. It's proof that good leadership in schools makes a direct impact on students' experience and performance.

Good leadership in schools is the practice of encouraging and enabling school-wide teaching expertise in order to achieve a strong rate of progress for all learners. This leadership can be driven by principals and executive staff in traditional leadership roles, as well as by school leaders and teachers without defined leadership roles.

For teaching staff and future leaders in the education sector, it's important to understand what the benchmark is for good leadership in schools, and how it can be used to drive lasting change.
What does good school leadership look like in practice?
Effective school leaders apply their educational expertise and management skills in order to focus their efforts, and those of their teaching staff, on improving the quality of student learning outcomes. Part of this involves keeping up-to-date on the latest teaching technologies and trends. It also requires excellent interpersonal skills - as leaders work with students, staff, parents and external communities to gain constant feedback and find opportunities to innovate. School leaders need to have a solid grasp of operational best practices and an aptitude for enabling continuous development.

Good leadership in schools helps to foster both a positive and motivating culture for staff and a high-quality experience for learners. Leaders at all levels in schools can contribute to this by developing the top skills needed by school leaders.
5 top skills of good school leaders

Leading through teaching and learning

For a school leader to be successful in their role, they need to lead the way in driving teaching and learning outcomes, first and foremost. This involves setting expectations about the school's learning practices and ensuring the organisation's values and behaviours underpin a focus on improving student success.

Good leadership should always seek to innovate in the field of education, keeping up-to-date with the latest developments while also seeking feedback from school staff and students. Importantly, school leaders should encourage the continuous learning and development of teaching staff, so that educational methods are informed by current industry practices. Beyond their own school, leaders should encourage collaboration and partnerships with other education providers, resulting in broader impacts on the education system.

Good school leadership should have a strong focus on continued professional development. This starts with leaders growing their own skills and knowledge through a commitment to professional development and personal health and wellbeing. It should also promote the development of other teaching staff.

Leaders within schools should work with staff to understand their personal development needs and skills, as well as knowledge gaps. This can help to create a culture of empowered, self-directed learning and responsibility, leading by example to demonstrate how schooling staff can improve their teaching capacity.

Promoting positive change in school environments

With the education space evolving rapidly, it's essential for leaders in schools to be open to innovation and change and to drive new initiatives in the school environment. The change should remain consistent with the school's values and goals, while genuinely working towards the improvement of student outcomes. Leaders in schools should ensure that a culture of research, innovation and creativity is at the heart of the organisation, and should seek regular feedback and data on student performance relating to changes.

Leaders in schools use a range of data management methods and technologies to manage school staff and resources efficiently. They work with team members to ensure efficient operations, while also liaising with school boards, governing bodies and parent cohorts.

Driving school management involves the responsibility of connecting the school's vision and values with everyday operations to ensure the best learning outcomes for students. Leaders need to create strategic plans based on consultation with staff, students, parents and outside influences.

Engaging and working with the community

A key focus that school leaders need to have is engaging with their wider community. Schools are often comprised of a mixture of students from different cultural, linguistic, and spiritual backgrounds. Effective leaders must interact with and celebrate the diversity of the community, ensuring everyone is made to feel included.

From students, parents and carers, to other schools within the education system, leaders need to foster good relationships and build strong partnerships to ensure positive outcomes are achieved across the sector.
Take your teaching career to the next level
Further study in education could help you become a future leader in schools. There is a range of resources available to educators to help you make an impact as a leader, and studying a Master's degree can help you take your own professional development to the next level. Educators can experience a variety of benefits from obtaining a Master's qualification in education, including higher salaries and exciting professional development opportunities.

A Master of Education degree can provide a deeper understanding off the theoretical and practical backgrounds that drive the teaching profession. Consider developing your leadership capabilities and start your journey towards driving change in the education sector.

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Content provided by Southern Cross University

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A recent study found that not one school (of 180 surveyed) was able to improve student achievement records without effective school leadership. This research shows a clear connection between skilled school leadership and positive student learning outcomes. It's proof that good leadership in schools makes a direct impact on students' experience and performance.

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Educational leaders play a pivotal role in affecting the climate, attitude and reputation of their schools. But what makes a truly effective leader? Here we offer insight on 10 educational leadership qualities that make for a truly effective school leader.

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For school leaders, stress is inevitable. The day-to-day grind of leading is emotionally demanding, and new challenges and higher accountability create a fever pitch of emotion that can churn inside even the strongest of leaders.

However, although stress is expected for education leaders, burnout can be optional. Moderate amounts of healthy stress triggered by efforts to achieve meaningful goals (called eustress in the research literature) can increase personal accomplishment and workplace engagement and even improve job performance (McGonigal, 2016).

The problem arises when stress becomes so frequent and so overwhelming that it leaves educators physically and emotionally depleted and they no longer feel a sense of passion and personal accomplishment (Maslach, Schaufeli, &amp; Leiter, 2001; Le Fevre, Matheny, &amp; Kolt, 2003). When this happens, stress becomes distress, and one runs the risk of burning out.

The impact of constant stressors-such as the social-emotional demands of work or a steady stream of crises that challenge one's sense of perspective-can lead to the chronic depletion of mental and physical resources or "emotional exhaustion" (Grissom &amp; Andersen, 2012; Maslach et al., 2001). But this level of distress can be effectively navigated, or even avoided. Research suggests that principals with higher levels of self-efficacy tend to display higher levels of work engagement and job satisfaction, along with lower levels of burnout (Federici &amp; Skaalvik, 2012). Self-efficacy is a key psychological capacity for inoculation against the high pressures of educational leadership.

Getting Emotional

To understand how a leader's sense of personal accomplishment and self-efficacy can fade or grow, we have to understand the power of emotions. A recent study found that school leaders who reported greater levels of emotional exhaustion were more likely to experience a range of negative emotions, such as anxiety or anger, and were less likely to experience various positive emotions, such as hope or joy (Brackett, Floman, &amp; Bradley, 2018). Also, emotionally exhausted leaders were less satisfied with their jobs and were more likely to want to quit the profession or retire.

Not only does burnout take a toll on a leader's work, but it also has a negative impact on his or her mental and physical health. The same study found that leaders who scored higher on emotional exhaustion reported exercising less frequently, missing more work days due to stress and mental health problems, and experiencing greater sleep troubles.

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Researchers and educators from the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and Star Factor Coaching have been helping superintendents in the New York City school district strengthen their emotional intelligence by showing that emotions matter. Photos courtesy of Janet Patti
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Madeline Chaffee and Kathryn Lee teach emotional intelligence training in Brooklyn, New York.
Flexing Our Emotional Intelligence Muscles

Emotional exhaustion-a by-product of chronic unhealthy stress-is not inevitable for school leaders. A major cause of distress is when leaders mismanage emotionally charged situations. This suggests that, by developing the skills of emotional intelligence (EI) (Salovey &amp; Mayer, 1990), school leaders can prevent much workplace stress.

Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize emotions in one's self and in others, to understand the causes and effects of emotions, and to manage emotions effectively to suit a goal or situation (Mayer, Caruso, &amp; Salovey, 2016). Leaders with developed EI possess greater self-awareness: Among other actions, they pause multiple times throughout the school day to reflect on their emotions and their meaning. Critically, emotionally intelligent leaders learn to recognize the behaviors, triggers, and events that lead to unhealthy stress.

Since 2015, the New York City school district has spearheaded an unprecedented initiative to infuse EI training throughout the school system. Partnering with our organizations- Star Factor Coaching and the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence -NYC has developed a program that includes intensive professional development training and coaching in emotional intelligence for district and school leaders.

Dolores Esposito served 11 years as a superintendent before taking on her current role as an executive superintendent of leadership at the New York City Department of Education. She says the emotional intelligence training she has received helps her thrive rather than burn out in psychologically demanding positions. The skills she has learned not only help her to manage her own emotions, but they also empower her to recognize and understand others' feelings, especially those who have competing needs and require personalized support to move toward positive action. Further, Esposito now recognizes authentic listening as an essential skill that facilitates her leadership efforts and supports the needs of all school stakeholders.

"Without emotional intelligence strategies and skills, it would have been much more difficult to effectively lead, inspire, and manage the complexity of the 21st century superintendent's role," Esposito says.

A New Professional Development

As part of the EI development program, all New York City school leaders attend training sessions that are based on , a tool developed by researchers at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence that provides an evidence-based approach to social-emotional learning. It teaches five key skills: recognizing, understanding, labeling, expressing, and regulating emotions (see the sidebar "Focus Areas for Developing Emotional Intelligence"). From the outset, the educators learn that emotions matter in schools, especially for learning, decision making, relationships, health, and everyday performance. Using role plays, reflection, and feedback, they practice applying these skills in positive communication, conflict management, empathy, and systems thinking.

To reinforce and individualize leaders' learning, the district partners with leadership coaches from our two organizations. The coaches work with individual leaders for five months to explore emotional challenges and successes. Coaches ask questions, listen, and provide resources on how leaders can develop specific skills, such as emotional regulation. These skills directly help to build resilience and support healthy interpersonal problem solving and conflict resolution.

The coaching process begins with leaders reflecting on their personal and professional vision and values and setting personal and professional goals for their own development. Then, throughout the process, the leaders get intensive and thorough feedback on their leadership behaviors. The feedback helps them identify the gap between the leader they are and the leader they hope to become. Blind spots and challenge areas are identified and become the focus of leadership development goals. Examples of development goals include: listening more (and solving problems without others' input less), showing empathy to others in need, being more present and focused, empowering rather than micromanaging others, managing frustration or disappointment more effectively, and being more in tune with the emotions of those around them (rather than making assumptions). As leaders make progress toward their goals, they generally become more hopeful and confident about their leadership and what is possible for their school community.

As school leaders build their leadership self-efficacy, they model their emotional intelligence skills. These leaders actively and regularly articulate their vision to the larger school community. For example, one superintendent who has undergone coaching now begins every professional development meeting with stories about her progress developing greater self-awareness and self-management. She speaks about how she now uses breathing exercises and pauses before reacting when she feels angry. This is in comparison to how she used to blurt out whatever she was thinking or feeling, sometimes to the detriment of others. Her transparency about her leadership growth inspires others to grow themselves, generating a positive contagion of personal development throughout her district.

A Systemwide, Cascading Impact

The focus on emotionally intelligent leadership in NYC public schools has fostered a systemwide effort to build a culture anchored in emotional intelligence. The leaders' training has helped to transform multiple school communities into collaborative learning environments with a shared vision, common values, and clear norms of how to develop together. With enhanced EI skills, healthy relationships thrive and supportive social networks accelerate student success. Through the ripple effects of implementing EI training in leaders, positive communication and healthy social-emotional development can spread to teachers and to students (Jennings &amp; Greenberg, 2009).

In these school communities, self-awareness and self-management skills have become the pillars of pedagogy and school culture. Educators become proactive with their emotions, which helps them to avert the array of workplace stressors that trigger burnout and turnover. This can also lead to more conscious interactions, generative relationships, and a willingness to support one another through challenging moments. In schools with this developmental focus, conflict gets put on the table instead of under it, and adults work through the hard issues instead of avoiding them. Assumptions are challenged, and differences are explored to find common ground. In schools where EI is integrated throughout, adults are equipped to work through all of the hard spots.

Where to Start

Not every district may be ready to implement a systemwide approach to promoting emotional intelligence. However, all education leaders can take steps today to focus on the five key ingredients of EI skill building. In the absence of a more formalized investment in EI leadership or professional development, every school district or school leader can:

Create an expectation that emotions matter. Emotions are a part of everyone, and all leaders can get better at how we handle stressors.

Foster a culture that not only includes traditional instructional learning coaching, but also supports leaders and teachers socially and emotionally.

Incorporate self-reflection practices into every professional development opportunity. Reflection exercises should explore ways to examine our thinking about our emotions and our emotional skill levels.

Prioritize time in meetings to discuss school challenges and ideas with community members and receive feedback about how teachers and leaders handled difficult situations.

Revisit community norms regularly to check in on how everyone is feeling about the school's climate.

Emphasize self-care practices, such as meditation, yoga classes, exercise, and retreats. Allow teachers to include a self-care commitment when they set their performance goals.

Encourage individuals to take short physical or mental breaks every 45-60 minutes, to focus on work that makes them feel capable and productive, and to use their time off for enjoyable activities.

When given time and space for EI development, education leaders are more likely to see moderate levels of stress as a pathway toward self-efficacy and personal accomplishment. With self-awareness to detect the onset of unhealthy stress and helpful strategies to manage stress, leaders are more likely to reach out for emotional and community support, avoid burnout, reconnect with their purpose, and more passionately and skillfully cultivate flourishing schools.

Focus Areas for Developing Emotional Intelligence

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Leading With Emotional Intelligence - ASCD

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For school leaders, stress is inevitable. The day-to-day grind of leading is emotionally demanding, and new challenges and higher accountability create a fever pitch of emotion that can churn inside even the strongest of leaders. However, although stress is expected for education leaders, burnout ca

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We create practical, timely, affordable professional learning to help educators and instructional leaders provide students with a modern, equitable, and quality education.

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6 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Like pretty much everything nowadays, the concept of leadership has morphed and evolved into something our parents or grandparents would not recognize. A few decades ago, things seemed simpler. Being the boss automatically made you a leader in the eyes of employees. Now, everyone wears more than one hat, lines are more blurred, and being a boss doesn't automatically make you a leader. Leadership is no longer concentrated at the top. It has trickled down the organizational chart.

With all of the tools we have today, there's no excuse not to be a better leader. I'll go a step further and say that being a good leader isn't even enough. You have to be a servant leader. Servant leadership is defined as a "philosophy and set of practices that enriches the lives of individuals, builds better organizations and ultimately creates a more just and caring world."

A little over a year ago I wrote my fourth book, The Hero Factor: How Great Leaders Transform Organizations and Create a Winning Culture. In it, I talked about finding mentors to guide you throughout your journey. In order to become a hero leader, you must seek the advice of those who have come before you -- those who have been there and done that and have the battle scars to prove it. Hero leaders surround themselves with mentors and experts who are keen on opportunities that benefit them (and others), who have a finger on the pulse and know the answers for problems that may be plaguing their industry.
Related: Why Every Entrepreneur Should Be a Servant Leader
That is what servant leadership is. It's not about being an errand boy or bowing down to your superiors. It's about leading by example and paying it forward. Being a servant leader is not just about what you can do for others outside the organization. It is being a servant to your values, creating a culture that reflects those same values and embraces diversity, including diversity of thought, as well as a willingness to learn the courage of your convictions.

What are your company's values? Is everyone on the team clear on what the company, and you as a leader, stand for? According to Gallup data, only 27 percent of employees strongly believe in their company's values. If we are to be successful leaders, those numbers have to go way up. How can that be done? Here are four steps to develop into a better servant leader.

1. Encourage diversity of thought.

Diversity encompasses myriad traits. It's about more than just gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality or political and religious beliefs. It's about thinking different, too. Having a diverse team fosters an environment that people want to be a part of. According to research by Glassdoor, 67 percent of active job seekers said a diverse workplace is important to them when considering job offers, and 57 percent of employers want to make a bigger effort to prioritize diversity.

Servant leadership encourages everyone to think outside the box and considers every perspective when tasked with moving the needle forward. The final decision is the byproduct of a collective collaboration and exchange of ideas. Power never rests with one person, but with everyone on the team contributing to the end result. Are you giving everyone a seat at the table?Why the heck not?

2. Create a culture of trust.

Trust is one of the hardest things to regain once it's broken. How can any leader create a culture of trust? By clearly communicating to everyone in the company what the mission is, what values they are expected to live by are and what the overall vision is. A global database by Gallup reveals that just one in three employees strongly agree that they trust the leadership in their organization.

How can executives build a higher level of trust? By being crystal clear about everything. All communications need to be specific and disseminated to every single level of the organization, top to bottom. If you are not transparent and fail to lead with a clear purpose, no one is going to follow you. Being transparent foments trust, which has a direct correlation to work performance. Remember, trust is earned, not given. Have you earned your team's trust?

3. Have an unselfish mindset.

It's not about you. It never was and it never will be. It's about the people who make it all work. Ask yourself: Where would you be without the cogs that make the engine run? One common mistake leaders make is thinking that profits and people are to be seen as separate entities, when they should go hand-in-hand. You can't have one without the other, so why keep them separate? Great hero leaders help facilitate the success of others and make everyone feel value and their contributions matter to the overall success of the company. According to Survey Monkey, 43 percent of respondents said that feeling appreciated makes them more confident. More so, 78 percent felt happy after receiving gratitude.

Great leaders drive change in many ways, but unselfishness is what ultimately allows them to scale their businesses and create a long-lasting legacy.
Related: Why Leaders Should View Themselves as Servants
4. Foster leadership in others.

Leaders who understand the power of building a great team understand the need to develop the next generation of leaders. It is more than just mentoring someone in your midst who has the potential to take your job one day. With Baby Boomers retiring, it is crucial that leaders mold the next generation, but they have a tough assignment ahead. A white paper about HR and millennials states that 63 percent of millennials feel a lack of leadership development. This should frighten us, because who will be left to take over the businesses when we're enjoying retirement? If we don't shape up, the answer will be no one!

Fostering leadership comes in many forms, including coaching, mentorship and growth. Take the time to teach someone the ropes, to offer words of encouragement and answer questions these young leaders have for you. Great leaders give back. Great leaders are able to put together a diverse group of people from all walks of life. In fact, diverse organizations are 1.7 times more likely to develop innovative leaders.

Servant leaders give more of themselves not because they have to, but because they want to. Servant leaders are transparent, honest, and yes, even vulnerable. That sounds like it would be a weakness, but it actually can help build you up as a leader and let others see you as a human being, not just the person who signs the checks.

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6 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Like pretty much everything nowadays, the concept of leadership has morphed and evolved into something our parents or grandparents would not recognize. A few decades ago, things seemed simpler. Being the boss automatically made you a leader in the eyes of employees.

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Managing Authenticity: The Paradox of Great Leadership

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Managing Authenticity: The Paradox of Great Leadership

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Leadership demands the expression of an authentic self. Try to lead like someone else-say, Jack Welch, Richard Branson, or Michael Dell-and you will fail. Employees will not follow a CEO who invests little of himself in his leadership behaviors. People want to be led by someone "real." This is partly a reaction to the turbulent times we live in. It is also a response to the public's widespread disenchantment with politicians and businesspeople. We all suspect that we're being duped.

Our growing dissatisfaction with sleek, ersatz, airbrushed leadership is what makes authenticity such a desirable quality in today's corporations-a quality that, unfortunately, is in short supply. Leaders and followers both associate authenticity with sincerity, honesty, and integrity. It's the real thing-the attribute that uniquely defines great leaders.

But while the expression of an authentic self is necessary for great leadership, the concept of authenticity is often misunderstood, not least by leaders themselves. They often assume that authenticity is an innate quality-that a person is either authentic or not. In fact, authenticity is a quality that others must attribute to you. No leader can look into a mirror and say, "I am authentic." A person cannot be authentic on his or her own. Authenticity is largely defined by what other people see in you and, as such, can to a great extent be controlled by you. If authenticity were purely an innate quality, there would be little you could do to manage it and, therefore, little you could do to make yourself more effective as a leader.

Indeed, managers who exercise no control over the expression of their authentic selves get into trouble very quickly when they move into leadership roles. Consider Bill, a manager in a large utility company in Pittsburgh. Bill started out as a trainee electrician, but senior management at the company swiftly spotted his talent. The HR department persuaded Bill to go to university, from which he graduated with a good degree. Afterward, he was warmly welcomed back to his job. His work at the utility company often involved managing projects, and he became adept at assembling and leading teams. His technical abilities and his honesty were his biggest leadership attributes.

Things started to unravel when Bill moved to the head office and became an adviser to some of the most senior executives in the company. HR suggested to Bill that this new job would be good preparation for a major leadership position back on the front lines. But the head office was political, and Bill found that his straight talk hit many wrong notes. He started to get feedback that he didn't fully understand the complexity of situations and that he should develop better skills for influencing others. Bill tried to curb his directness, but he could never mimic his superiors' politically savvy behaviors. He started to lose his way. He alternated between indecision, while he tried to understand the office politics, and sudden bursts of outright aggression as he struggled with his old forthrightness. He began to seriously doubt his abilities.

Bill is still at the utility company, but he will not progress further there. Most of you have probably met more than one failed leader like Bill in your organizations. His story illustrates perfectly how difficult it is for leaders to find a balance between expressing their personalities and managing those of the people they aspire to lead or at least influence. Yet the ability to strike that balance-and to preserve one's authenticity in the process-is precisely what distinguishes great leaders from other executives. The challenge of great leadership is exactly that of managing one's authenticity, paradoxical though it undoubtedly sounds.

Let us be absolutely clear: Authenticity is not the product of pure manipulation. It accurately reflects aspects of the leader's inner self, so it can't be an act. But great leaders seem to know which personality traits they should reveal to whom and when. They are like chameleons, capable of adapting to the demands of the situations they face and the people they lead, yet they do not lose their identities in the process. Authentic leaders remain focused on where they are going but never lose sight of where they came from. Highly attuned to their environments, they rely on an intuition born of formative, sometimes harsh experiences to understand the expectations and concerns of the people they seek to influence. They retain their distinctiveness as individuals, yet they know how to win acceptance in strong corporate and social cultures and how to use elements of those cultures as a basis for radical change.

In the following article, we'll explore the qualities of authentic leadership, drawing on our five years of research as well as our work consulting to leaders at all levels of organizations in diverse industries. To illustrate our points, we will recount some of the experiences and reflections of the authentic leaders we have known and studied. We don't pretend to have the final word on the subject, of course. Artists, philosophers, and social scientists have debated the concept of authenticity for centuries, and it would be foolish for us to imagine that this discussion could be synthesized by us or anyone else. Nonetheless, we believe that our reflections will contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between the expression of self and the exercise of leadership. Leaders who know how to manage their authenticity will be all the more effective for it, better able to both energize and retain loyal followers.

Managing the Perception

Establishing your authenticity as a leader is a two-part challenge. First, you have to ensure that your words are consistent with your deeds; otherwise, followers will never accept you as authentic. Everyone acknowledges and understands the need for consistency when establishing authenticity, but a great leader does a lot more than just pay lip service to it. He will live it every moment of the day. Indeed, it's not an exaggeration to say that a great leader is obsessive about embodying his beliefs.

Consider the case of John Latham, who was until recently the head teacher of an award-winning state school in the United Kingdom. Latham was passionate about creating an academic institution where students, teachers, and administrators respected one another and their environment. As at any school, litter and graffiti were major issues. So who picked up the trash and scrubbed the walls? Latham did. If you visited the school at break times, you would probably have found Latham on the grounds picking up litter rather than in his office behind a desk. "It's the simple, mundane things that matter," he told us, "and I personally fix many of them before day is done." This kind of demonstrated personal commitment to a few basic principles is essential to authentic leadership.

But it is not enough just to practice what you preach. To get people to follow you, you also have to get them to relate to you. So the second challenge of authentic leadership is finding common ground with the people you seek to recruit as followers. This means you will have to present different faces to different audiences, a requirement that many people find hard to square with authenticity. But, as Shakespeare recognized long ago, "All the world's a stage...and one man in his time plays many parts." Such role playing doesn't have to be fake or insincere. That's not to say it's easy-far from it. As we've pointed out, people instinctively recognize fraudulent behavior. If a leader is playing a role that isn't a true expression of his authentic self, followers will sooner or later feel like they've been tricked. And once that impression is out there, it's hard for a leader to recover.

Nestlé CEO Peter Brabeck-Letmathe explicitly recognizes that the very different roles he plays as a leader must be true expressions of his personality. The cover of one of Nestlé's annual reports depicts him sitting in the Swiss mountains wearing climbing clothes. But in the pages of The Nestlé Leadership and Management Principles, he is dressed in a dark suit and standing outside corporate headquarters. As he explains, "I wanted to use the image of the mountaineer because water and the environment are emotional issues for many people. But the photo is not artificial. That's what I wear on weekends. I'm a climber. In the mountaineering picture, it's a human being talking. In the [other picture], I am talking for the institution. The photographs are different, but they both capture something essential about me."

There's no one right way to establish and manage your authenticity. But there are conscious steps you can take to help others perceive you as an authentic leader. Some of these steps entail building up knowledge about your true self; some involve learning more about others.

Get to know yourself and your origins better by:

Exploring your autobiography. Familiarize yourself with your identity anchors-the people, places, and events that shaped you. Share these discoveries with others who have had similar experiences.

Returning to your roots. Take a holiday with old friends. Spend time away from the normal trappings of the office.

Avoiding comfort zones. Step out of your routines, seek new adventures, and take some risks.

Getting honest feedback. Ask for 360-degree feedback from close colleagues, friends, family, and so on.

Get to know others better by:

Building a rich picture of your environment. Don't view others as one-dimensional; find out about people's backgrounds, biographies, families, and obsessions.

Removing barriers between yourself and others. Selectively show a weakness or vulnerability that reveals your approachability to your direct reports, assistants, secretaries, and so on.

Empathizing passionately with your people. Care deeply about the work your people do.

Letting others know what's unique (and authentic) about them. Give people feedback that acknowledges and validates their origins.

Connect to the organizational context better by:

Getting the distance right. Be wary of creating the wrong first impressions. Use both your sense of self and your understanding of your origins to connect with, or to separate yourself from, others.

Sharpening your social antennae. Seek out foreign assignments and other experiences to help you detect the subtle social clues that may spell the difference between your success and failure in attracting followers.

Honoring deeply held values and social mores. You are unlikely to make connections by riding roughshod over other cultures' strongly held beliefs.

Developing your resilience. You will inevitably experience setbacks when you expose yourself to new contexts and cultures. Prepare yourself by learning about and understanding your own values.

A long-successful music industry executive we'll call Dick is also a careful communicator of his multiple selves. Dick is from the Caribbean, and on many occasions in the rough-and-tumble of the music business, we have seen him switch from corporate-speak to an island patois liberally sprinkled with expletives. He is absolutely at home in the cutthroat environment that recording artists and their agents operate in. But, at the same time, Dick's parents are affluent, well-established members of Caribbean society, and, on the occasions that require it, Dick can play up this aspect of himself to create a rapport with the media moguls and celebrities with whom he must also deal. All these facets of his personality ring true; his skill is in deciding which to reveal to whom and when.

Playing multiple roles usually demands a lot of thought and work. "Before I go into a situation, I try to understand what it is [people] will be thinking. I prepare what I am going to say and who I am going to be in that context," explains Jean Tomlin, former HR director at Marks & Spencer and one of the most influential black businesswomen in Britain. "I want to be me, but I am channeling parts of me to context. What you get is a segment of me. It is not a fabrication or a facade-just the bits that are relevant for that situation."

Let's look more closely at just what makes it possible for Brabeck-Letmathe, Tomlin, and executives like them to present fragments of themselves-without seeming inauthentic.

Know Yourself and Others

It goes almost without saying that the exercise of leadership is complex and requires both skills and practice. Over time, and through various life experiences, a leader develops an extensive repertoire of roles, which can make her seem very different to different people in different situations. Indeed, if a leader doesn't acquire this complexity, she will be able to recruit as followers only those people with whom she already shares some common ground.

But it is one thing to develop this complexity and another thing entirely to wield it effectively. Using your complex self (or, rather, selves) requires a degree of self-knowledge and the willingness and ability to share that self-knowledge with others, what we call self-disclosure. This is not to say that authentic leaders spend a lot of time exploring their inner lives through meditation or therapy. They may be profoundly self-aware and essentially authentic (in the sense that we are giving the term here), but not because of contemplation or analysis; they are not characters in some Woody Allen film. Few authentic leaders will even be conscious that they are engaged in self-expression and self-disclosure, which is probably why they are so hard to imitate.

So how do authentic leaders acquire these attributes? The relative simplicity of their goals often helps. A great leader is usually trying to accomplish no more than three or four big goals at a time. He is unwavering about these goals; he doesn't question them any more than he questions himself. That's because the goals are usually connected in some way to one or another of the leader's authentic selves. His pursuit of the goals, and the way he communicates them to followers, is intense-which naturally promotes the kind of self-disclosure we are talking about and educates him further about his various selves.

We have also found that great leaders keep close to them people who will give them honest feedback. As Roche Pharmaceuticals head Bill Burns told us, "You have to keep your feet on the ground when others want to put you on a pedestal. After a while on a pedestal, you stop hearing the truth. It's filtered by the henchmen, and they read you so well they know what you want to hear. You end up as the queen bee in the hive, with no relationships with the worker bees. My wife and secretary are fully empowered, if they ever see me getting a bit uppity, to give me a thumping great hit over the head."

As consultants, we often have been called in to do precisely that for senior executives, acting both as priests and spies as we try to make leaders more open to truths about themselves and their relationships with others. This does not necessarily mean helping these leaders develop more of what psychologist Dan Goleman calls emotional intelligence; rather, it means helping them to sharpen their skills in disclosing the emotional intelligence they already have so they can give better performances for their followers.

Consider an executive we'll call Josh, the CEO of one of the world's largest TV production companies for the past ten years. When we first met him, Josh was one of the early innovators in the field of documentary TV. Over the years, as he moved up the corporate ladder, he matured into a highly knowledgeable and effective executive who, in the process, became rather serious-even distant and austere-in the eyes of some of his employees. These perceptions were weakening his ability to attract and retain followers, so we coached Josh to return to the mischievous sense of humor that he had displayed more readily earlier in his career. He has an amazing sense of comic timing, which he has learned to use to devastating effect to disarm opponents and delight his followers. At a recent retirement celebration, for example, people expected him to deliver a rather sober speech concerning the departing senior executive. Instead, they were treated to a comic tour de force, which thrilled the retiring executive and stunned Josh's followers, none of whom would have guessed their boss was so funny. Josh's ability to use humor is an especially important attribute in the entertainment business, and his reputation as a leader has benefited accordingly.

Besides possessing self-knowledge and skills in self-disclosure, great leaders have to be able to recognize which aspects of their authentic selves particular groups of followers are looking for. Most great leaders have highly developed social antennae: They use a complex mix of cognitive and observational skills to recognize what followers are consciously-and unconsciously-signaling to them.

The good news is that while some people seem to be born with these discernment skills, others can, in fact, learn them. We have found that individuals who have had a great deal of mobility early in their lives possess these skills to a higher degree than those who have stayed mostly in one place. It's no coincidence that many CEOs start out in sales and that most senior executives in multinational companies have gone on multiple foreign postings. Exposure to a wide range of experiences during a manager's formative years enhances her ability to read and empathize with different people and situations.

Experiences outside of an individual's comfort zone can also sharpen her social awareness. Marks & Spencer's Jean Tomlin, for example, developed her social skills during her journey to establish credibility as a black businesswoman operating in an environment dominated by white males. And Nestlé's Peter Brabeck-Letmathe learned much from his stint in the military at age 17. The living conditions and treatment were barely tolerable, and several of his fellow soldiers attempted suicide. Brabeck-Letmathe survived by observing his superior officers very closely; the better he anticipated their behavior, the easier it was to stay out of their way.

Use Where You Come From

By the time a manager rises to a senior leadership position, he may seem like-and, indeed, may well be-a very different person than he was at the start of his journey. But despite any role playing that goes on, the leader's authenticity is still closely linked to his origins. The Oxford English Dictionary, for example, defines "authenticity," in part, as "of undisputed origin." As a result, we think it is fair to say that no leader will ever succeed in establishing his authenticity unless he can effectively manage his relationship with his past and his followers' connections to their roots.

Authentic leaders use their personal histories to establish common ground with their followers. The desire to establish his bona fides with his employees as a regular, approachable guy probably explains why Niall FitzGerald, a former cochairman at Unilever, speaks often and with insight about his Irish heritage and the influence of his mother on both his moral and political worldviews. Similarly, Antony Burgmans, a current chairman at Unilever, obstinately remains the Dutch countryman-as demonstrated in his dress, even in his walk-despite his elevated status. In both cases, these executives are comfortable displaying something of their origins, in a very different context, in order to connect with their followers.

Pride in one's roots, however, needs to be carefully handled. An organization whose CEO trumpets his heritage may well be intimidating or offensive to employees-and customers-who hail from elsewhere. This is one reason that so many authentic leaders work to stay curious and open to their followers' origins. We have worked for many years with a senior executive at a U.S. chemicals company. When he meets new team members, he always begins the conversations with the same question: "Tell me, how did you come to be the kind of guy you are now?" He has an almost insatiable interest in the complex factors that reveal where his direct reports come from because he understands that they (and the organization) will be more likely to succeed if they feel comfortable with their origins.

It is important for leaders to recognize that people frame their backgrounds in different ways and that there are differences among and within cultures. The salient characteristics that people use to define themselves include gender, class, race, status, and geography. And these may be expressed in many ways-through dress, speech, food, and even in different styles of walking. Given these variables, we should be cautious about making simple generalizations about status and societies, though we can draw some comparisons. For instance, some societies focus more on people's ascribed status-attributes that are perceived as innate to particular individuals. Others focus more on people's achieved status -attributes and roles that individuals attain through their own endeavors. At the most general level, American society places great emphasis on achieved status; the belief that where you're going outweighs where you've been lies close to the heart of the American dream. This is not to say that American society always acts according to this belief. Many commentators worry that the growing gap between rich and poor in the United States will decrease the prospects of social mobility for many. Even so, the idea that you will get your chance remains strong.

Critics of British Prime Minister Tony Blair often contend that because of his desire to maximize his personal appeal, Blair moves between different, contradictory selves, lacking any central personal beliefs. We would argue, however, that Blair's winning ways stem not from sacrificing himself on the altar of electability but rather from his consummate skill in managing his authenticity. His behavior in a single dramatic week in early July 2005 exemplified how well he does this.

The week began with the Bob Geldof- and Bono-inspired Live 8 pop concert, an event to raise awareness about poverty in Africa. That was followed by Blair's trip to Singapore to lobby the International Olympic Committee, during which he danced a gleeful jig in public when the UK bid to land the 2012 Summer Games was successful. Also that week, he attended the G8 summit in Scotland, where he was able to make headway in addressing some of his most passionate concerns. Then Blair was urgently called back to London because of the terrorist bombings there.

In each of these instances, Blair played different roles to attract followers in different ways. Yet despite the different behaviors he exhibited, Blair was able to communicate a core self; he always connected powerfully with his known personal passions-for pop music, sport, the elimination of poverty in Africa, and the defeat of terrorism. Indeed, his performance that week wrung praise even from his critics. As Andrew Rawnsley wrote in the Observer, "People turn admiring when they observe [Blair's] capacity to read, articulate, and mould critical political moments."

In other societies, elite status remains relatively fixed. For example, the French business elite comprises individuals educated in the grand écoles -often from all the same rather privileged backgrounds. In Asian societies, especially in China, family and geography remain highly relevant to people's understanding of their origins.

The variability of social status has important implications for leaders. The relative fluidity of American society, with an avowed emphasis on aspirations, is reflected in followers' attitudes toward their leaders. The Yale-educated Yankee aristocrat George W. Bush, for example, can pose as a regular guy from Texas and be believed because Americans, unlike Europeans, will accept that he can transform himself, and they will respect his aspiration to do so. That kind of metamorphosis simply wouldn't seem authentic in Britain; to the working-class voter, once an aristocrat, always an aristocrat.

Authentic leaders are comfortable in their skin; they know where they come from and who they are, and they know how to use their backgrounds to build a rapport with followers. Authentic leaders are not threatened by people with other origins; they welcome them. They are sensitive in communicating their origins and are aware of the differences in cultural attitudes toward their backgrounds. As Albert Einstein once said, "I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbageman or the president of the university." That statement reflects not only Einstein's comfort with himself but also with the more open society he chose to live in.

Conform-But Only Just Enough

When picking which aspects of themselves to reveal, and to whom, authentic leaders must judge just how much they need to conform to social and organizational norms. The challenge for these executives is to create just enough distance from the norms so followers will perceive the leaders as special and attractive. It's a very fine judgment call: Too much conformity can render leaders ineffective; too little can isolate them.

Graham, a dynamic sales guy in a fast-moving, Boston-based consumer goods business that we advise, provides a good illustration of what happens when a leader conforms too much. He was, and is, a very effective salesman, albeit in an old-fashioned, in-your-face kind of way. Some people found him brash. We thought he was very bright but a little too forthright for the rather polite culture in which he worked. We urged his managers to give him a chance to grow, though, feeling that his high-energy leadership style could help bring about some much-needed change in the organization.

Graham moved from sales to marketing, then briefly into a production role at a factory, and then back into a senior marketing role. We were amazed and disappointed at the transformation in him when we saw him again. He spoke in nuanced phrases, and he carefully weighed his opinions before expressing them. He defended the status quo, remarking that our proposed change agenda for the organization was "a little simplistic." He even told us that he preferred the quiet corridors of headquarters to the hurly-burly of the marketplace. Graham had attempted to fit in to the dominant culture. Instead, he had merely conformed-and lost the chance to be an effective change leader.

At the other end of the spectrum, Disney's former president, Michael Ovitz, provides a cautionary tale about not conforming enough. As his boss, Michael Eisner, told Britain's Telegraph newspaper: "He started to rub people the wrong way. He was controversial, and it got worse as things went on....We'd all take a bus [at the corporate retreat] and he had a limousine; a special driver. Everyone had a walkie-talkie, and you heard [people] saying, 'Who was this guy, and why was he demanding this?' It was a bad vibe, let's put it that way." Ovitz lasted 14 months at Disney.

Authentic leaders know how to strike a balance between their distinctiveness and the cultures in which they operate. They do not immediately seek out head-on confrontations because they recognize that their survival as leaders (and, by extension, the survival of their initiatives) requires a measured introduction to, and adaptation of, the organization's established business networks and social relationships. To influence others, authentic leaders must first gain at least minimal acceptance as members of their organizations.

Perhaps the best example we've seen of this was the case of an executive we'll call Miyako, one of the first female finance directors in a Japanese company. Miyako was an outstanding leader. She helped the company modernize its accounting practices, brought in new talent, and succeeded in breaking up the cozy male cabal at the top. But even as she broke new ground, Miyako was careful to play the role expected of a Japanese woman in social settings. Her situation highlights the universal challenge that women face in establishing themselves as authentic leaders: Unless female leaders acknowledge and validate some of the prevailing organizational norms surrounding gender roles, they will find it hard to obtain acceptance from male followers.

In complex organizations, leaders can select the specific norms and elements they want to be identified with and those they need to reject. Greg Dyke, former director general of the BBC, one of the world's largest media organizations, understands very well how to play different organizational norms against one another. When he took over at the BBC in January 2000, employees across the organization were unhappy. Shortly after coming into the job, Dyke began poking his nose into offices and studios to understand the staffers' situation better. The more visits he made, the more he came to see that he could win broad acceptance for the major changes he needed to introduce by appealing to the organization's rank and file.

To that end, Dyke began phasing out the cars and chauffeurs that had been assigned to each member of his executive board. The program producers and support staffers were pleased by this move: In an organization with a strong egalitarian aspiration, the long line of expensive black cars parked outside headquarters had been a source of irritation-even alienation-for many staffers. Dyke also cut the large budget spent on outside consultants-in one year, it went from £22 million to £3 million-symbolizing the faith the director general had in the people already inside the organization. He was implicitly saying, "I know we have the talent here."

But it wasn't enough to identify with people near the bottom of the hierarchy. Unlike a typical CEO, Dyke needed the approval of the BBC's very powerful board of governors as well as its chairman at the time, the patrician Sir Christopher Bland. To win their acceptance, Dyke had to show respect for their established mores even while he was appealing to the antiestablishment instincts of most of his employees. For a while, he proved quite adept at managing this relationship. In public, at least, he always addressed Sir Christopher and the other governors in formal language. He was also careful to rein in his own iconoclastic instincts. He moderated his language, dressed more formally than was his normal taste, and publicly emphasized those of his interests (notably museums and science education) that appealed most to the board. In the end, however, the political machinations of the BBC overwhelmed even Dyke, and he was forced to resign.

Authenticity has often been thought of as the opposite of artifice-something that is straightforward, sincere, and uncomplicated. But that conception of authenticity is not only simplistic, it is also wrongheaded. Managers who assume that their authenticity stems from an uncontrolled expression of their inner selves will never become authentic leaders. Great leaders understand that their reputation for authenticity needs to be painstakingly earned and carefully managed.

The comic George Burns once said of honesty, "If you can fake that, you've got it made." He could equally have been talking about authenticity. Of course, authentic leaders don't really fake it to make it, but Burns's joke resonates precisely because it acknowledges what we might be reluctant to admit-that the expression of one's authentic self is a complicated and contrived act. All authentic leaders are complicated and contrived. Many Americans revere the late Ronald Reagan for his authenticity as president-but he was also the first professional actor to make it to the White House.

A version of this article appeared in the December 2005 issue of Harvard Business Review.

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Managing Authenticity: The Paradox of Great Leadership

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To attract followers, a leader has to be many things to many people. The trick is to pull that off while remaining true to yourself.

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At our Presidential Leadership Scholars weekend in College Station, Texas, John Sununu, former governor of New Hampshire and George H.W. Bush's chief of staff, recounted President Bush's first meeting with French president Francois Mitterrand upon assuming office in 1989. U.S. relations with France were strained, and while there was no immediate need for joint U.S. and French action at the time, President Bush knew that sometime he would need America's old ally and wanted to repair relations with its leader.

As recorded in Sununu's The Quiet Man, President Bush invited Mitterrand to his home in Kennebunkport, and over two days he began to win over the veteran statesman, developing a lasting friendship and professional partnership. This relationship, authentically cultivated, paid extraordinary dividends when President Bush was able to use his partnership with Mitterrand to negotiate financial assistance to Poland and Hungary in 1989 and the eventual reunification of East and West Germany.

This "relational" approach to leadership was core to President Bush's values and personality. And in the broader world, relational leadership-the longstanding and almost instinctive cultivation of close personal and professional relationships as an entre to building alliances and partnerships-is common. It's prevalent in politics, where relationships among legislators and community members often lead to compromise, and in business, where trust is such an essential component of partnership.

So, how is relational leadership cultivated?

It starts with a genuine interest in others. President Bush's Deputy Chief of Staff and Transportation Secretary Andy Card said of the President, "President George H.W. Bush created personal relationships with everyone he could. That personal connection could become a strategic partnership when it needed to be. It was universal but sincere." I've seen the same in my career. When I was a new business analyst at McKinsey, for example, a senior director in the office took an interest in me and counseled me, even though I would never be useful to him. And most of us have benefited from peers or mentors who have befriended us and then aided us in the cultivation of our careers. These friendships aren't purely instrumental but authentic, sincere and driven by a genuine interest in others.

Relational leadership is further predicated on empathy-understanding others and meeting them where they are. When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, President Bush was criticized for his subdued response. Some wanted the president to celebrate more visibly. But President Bush knew how tense a political moment the event was for Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev, and sensitive to his relationship with Gorbachev and the fragility of the moment, the American president avoided the kind of gloating that may have made the situation more challenging for the general secretary to manage. This was an important gesture and one for which President Bush was misunderstood and criticized. But, as Sununu notes in The Quiet Man, it displayed empathy for Gorbachev and strengthened their partnership. Similarly, we're experiencing a heightened cultural appreciation now for former television host Fred Rogers based at least partially on his remarkable empathy. Mr. Rogers is the subject of a new documentary and a forthcoming feature film -and much of what makes him so unique and so compelling is the deep empathy he so regularly displayed for everyone he met, particularly children and the vulnerable. This empathy and kindness left even casual acquaintances transformed by their interactions with him and was a critical foundation of his leadership. It's similarly essential for each of us.

Further, this authentic and empathetic relational leadership is nurtured by small and large gestures of friendship. As I've written elsewhere, I once worked with a woman at a DC-area organization who was exceptional about spending time with even the most junior members of her organization and making them feel special. She took me to lunch and subsequently mailed me a book about which we'd spoken and a handwritten note-a kindness I appreciate to this day. Similarly, President Bush frequently wrote handwritten notes to friends and partners around the world. And while his subdued reaction to the fall of the Berlin wall was a grand gesture, he also made small gestures to reinforce relationships. Genuine interest in and excitement for others manifests in gestures and signals that you value and understand them.

Finally, while relational leadership is personal by nature, it can be powerfully embedded in the culture of an organization or team. Speaking of the Bush White House, Governor Sununu said, "President George H.W. Bush's commitment to collegiality was contagious. We all worked hard to maintain that." A culture that prioritizes authentic relationships starts at the top and cascades through an organization. In my time as a management consultant, I worked for several partners who prioritized collegiality among their teams-hosting kick-off dinners for us to get to know each other, planning team events to encourage bonding and insisting on respectful treatment of all colleagues-and that top-down leadership transformed the groups with which they worked.

Relational leadership can be incredibly successful, particularly when it is authentic, empathetic, reinforced through gestures of friendship and embedded in the culture of a team. It's not the only style of leadership, but can be powerful and personally fulfilling.
This article is part of a six-part series on leadership lessons from presidents that includes "Searching For The Right Leadership Style," "The Power Of Relational Leadership," "The Simple Power Of Connected Communication," "How A President Makes A Decision That Matters," "The Johnson Treatment: Pushing and Persuading Like LBJ" and "Life Is Worth Living In Three Dimensions."

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At our Presidential Leadership Scholars weekend in College Station, Texas, John Sununu, former governor of New Hampshire and George H.W. Bush's chief of staff, recounted President Bush's first meeting with French president Francois Mitterrand upon assuming office in 1989. U.S. relations with France were strained, and while there was no immediate need for joint U.S.

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How to be a Transformational Leader in Education

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How to be a Transformational Leader in Education

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Education faces a variety of significant challenges. Students often struggle to overcome life events that interfere with their ability to complete basic education. Teacher and staff morale can be dragged down by the high cost of living and a seeming lack of respect they receive for the vital work that they do. Transformational leadership in education can't solve all of these problems, but it does serve as a force for improvement.

A time of stress calls for a new and creative approach to learning, such as that provided by the transformational leadership model.

A need for educational transformation

California's secondary education system gives an example of the kinds of challenges that schools often fail to meet. In 2018, 83 percent of high school seniors in California graduated. While that number represents an increase from the dismal graduation rate of 74.7 percent in 2010, it's hard to celebrate when 17 percent of high school students leave without a diploma. Furthermore, California's dropout rate keeps rising, reaching close to 10 percent in 2018.

The numbers are even more disheartening when you break them down by race, ethnicity, and economic hardship. The graduation rate for African-American students was almost 10 percentage points below the average. English learners had just a 67.9 percent graduation rate. Homeless youth fared only slightly better, with 68.9 percent completing high school.

Students listed as socioeconomically disadvantaged graduated at a rate that was more than three percentage points below the average. Those with disabilities had a 66.3 percent graduation rate. Only 53.1 percent of foster youth received their diplomas.

What these numbers show is that the educational system in California-while it has improved somewhat over previous years-continues to fail many of the students that need it most. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that workers without a high school diploma had median weekly earnings of $515 in 2017. Compared to high school graduates, who earned $718, those who failed to get their high school diploma missed out on 30 percent of their earning potential. Thus, the breakdown of education in its mission to serve historically disadvantaged populations reinforces the repeating cycle of poverty.

Although, through transformational leadership in education, teachers, principals, and school administrators can elevate individual students and the whole school ecosystem. Some educators are making a difference.

Transformational leadership provides a model of change in education that helps youth to meet the challenges of systemic racism and poverty. This change regarding leadership in education also motivates teachers and supports them to be able to give their students a rich and welcoming learning environment.

What is transformational leadership?

Many adults remember the one teacher or mentor who particularly inspired them in their youth. These inspirational figures have the power to change the course of young lives. For some students, one adult that believes in them and shows them a path to success is all it takes to teach them to believe that they have the power to excel. This change regarding leadership in education often comes from educators immersed in transformational leadership theory.

What is transformational leadership in education? Transformational leadership is a model that principals and teachers can use to lead by example. It places a high value on creating community bonds, which encourage both students and teachers to greater levels of achievement.

Bernard M. Bass and Bruce J. Avolio, two pioneering voices in transformational leadership theory, define these leaders as people who mentor and encourage both colleagues and followers.

According to Bass and Avolio, the transformational leadership style views relationship development as a crucial component of the work of educational institutions. Transformational leadership in education spurs students and teachers to expand and grow in a nurturing community.

One of the strengths of the transformational leadership model is that it builds on the resources of every member of the school, particularly staff and teachers. The truly transformational leader is a motivator who seeks to inspire team members to be their better selves. Transformational educators forgo self-interest and self-promotion. Instead, they direct their attention and energy toward the good of the group as a whole.

To accomplish this, transformational leadership traits include a passion for the mission of the educational institution. A leader who can instill this passion in others has the power to create an environment where change in education can happen.

Transformational leadership characteristics

In his influential essay, "Leadership and Excellence in Schooling", Thomas J. Sergiovanni emphasized the need to strive for more than simply adequate education. He identified five leadership forces exhibited by transformational educators. Those forces are technical, human, educational, symbolic, and cultural.

The technical aspect of transformational leadership in education is good management practices, including planning and organization. Without effective, evidence-based school administration, change in education becomes more challenging.

The human aspect is the use of the social and interpersonal resources already available in the school setting. By building what Sergiovanni calls "interpersonal competence," schools can improve morale among staff. He identifies participatory decision-making as a key element in the human aspect of transformational leadership in education.

The educational force is rooted in the professional competence and implementation of effective teaching strategies that transformational leaders bring to their schools. These leaders foster change in education by evaluating problems in educational design. The educational force relates to counseling, evaluation, and professional development within the school setting.

Symbolism is an important aspect of the transformational leadership style. The rituals of the school year are more than just milestones to be checked off a list. Transformational leadership theory recognizes the vital role of administrators and teachers as symbolic leaders of their school communities.

By creating a sense of clarity and unity, the symbolic force helps all members of the educational community feel that they are part of a close-knit group that shares the goal of building the best possible school ecosystem. It may seem tangential, but the transformational leadership model places symbolism as a core element of a school environment that supports learning and personal growth.

The cultural aspect of transformational leadership is a statement of shared values and beliefs. Cultural leadership articulates not only the school's mission, but also the mythos of the educational milieu. Sergiovanni elevates culture because it is the glue that holds the student body together. School culture reminds both students and teachers of the important work they do together.

While Sergiovanni calls cultural leadership the role of "high priest," it's important to make the distinction between charismatic leadership and demagoguery. Transformational leadership qualities, especially these symbolic and cultural aspects, call on educators to lead by following. This is leadership in the mold of Lao Tzu, who said, "The best leaders are those the people hardly know exist."

Transformational leadership risks elevating leaders to the level where they are indispensable. To avoid a situation where the departure of one administrator or staff member can cause a whole school to crumble in on itself, it is important for transformational leaders to build strength in all members of the educational team rather than accruing too much power to themselves. Truly gifted transformational leaders create schools whose staff includes empowered leaders at all levels.

Transformational leadership examples in history

There are many examples of transformational leaders throughout history. These are figures whose commitment to their vision inspired others to follow. Even after their deaths, these transformational figures have symbolic power that encourages others to aspire to work towards the greater good of society.

Some of these leaders are well-known names, such as Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., and Ida B. Wells. These civil rights leaders didn't only do work that made a difference. They were among the sparks that ignited a movement. Their leadership and willingness to stand out insured that they did not stand alone.

Without leaving California, we can find many more transformational leaders, including Huey P. Newton, a leader of the Black Panthers; and Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, co-founders of the United Farmworkers union. These transformational leaders confronted injustices that appeared intractable. Through charisma, courage, and creativity, they proved that change was possible. This empowered many others who have followed in their footsteps.

Other names may be obscured by the fog of history, but their transformative influence has changed our lives nonetheless. The participants in the Native American occupation of Alcatraz and the women who protested by throwing away undergarments in the 1970s transformed how America thought about its history and culture. Largely leaderless movements such as Occupy, Black Lives Matter, and the Women's March, use elements of transformational leadership models to distribute power widely throughout the organization.

The heroes of transformational leadership in education tend to be names that are known only to the members of the schools where they work. They are no less revered in and important to the school community than the historical figures whose names students read in history class.

A principal or teacher who brings change in education can be the transformational leader who nurtures the seeds of greatness in the heroes of the next generation. By modeling transformational leadership in education, educators give youth a framework for finding their own greatness.

Benefits of transformational leadership

A 1994 study entitled, "The Effects Of Transformational Leadership On Organizational Conditions And Student Engagement With School", set out to quantify the benefits of transformational leadership.

The authors used a survey of 1,762 teachers and 9,941 students in a single school district. They found that transformational leadership was associated with much greater cohesion and satisfaction among staff.

There were also benefits for students. Transformational leadership characteristics among teachers led to increased participation and identification with the school among the students. However, the effects of educational transformation on students were smaller than the effects on faculty and staff. The authors attributed this to the stronger influence of the family educational environment on student achievement.

At the time the study was conducted, transformational leadership in education rarely reached outside the school campus. Recognizing the importance of the home environment, change leadership in education today supports and includes the parents as well as the students in the school community.

A more recent survey of studies on transformational leadership in education highlighted the importance of transformational leadership for school principals. Those principals who exhibited transformational leadership traits provided better staff support, recognized success among the staff, and were more available. These principals welcomed fresh perspectives from their staff and faculty and often put these diverse ideas into practice.

Transformational leadership theory is not confined to the United States. For example, a 2013 study looked at transformational leadership traits among school principals in China. The study found that principals who practiced a transformational leadership style were more successful in finding solutions to the problems at their schools.

The benefits of transformational leadership aren't always direct. Transformational leadership isn't about a better way to teach math or a new technique for improving reading skills, though educational technique is an important technical component of change leadership in education. Transformational leadership fosters a community that is committed to the goals of the school and the success of all students. The secondary effect of this style of leadership is educational change. This provides an environment that fosters the creation of new and innovative instructional techniques.

Change leadership in education is made, not born

The transformational leadership style may come naturally to some educators. However, the surest path to educational change is through intention. In most cases, transformational leadership in education is the result of years of training and study.

Mills College has educated many generations of transformational leaders in a wide variety of fields. In recognition of the huge need for transformational leadership in education, Mills offers an online MA in Educational Leadership.

Part of the transformational leadership definition is that the leaders use their life stories and experience to inspire those around them. Change leadership in education, therefore, must have diverse practitioners. By offering an online master's degree, Mills College opens the field of educational leadership and transformation to educators who need to continue working at their current positions while they take courses to advance their careers. Mills recognizes the incredible experience and wisdom of these dedicated educators.

The MA in Educational Leadership teaches a transformational leadership model that emphasizes collaboration and reflection. The curriculum takes into account the need for solid grounding in curriculum development and sound teaching and administrative practices. Students leave the program prepared to face the often challenging task of reconciling the fiscal realities of public education with the needs of students and teachers.

Outstanding educational environments must exist in relation to the communities they serve. Transformational leadership in education requires a solid understanding of educational change theories. That is a core part of the curriculum of the online MA in Educational Leadership at Mills. This understanding will prepare you to face the ethical and social challenges that confront today's educators on a daily basis.

The online MA in Educational Leadership at Mills is a great place to start your career in educational change. The skills you learn will transform your life and prepare you for a career of transformational leadership in education.

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How to Be a Transformational Leader in Education | Mills Online Degrees

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Education faces a variety of significant challenges. Students often struggle to overcome life events that interfere with their ability to complete basic education. Teacher and staff morale can be dragged down by the high cost of living and a seeming lack of respect they receive for the vital work that they do.

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A transactional leader is someone who values order and structure. They are likely to command military operations, manage large corporations, or lead international projects that require rules and regulations to complete objectives on time or move people and supplies in an organized way. Transactional leaders are not a good fit for places where creativity and innovative ideas are valued.

Transactional leadership is most often compared to transformational leadership. Transactional leadership depends on self-motivated people who work well in a structured, directed environment. By contrast, transformational leadership seeks to motivate and inspire workers, choosing to influence rather than direct others.

Read more about transactional leadership:

Transactional leadership focuses on results, conforms to the existing structure of an organization and measures success according to that organization's system of rewards and penalties. Transactional leaders have formal authority and positions of responsibility in an organization. This type of leader is responsible for maintaining routine by managing individual performance and facilitating group performance.

This type of leader sets the criteria for their workers according to previously defined requirements. Performance reviews are the most common way to judge employee performance. Transactional, or managerial, leaders work best with employees who know their jobs and are motivated by the reward-penalty system. The status quo of an organization is maintained through transactional leadership.

Differences between transactional leadership and other leadership styles

Transactional leaders differ from charismatic and transformational leaders in both structure and method. Charismatic leadership emphasizes influencing a group or organization to make the world a better place. In transactional leadership, the emphasis is on managing the performance of the individual and determining how well he or she performs in a structured environment.

The difference between transactional leadership and transformational leadership is also quite large. Simply put, transactional is a "telling" leadership style, and transformational is a "selling" style. While the transactional approach features positive and negative reinforcement, transformational leadership emphasizes motivation and inspiration. Transactional leaders are reactive; transformational leaders are proactive. Transactional leadership appeals to the self-interest of individuals, while the transformational style prioritizes group progress.

History of the transactional leadership theory

Max Weber, a 20th-century German sociologist, made an extensive study of leadership styles and divided them into three categories: traditional, charismatic and rational-legal, or bureaucratic. In 1947, Weber was the first to describe rational-legal leadership - the style that would come to be known as transactional leadership - as "the exercise of control on the basis of knowledge."

Transactional leadership theory is based on the idea that managers give employees something they want in exchange for getting something they want. It posits that workers are not self-motivated and require structure, instruction and monitoring in order to complete tasks correctly and on time.

The transactional leadership style was widely used after World War II in the United States. This was a time when the government concentrated on rebuilding and required a high level of structure to maintain national stability.

Political scientist James McGregor Burns was one of the most prominent authors to advance Weber's theories. In his 1978 book "Leadership," Burns argued that both transactional and transformational leaders must be moral and have a higher purpose. In Burns's model, transactional leaders espouse honesty, fairness, responsibility, and honoring commitments.

In the 1980s and 90s, researchers including Bernard M. Bass, Jane Howell and Bruce Avolio defined the dimensions of transactional leadership:

Contingent reward, the process of setting expectations and rewarding workers for meeting them

Passive management by exception, where a manager does not interfere with workflow unless an issue arises

Active management by exception, in which managers anticipate problems, monitor progress and issue corrective measures

Many current leadership theorists agree that principals of transactional and transformational leadership can be combined for ideal outcomes for both management and the workforce.

The transactional model is likely to succeed in a crisis or in projects that require linear and specific processes. This model is also useful for big corporations, such as Hewlett-Packard, a company known for its extensive use of management by exception.

Many high-level members of the military, CEOs of large international companies, and NFL coaches are known to be transactional leaders. Transactional leadership also works well in policing agencies and first responder organizations. Here are four examples of transactional leaders.

Norman Schwarzkopf

Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf was born in 1934 and graduated from West Point. He went to Vietnam as an advisor to the South Vietnamese army. During that war, he was wounded twice and awarded three Silver Star medals. In 1978, he became a brigadier general; he attained a four-star ranking in 1988. General Schwarzkopf was commander-in-chief of the U.S. forces in Operation Desert Storm, responsible for tens of thousands of troops in Iraq and Kuwait. He used the rules and regulations of the military to coordinate operations on several continents.

Vince Lombardi

Born in 1913, Vince Lombardi is best known as the coach for the Green Bay Packers. He signed a five-year contract with Green Bay in 1959. Under his leadership, the team never had a losing session. Over the course of his career, he led the team to a 98-30-4 record and five championships. The Super Bowl trophy is named after him. He used to run the Packers through the same plays in practice over and over again. The team's opponents knew the plays Lombardi would run, but the team was so well trained that many teams had trouble defending against them.

Bill Gates

Bill Gates was born in Seattle in 1955. In his early teens, he met Paul Allen at the Lakeside School, where they both developed computer programs as a hobby. When Gates went to Harvard, Allen went to work as a programmer for Honeywell in Boston. In 1975, they started Microsoft, and by 1978, the company had grossed $2.5 million, when Gates was 23. In 1985, Microsoft launched Windows. Bill Gates is now one of the richest people in the world. As a transactional leader, he used to visit new product teams and ask difficult questions until he was satisfied that the teams were on track and understood the goal.

Howard Schultz

Howard Schultz was born in 1953 and grew up in the Brooklyn housing projects. He escaped the projects with a football scholarship from Northern Michigan University. After college, he started selling coffee makers to companies that included the Starbucks Coffee Tea and Spice Company, which originally sold coffee beans rather than made-to-order drinks. He was hired by the company in 1982. In 1984, Schultz opened the first Starbucks coffeehouse based on the concept of an Italian espresso bar.

Schultz wanted to grow Starbucks, but the owners wanted to stay small. Schultz left and opened his own company in 1985. With the help of investors in 1987, he bought Starbucks and merged the two companies. By 2006, Schultz was ranked 394 on Forbes magazine's list of the 400 richest people in America. As a transactional leader, he was responsible for the vision and implementation of the Starbucks model.

Transactional leadership quotes

Norman Schwarzkopf: "When placed in command, take charge."

Vince Lombardi: "The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand."

Bill Gates: "The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency."

Howard Schultz: "Starbucks is not an advertiser; people think we are a great marketing company, but in fact we spend very little money on marketing and more money on training our people than advertising."

Here are some of the characteristics of transactional leaders:

Focused on short-term goals

Favor structured policies and procedures

Thrive on following rules and doing things correctly

Revel in efficiency

Very left-brained

Tend to be inflexible

Opposed to change

Transactional leadership works well in organizations where structure is important. Transactional leadership is not the right fit for organizations where initiative is encouraged:

Transactional leadership pros:

Rewards those who are motivated by self-interest to follow instructions

Provides an unambiguous structure for large organizations, systems requiring repetitive tasks and infinitely reproducible environments

Achieves short-term goals quickly

Rewards and penalties are clearly defined for workers

Transactional leadership cons:

Rewards the worker on a practical level only, such as money or perks

Creativity is limited since the goals and objectives are already set

Does not reward personal initiative

There is definitely a place for transactional leadership in the world today. One of its best uses is in multinational corporations where not all of the workers speak the same language. Once the structure and the requirements are learned, it is easy for workers to complete tasks successfully. This works because transactional leadership is simple to learn and does not require extensive training. The transactional approach is easy to understand and apply across much of an organization.

The military, policing organizations, and first responders use this style of leadership so that all areas of the organization are consistent. It is also easier to apply in a crisis situation, where everyone must know exactly what is required of them and how a task is to be done under pressure.

To many people, money and perks are a powerful motivator. Many people need a job to pay the bills. They have other obligations and distractions and would just as soon know exactly how to do their job in order to keep it and reap the rewards.

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What is Transactional Leadership? Structure Leads to Results

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A transactional leader is someone who values order and structure. They are likely to command military operations, manage large corporations, or lead international projects that require rules and regulations to complete objectives on time or move people and supplies in an organized way.

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Effective Education Leaders are Charismatic

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Spread the loveSuccessful education leaders are charismatic, which inspires devotion in others. This charisma can be hard to learn, as it usually requires most educators to go outside of their comfort zone by becoming more sociable as well as learning how to command the attention of and speak to a group of any size.

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Choosing the right leadership method can be confusing and challenging. Starting in the 20th century and extending to now, psychologists have given charismatic leadership theory attention because of the strong personalities who have been able to manage in that style. Leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Pope John Paull II have made their legacies for leading with a great deal of charm and charisma.

Through a close look at charismatic leadership theory's significance, its advantages and disadvantages, and some real-world historical examples, we give a comprehensive overview of the leadership style. The psychology behind this unique leadership model deserves more attention because of its current and future applications in our society. There's definitely a compelling case for adopting the charismatic leadership strategy, but leaders should understand its nuances more thoroughly before they consider implementing it in their own leadership practices.

What is Charismatic Leadership Theory?

Before adequate attention can be given to the significance of charismatic leadership theory, it must first be defined. Recently, a study titled "Charismatic leadership: Eliciting and channeling follower emotions" offered that "charismatic leaders elicit strong emotions from followers which encourage devotion and action, and these emotions mediate the relationship between charisma and its effects." In simpler terms, the leadership concept can be chalked up to the successes of different leaders based on their charismatic approach to problem-solving.

Max Weber, a prominent sociologist from the early 1900s, originated the terminology for the three dominant kinds of leadership styles: charismatic, bureaucratic and traditional. He maintained that leaders embody all three kinds of authority models in different proportions or ratios.

Bureaucratic Leadership

According to the study "The Relationship between Bureaucratic Leadership Style (Task-Oriented) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM)," bureaucratic leadership can be defined as a model where "Leaders impose strict and systematic discipline on the followers, and demand business-like conduct." Further, bureaucratic leaders are typically rule-reliant and project their authority rigidly.

Traditional Leadership

Separately, traditional authority models are founded on long-standing conventions. More directly, traditional leaders find their power and legitimacy through customs that have existed for long periods of time.

Charismatic Leadership

Charismatic leadership, thus, is much more dependent on the personality of the leader. Status, a business communications company, stated that leaders who apply the style are "individuals who use their personality and communication style to gain the admiration of followers." Because of this, more than any other type of leadership style, charismatic leaders depend on the strength of their personalities to win over their audience.

Furthermore, Status said that charismatic leaders are capable of responding intelligently to social cues. In fact, charismatic leaders' success stems in part from their ability to respond to the emotional needs of their followers. While this unique leadership style certainly has its perks, it also has some unexpected consequences.

The Benefits and Drawbacks of Charismatic Leadership Theory

Charismatic authority, which so strongly depends on the personality of the leader, can certainly yield positive results. Because charismatic leaders often play on emotional appeals, they occupy a unique position where they are able to both motivate and calm their audiences.

David E. Rast, a social psychologist, has proved as much. In his work, he's stated that charismatic leaders, or "transformational leaders," become more desirable in times of social uncertainty. This logic makes sense considering the decisive nature found in the leadership method.

Another stark advantage of charismatic leaders is their ability to consistently motivate their followers. In the article "The Motivational Effects of Charismatic Leadership: A Self-Concept Based Theory," the authors stated that charismatic leaders "cause followers to become highly committed to the leader's mission, to make significant personal sacrifices in the interest of the mission, and to perform above and beyond the call of duty." By intricately and compellingly playing on the values and feelings of their followers, charismatic leaders can successfully motivate people to accomplish their goals.

What's more is that charismatic leaders can empower their followers through a unique bond or trust. Charismatic leadership theory can be put into action only if the leader can cultivate a profound sense of trust with a group of followers. This bond relies then on the charismatic leader holding their own actions and behaviors accountable.

At the same time, though, there can be several drawbacks to the unconventional leadership style. While charismatic leaders often rely on their confidence to build and maintain a following, having too much confidence could prove problematic. Workplace psychologist Steve Nguyen outlined four major drawbacks to leaders depending on their charisma. These include:

1. An arrogance that distracts the leader.

2. An inability to groom possible successors.

3. A power vacuum after the leader steps down.

4. A proneness to resist addressing problems.

In some instances, charismatic leaders have employed their charm for manipulative purposes. Roger Eatwell, a political scientist, has weighed in on this issue exhaustively and believes it could be a reason for the rise of fascism in the right before World War II. In the workplace, charismatic leaders can bring disadvantages, as well. Shelley Frost of the Houston Chronical said charisma by itself is not a strong enough quality to lead, and "the leader must have the best intentions of the company at heart and have other leadership qualities to back up the charisma." These other qualities would be industry knowledge, receptiveness to criticism, and the ability to listen, to name a few.

To avoid these pitfalls, leaders should blend their authority styles. Relying too heavily on charisma compromises the ability to maintain support and trust. A study by the American Psychological Association found that individuals who were excessively charismatic were not as effective as moderately charismatic leaders because of their inability to lead operationally. In other words, extremely charismatic leaders usually could not keep up with the structural requirements of their positions. Separately, leaders who mixed authority styles in a more balanced way were much more capable of satisfying the requirements of their posts.

The Psychology of Charismatic Leadership Theory

In order to understand the psychology of people who have applied their charisma to their leadership styles, it's helpful to look at real-world examples. By understanding their behaviors and actions, we can better understand the inner workings of some of the most immediately recognizable charismatic leaders.

Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

The Civil Rights leader in the 1950s and '60s displayed an intense confidence in front of crowds to help peacefully desegregate the United States. Uniquely, King was able to deliver his charismatic leadership style in an inclusive way to help motivate his following to non-violently overthrow Jim Crow-era laws. His legacy today is important not only for the rhetorical power of his speeches, but also for the effective and inspiring ways he was able to lead America toward Civil Rights legislation.

Pope John Paul II

As the pope who led the Catholic Church through the millennium, John Paul II was responsible for proposing and carrying out several changes to the institution in the late 20th century. He was able to do this because of his outward and infectious charisma, which according to Telegraph correspondent Damian Thompson, "was so overpowering that people felt giddy in his presence." Because of his ability to lead through his palpable charisma, he was able to unite and inspire Catholics across the world.

Steve Jobs

As the CEO of Apple in different stages of his career, Steve Jobs was able to bring the world into the 21st century by motivating his teams to produce their best work. His authority style, based on his own charisma, successfully introduced our world to impressive music storage, smart phone technology and cloud computing.

Alvernia University offers an online Bachelor of Science in Psychology. Balance education and a busy life through Alvernia University's flexible online programs. Develop skills needed to succeed as a professional and learn from knowledgeable faculty in small class sizes.

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The Art of Charm: The Charismatic Leadership Theory | Alvernia Online

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Choosing the right leadership method can be confusing and challenging. Starting in the 20th century and extending to now, psychologists have given charismatic leadership theory attention because of the strong personalities who have been able to manage in that style. Leaders like Martin Luther King Jr.

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While there are dozens of leadership theories and psychology, there are a few that are more well-known. These more common leadership theories are important to understand and recognize, especially if you currently are, or are studying to be business leader in the future. Understanding psychological and social impacts of effective leadership will help you determine the kind of leader you want to be.

--Behavioral theory. The behavioral leadership theory focuses on how leaders behave, and assumes that these traits can be copied by other leaders. Sometimes called the style theory, it suggests that leaders aren't born successful, but can be created based on learnable behavior. Behavioral theories of leadership focus heavily on the actions of a leader-this theory suggests that the best predictor of leadership success is viewing how a leader acts. Action rather than qualities are the focal points of behavioral learning theory. Patterns of behavior are observed and categorized as "styles of leadership" in this theory. Some of the styles of leadership include task-oriented leaders, people-oriented leaders, country club leaders, status-quo leaders, dictatorial leaders, and more. At the end of the day, the actions and actual behaviors of a leader are what defines success in this theory.

The behavioral theory has many advantages, primarily that leaders can learn and decide what actions they want to implement to become the kind of leader they want to be. It allows leaders to be flexible and adapt based on their circumstances. Another great benefit of this leadership style is that it suggests anyone is capable of becoming a leader. Some disadvantages of the behavioral theory are that while it allows flexibility, it doesn't directly suggest how to behave in certain circumstances. There are dozens of leadership styles that stem from the behavioral theory, but there isn't a right one for every circumstance.

A great example of the behavioral theory is looking at a task-oriented leader vs. a people-oriented leader. If there's a problem with a team, a task-oriented leader will look at the process to see if something needs to be adjusted with the workflow. A people-oriented leader will look at the individuals and go right to them, asking what the issue is. Whatever behaviors you choose, the behavioral leadership theory helps leaders focus on their actions and utilize their decisions to be a great leader.

--Contingency theory. The contingency leadership theory, sometimes called situational theory, focuses on the context of a leader. These theories look at the situational effects of the success or failure or a leader. A leader's effectiveness is directly determined by the situational context. While a leader's personality is a small factor in their success, the most important factor is the context and situation of the leader. This theory takes the specific leadership styles and suggests that good leaders can adjust their leadership style situationally. It also suggests that it may be best to find the right kind of leader for a specific situation. Types of contingency theories include the Hershey and Blanchard's Situational Theory, the Evans and House Path-Goal Theory, and Fiedler's Contingency Theory.

The contingency theory has great advantages, including that leaders are able to be effective no matter their situational context. However, this theory does have criticism suggesting that there isn't enough detail that goes into the context of any situation. Contingency theory focuses on the importance of a situation, but may not focus enough on the psychology of the employees or the company itself. It also may not focus enough on how leadership styles can change over time.

There are internal and external factors that impact a leader and their situation. The type of company, the size of the team, and the innate leadership style of an individual are internal factors. External factors may include the customer feelings and the marketplace. All of these situations play a factor into the contingency theory.

--Great Man theory. The great man theory of leadership, sometimes called the trait theory, suggests that good leaders are born. They have innate traits and skills that make them great, and these are things that can't be taught or learned. The trait theory suggests that leaders deserve to be in their position because of their special traits.

There is a great amount of criticism for the trait theory, mainly that leaders are either born or not, that there isn't work or effort that is needed to be put in so you can become a leader. This suggests that social or psychological leaders are predetermined and that leaders are unable to come from the shadows-they are either chosen or not. There is also criticism that most of the traits associated with this theory are inherently masculine, and don't match the real psychology of good leaders.

People cite Abraham Lincoln, Alexander the Great, Queen Elizabeth I, and many others as their examples of the great man theory. These social giants utilized their skills to lead nations. High levels of ambition and determination are usually seen in leaders that appear to bring this theory to life. Today, leaders that climb to the top may view their traits and abilities as part of the "great man" theory. So it may appear that leaders get to their position based on their inherit gifts.

--Management theory. The management theory is sometimes called transactional leadership, and focuses on supervision, organization, and group performance. Transactional leadership is a system of rewards and punishments, and transactional leadership is regularly used in business. When employees do something successful, managers reward them. When they fail, they may get punished. Transactional rewards and punishments are given based on the idea that people really only do things for the reward. Their psychology doesn't allow human beings to do things out of goodness, but rather out of the promise of a reward.

The management leadership style can be extremely effective. Positive reinforcement is known for working wonders with employees, encouraging and motivating them to succeed. But there is lots of criticism around leadership that is strictly transactional as well. Consequences and punishments can decrease morale in an organization, negatively impacting employees. It can also be seen as a lazy leadership style-rewards and punishments are a relatively simple way to lead employees.

A common example of this management style is a leader that offers a cash bonus for employees who meet a goal. Or a leader who makes employees do extra paperwork if they miss a deadline.

--Participative theory. Participative leadership isn't as common in the corporate world. Sometimes called democratic leadership, this leadership theory suggests that employees be directly involved in decision making in their organization. The leader simply facilitates a conversation and then takes all the suggestions, and comes up with the best possible action. In this theory, everyone is very involved with decisions for the team and organization, with the leader simply helping direct the charge.

There are many advantages to this theory. Employees feel more engaged and motivated when they are directly involved in decisions and outcomes for their company. This theory is not without criticism however-some suggest that this type of style makes leaders appear weak or unnecessary. It is also a criticism that leaders in this theory don't actually get the best outcomes, because they are too engaged in what people want more than what the company needs.

Bill Gates is a well known example of participative theory. While this theory is still hotly debated, there are many examples of companies that work to incorporate employees more in the decision making process. In this theory, a leader may have a meeting to ask employees how to solve a particular problem. They encourage employees to be open and honest about their thoughts. They take all the suggestions, and meet with other leaders to discuss them. Leaders then make a decision based on the input from employees and their own decision making. Employees tend to appreciate this style, though it can be less effective overall.

--Power theory. This theory looks at the way a leader utilizes their power and influence to get things accomplished. French and Raven's Five Forms of Power is a commonly known power theory of leadership. It looks at positional power and personal power and how they impact leaders choices and outcomes.

This theory may appear to be highly effective-leaders with great power may seem highly efficient and get things done quickly. However, most employees don't appreciate power leadership. They want a leader who doesn't wield power over them, but works with them and encourages them. Thus the greatest criticism of this theory is that it doesn't reach the end goal of inspiring and encouraging employees, but rather makes them feel dominated.

The power theory can be seen in organizations where hierarchy and promotion is key to success. Employees in power theory companies see that their only way to influence change or impact the company is to gain power of their own. This can result in low morale, political, and cliquey climates in the office.

--Relationship theory. The relationship theory of leadership focuses on leaders who are mainly concerned about their interactions with others. They are often mentors for employees, scheduling time to talk to them and working to meet their needs. These kinds of leaders are focused on making work enjoyable for as many people as possible, and they want to foster a positive work environment. Studies show that this kind of leadership behavior can be the most effective for many employees. Relationship-oriented managers often get better results from their employees.

There are many advantages to this kind of leadership. Employees feel confident in their leader and want to follow them. They are also inspired to be good leaders to others. Mentorship provides great opportunities to foster growth in employees, and encourages them to stay at the organization for a longer period of time. There are some critics for this kind of leadership however, including thoughts that relationship driven leaders may be unwilling to view employees who are causing problems at face value, they can let relationships get in the way of work, and they can be guided to favor people over productivity. However, most experts agree that relationship driven leaders are actually more effective at the end of the day.

An example of relationship theory would be a manager who takes a newer employee under her wing. She works to help this employee understand how they fit within the organization, encourage them to be open about questions and problems, and create a positive working relationship. This employee then is encouraged to work hard, point out issues, and help solve problems for the company.

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Good leadership is an essential element of any business in any industry. Good leaders can make or break a department, team, or an entire company. There are a wide variety of theories about leadership and understanding these can help you be even more effective and impactful for your organization.

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The trait theory of leadership focuses on identifying different personality traits and characteristics that are linked to successful leadership across a variety of situations. This line of research emerged as one of the earliest types of investigations into the nature of effective leadership and is tied to the "great man" theory of leadership first proposed by Thomas Carlyle in the mid-1800s.

Trait Theory of Leadership Rationale

According to Carlyle, history is shaped by extraordinary leaders. This ability to lead is something that people are simply born with, Carlyle believed, and not something that could be developed. Carlyle's ideas inspired early research on leadership, which almost entirely focused on inheritable traits.

Carlyle's theory of leadership was based on the rationale that:

Certain traits produce certain patterns of behavior.

Patterns are consistent across different situations.

People are "born" with leadership traits.

Even today, books, and articles tout the various characteristics necessary to become a great leader, suggesting that leadership is somehow predestined in some (or is at least more likely) while unlikely, if not impossible, in others.

Since the publication of Carlyle's thesis, psychologists have examined and argued about the trait-based theory of leadership. From the 1940s to the 1970s, psychologist Ralph Melvin Stogdill suggested that leadership is the result of the interaction between the individual and the social situation and not merely the result of a predefined set of traits.

Soon after in the 1980s, James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner posited that credibility was a key indicator of leadership skills, characterized by such traits as being honest, forward-looking, inspiring, and competent.

Leadership Traits

While the list of leadership traits can vary by whoever is drawing up the list, a recent study outlined behavioral traits that separated lower-level supervisors from higher-level supervisors.

According to the researchers, the traits most commonly associated with great leadership include:

Adaptability and flexibility: Effective leaders don't get stuck in a rut. They are able to think outside of the box and adapt quickly to changing situations.

Assertiveness: A great leader is able to be direct and assertive without coming off as overly pushy or aggressive.

Capacity to motivate people: A great leader knows how to inspire others and motivate them to do their best.

Courage and resolution: The best leaders are brave and committed to the goals of the group. They do not hide from challenges.

Creativity: Perhaps most importantly, great leaders not only possess their own creativity, but they are also able to foster creativity among members of the group.

Decisiveness: A great leader is capable of making a decision and is confident in his or her choices.

Eagerness to accept responsibility: Strong leaders take on responsibility and don't pass the blame on to others. They stand by their success and take ownership of their mistakes.

Emotional stability: In addition to being dependable overall, strong leaders are able to control their emotions and avoid overreactions.

Intelligence and action-oriented judgment: Great leaders and smart and make choices that move the group forward.

Need for achievement: Strong leaders have a need to succeed and help the group achieve goals. They genuinely care about the success of the group and are committed to helping the group reach these milestones.

People skills: Excellent interpersonal skills are essential for leading effectively. Great leaders know how to interact well with other leaders as well as with team members.

Perseverance: Strong leaders stick with it, even when things get difficult or the group faces significant obstacles.

Self-confidence: Many of the best leaders are extremely self-assured. Because they are confident in themselves, followers often begin to share this self-belief.

Task competence: A great leader is skilled and capable. Members of the group are able to look to the leader for an example of how things should be done.

Trustworthiness: Group members need to be able to depend upon and trust the person leading them.

Understanding their followers and their needs: Effective leaders pay attention to group members and genuinely care about helping them succeed. They want each person in the group to succeed and play a role in moving the entire group forward.

Controversy on the Trait Theory

Early studies on leadership focused on the differences between leaders and followers with the assumption that people in leadership positions would display more leadership traits than those in subordinate positions.

What researchers found, however, was that there were relatively few traits that could be used to distinguish between leaders and followers. For example, leaders tend to be great communicators.﻿﻿ Leaders also tend to be higher in traits such as extroversion, self-confidence, and height, but these differences tended to be small.

Some have suggested that this may due to situational variables in which leadership skills only emerge when an opportunity for leadership arises (such as in war, during a political crisis, or in the absence of leadership).﻿﻿

Meanwhile, others have taken a contingency approach to leadership in which certain traits can be more effective in some situations and less so in others. Opinions vary on what those traits are and to what degree they can predict success, if at all.

Leadership in the Internet Age

More controversial yet is the contention that some people don't have the traits to become leaders.﻿﻿ Such a belief inherently overlooks social and economic inequities that limit, if not entirely erase, a person's potential to lead.

It also overlooks the changing economy and how leadership is defined when connections are today made both online and offline.

A Word From Verywell

While these traits are often linked to effective leadership, it is important to note that few leaders possess all of these traits. Generally, a strong leader will have many of these qualities.

But aspects of the situation also play an important role in determining if people are able to lead well. In many cases, it is the interaction between these traits and the situation that determines leadership quality.

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Do Great Leaders Share Certain Traits? See What the Research Says

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The trait theory of leadership focuses on identifying different personality traits and characteristics that are linked to successful leadership across a variety of situations. This line of research emerged as one of the earliest types of investigations into the nature of effective leadership and is tied to the "great man" theory of leadership first proposed by Thomas Carlyle in the mid-1800s.

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The system of education is stressed. Teachers, students, and parents are all struggling right now. With the global pandemic, we're all dealing with intense emotions and increasing levels of anxiety and depression. These feelings aren't actually all bad; emotions can be quite helpful if we know how to handle them. However, left unchecked, they can be debilitating and destructive to our lives. Cue emotional intelligence (EI). As an educational therapist, I provide direct instruction and support to high school students with learning disabilities. I've been an academic dean, English teacher, resource teacher, and reading specialist. No matter the role, be it administrator or teacher, I've learned that EI is critical to building rapport with students and fostering positive relationships among teams.¹

EI is an individual's capacity to recognize, manage, and express emotions and the ability to perceive, understand, interpret, and respond to the emotions of others. EI enables us to confront our everyday problems with patience, insight, and imagination. EQ, or emotional quotient (the amount or level of emotional intelligence a person has), helps us navigate our interpersonal relationships judiciously and practice empathy. Having a high EQ enables us to handle the challenges we might encounter. In times of crisis, having this type of intelligence allows us to think rationally and temper our emotions with patience and understanding. We think before we act, practice good decision-making, and foster positive interpersonal relationships.

This school year we ventured into uncharted territory. Whether completely remote or hybrid, the 2020-2021 school year began like no other. Everyone in the world is going through a traumatic experience. We're all grieving in some way.² EI is tied explicitly to our ability to be trauma-sensitive. If we want to provide our students with safe spaces and learning experiences, we must approach our pedagogy with intentionality about EI.

Let's explore EI in education: why it matters in our work with students and how to teach it. In schools, it's commonplace to talk about helping students develop empathy, resilience, and grit. This is the stuff of many commencement speeches and affirmation posters in our classrooms. Teachers encourage, motivate, and inspire learners. We impart knowledge through exploration of content, reading and reflection, experimentation and inquiry; we act as facilitators and guides for our students.

In school, we provide opportunities to practice the "soft skills" or "hidden curriculum"³ (implicit academic, social and cultural messages, or unwritten rules and unspoken expectations that students learn in school) to help students succeed both academically and socially. The very act of teaching is relational. Thus, teaching students these valuable competencies of self-awareness, active listening, patience (for self and others), and emotional control makes them more adept communicators but also allows for better learning, fosters authentic friendship, promotes academic success, and, in many cases, sets the stage for gainful employment and future independence.

For decades, research has directly linked people with high EI and success.⁴ There's a growing body of research that says a person's EQ is far more important than their IQ. Scientists, psychologists, and educators all over the world are all abuzz on this topic. While we continue to find ways to add rigor and honors, EI is far more elusive for schools. Still, here is the important thing to know: Unlike IQ, emotional intelligence is not static. It can be learned and strengthened, and it is never too late to do so!

The term EI was popularized in the mid-90s by psychologist and scientific journalist Daniel Goleman in his bookEmotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. For Goleman, IQ contributes to 20% of our success, while the remaining 80% is attributed to EQ, including factors such as self-motivation, resilience, impulse control, and empathy.⁵ This means that while cognitive skills like verbal comprehension, memory, reasoning, problem-solving, and processing speed are important, they can only help a person go so far. Study after study has proven that high EI is correlated with academic achievement and is a predictor of future success in relationships, health, wealth, and the quality of life.

In the business world, EI has been linked to profitability and performance. Organizations all over the world are looking at EQ data to help them recruit, hire, promote, and build capacity in their employees.⁶ Likewise, research indicates that children with high EQ not only earn better grades but also stay in school longer, practice healthy decision-making (i.e., are less likely to drink or do drugs), tend to graduate at higher levels of education, and fare better in the workplace. Teachers also report that high EQ students make better leaders and learners.⁷

Education experts also agree. AtBright Morning, Elena Aguilar writes:

1. People with higher EQ and resilience are more likely to be happier and more physically healthy-which means they don't miss as many days of work, are easier to be around, are more creative and generative, and are more likely to take risks.

2. People with higher EQ and resilience perform at higher levels.

3. Low emotional resilience correlates to higher absenteeism and teacher and leader turnover.

4. Amongst staffs where there is a preponderance of low emotional intelligence/low resilience, change efforts are less likely to be successful and sustainable.⁸

Measuring Emotional Intelligence
Teachers may find EI work challenging. Subject specialists are most comfortable in the cognitive domain. We're content experts in our discipline. Cognitive abilities can be measured using traditional methods; a summative assessment can measure IQ and cognitive performance. Measuring EQ is a far more complicated process. Emotional literacy (the ability to recognize and name the various emotions we see in ourselves and others), perspective-taking, intrinsic motivation, and how we navigate and manage emotions are more difficult to quantify and pin down, but if you know where to look, there are numerous EI tests available online. EQ assessments range from short and game-like to more formal and comprehensive testing.

TED Talks, webinars, and trainings in EI have also become popular again. Organizations, such as the nonprofitSix Seconds: the Emotional Intelligence Network, exist to raise EI awareness and advocacy. Through a longitudinal research project known as the State of the Heart, Six Seconds tracks EI levels among 200,000+ people in 160+ countries around the world. Recently, the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence launched a series of webinars called "Using Emotional Intelligence to Combat COVID-19 Anxiety." Harvard offers four free tools to assess EI.⁹ In schools, social and emotional learning (SEL) programs may be implemented as early as preschool or kindergarten.¹⁰ School counselors, psychologists, and learning support teachers at any level may suggest or administer an EQ test for a child who is struggling socially. From these assessments, valuable data may be gleaned to determine which EI skills to work on and develop. While challenges with EQ assessments remain, EQ data are worth our attention, especially in schools today.
Teaching Emotional Intelligence
We are social creatures. What students say and do in the classroom influences our perceptions of them and makes an impact. Think of a time when a student had a fiery outburst in class. Perhaps it was so bad that the student was sent to the dean. But whatever explosive thing was said or done, those who witnessed that episode may be wondering, "Why did that happen? What was going on underneath? Should I have said something? Should I reach out to this student later?" Strong feelings-especially those related to stress and anxiety-can interfere with clear thinking. Practicing and strengthening EQ can help. Teachers can provide the emotional framework necessary to help students feel more secure about themselves and the world. EI is not optional or supplemental but rather an integral facet of education.

When thinking about SEL, consider these three critical components of EI:

Self-awareness and emotional literacy

Vocabulary for feelings

Check attitudes and bias

Social awareness and interpersonal skills

Perspective-taking

Active listening

Motivation and action

Problem-solving

Good decision-making

Learning happens when there is a strong social-emotional foundation. To build this up, we start with ourselves. It's important to recognize and understand how we show up. When we have low self-awareness, our self-image may be skewed or overinflated, impacting our behavior and social interactions. CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning) highlights the following competencies as the components of self-awareness:

Be able to identify emotions.

Have an accurate self-perception.

Recognize strengths.

Possess self-confidence.

Demonstrate self-efficacy.¹¹

Research affirms that interpersonal skills are enhanced when students build their emotional literacy. When students understand the differences between being "upset," "critical," or "angry," they can develop appropriate strategies to deal with each emotion. Just as increasing our vocabulary boosts learning, improving our emotional literacy helps us develop self-awareness, enables us to keep our biases in check, and promotes a healthy attitude and a positive perspective.

The Emotion Wheel, adapted from the work of American psychologist Robert Plutchik, helps describe the over 30,000 distinct feelings a human can experience.12 In the classroom, this can be introduced by playing the alphabet game. For each letter of the alphabet, students come up with as many different feelings words as possible. Once the list is compiled, have an "emotions audit," and discuss the similarities, differences, nuances, and situations that might spark these feelings.

The next step in building emotional acumen is working outwards and responding to the feelings of others. This happens through active listening and perspective-taking. Active listening skills foster authentic two-way communication. This is far more than just paying close attention, though that's important. Active listening involves self-awareness and being responsive to others by using your body language to demonstrate that you have taken in and fully understood what the other person is saying, in addition to verbalizing or summarizing the key messages.

In classrooms, active listening can affect collaboration and impact how feedback is given or received. Students may get high-quality feedback from teachers, yet fail to act on it, make progress, or improve. Feedback can be misinterpreted as a personal judgment or an attack on who they are. Think about a class discussion or presentation that went awry. Were students actively listening? Where was the disconnect? And, more important, what can you do to help students when this happens? Active listening promotes mindful thinking, encourages conversation, and builds relationships. In the best-sellerThe 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven R. Covey writes, "Seek first to understand, then to be understood." By teaching and modeling active listening skills, a seminar can be more effective, a dialogue richer, and students more engaged.¹³

As children progress through the grades, the learning and development moves from practicing age-appropriate social skills to becoming socially aware and responsible (doing community service, providing outreach, or volunteering for those on the margins). At my school and all Sacred Heart Schools in the network, we have an educational philosophy known as theGoals & Criteria. We use this strategic framework to ground our teaching. Now, my favorite goal couldn't be more relevant: A Social Awareness That Impels to Action.

Picture the smart students who make poor choices, who are generous and kind but have difficulty making friends; the sensitive kids who can be hurtful toward others; or the students with great potential who struggle to harness their abilities and direct them in a positive manner. These students can benefit from SEL. Teaching adolescents to identify, name, and manage their emotions provides them with the foundation for problem-solving, healthy communication, and good decision-making.

With time and patience, we can all learn to tap into our inner resources and practice self-regulation. "Cultivating the Pause" is a great way to practice healthy interpersonal communication. With good active listening, we can use intentional wait time before responding. EI can help us establish healthy and positive goals and implement effective behaviors to achieve those goals. We can resolve interpersonal conflicts in a constructive way. All of this might seem like common sense, but it's imperative to prioritize SEL and to be intentional about implementation.

Ideally, EI should be taught early, reinforcing the idea that it is not fixed but can be developed and strengthened over time. And while the classroom is a good springboard, it cannot be the only place where EQ is developed. Parents can serve as the primary models of EI, shaping the cultural shift necessary to promote EI in all facets of life. Now is the time to lean on one another, share our best practices, and lift the conversation on EI for the common good.
References

Notes

1 Aguilar, E. (2016). Forty-four ways to build the emotional intelligence of a team. The art of coaching teams: Building resilient communities that transform schools. Jossey-Bass. https://brightmorningteam.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Exhibit-6.2-Forty-Four-Ways-to-Build-The-Emotional-Intelligence-of-a-Team.pdf.

2 Westfall, C. (2020). Emotional intelligence: The 3 things every leader needs to know for leading remote teams. Forbes, 8(1). https://www.forbes.com/sites/chriswestfall/2020/08/24/emotional-intelligence-eq-3-things-every-leader-needs-to-know-for-leading-remote-teams/?sh=2216f2c117e0.

3 Zafarghandi, M. S. (2018). An investigation of the relationship between hidden curriculum and students' emotional intelligence," Quarterly Journal of Family and Research, 15(1).

4 Cherniss, C. (1999). The business case for emotional intelligence (Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations). http://www.eiconsortium.org/reports/business_case_for_ei.html; Mayer, J. D. & Salovey, P. (1997). What is emotional intelligence? In P. Salovey, & D. J. Sluyter (Eds.), Emotional development and emotional intelligence: Educational implications. Basic Books. 3-31.

5 12 min Team. (1995). Emotional intelligence Summary (Summary of Goleman, D. Emotional intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ. Random House, 12min Blog. https://blog.12min.com/emotional-intelligence-summary/.

6 Moore, R. (2019). Emotional intelligence at work: Becoming the leader of the future. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/10/17/emotional-intelligence-at-work-becoming-the-leader-of-the-future/?sh=19cb9d967991.

7 Edutopia. (2001). Emotional-intelligence research: Indicators point to the importance of SEL. https://www.edutopia.org/emotional-intelligence-research.

8 Aguilar, E. (2014). Cultivating emotional resilience in educators. Bright Morning. https://brightmorningteam.com/2014/03/cultivating-emotional-resilience-in-educators/.

9 Harvard Professional Development, Harvard Division of Continuing Education. Assessing your emotional intelligence: 4 tools we love. https://blog.dce.harvard.edu/professional-development/assessing-your-emotional-intelligence-4-tools-we-love.

10 Sprenger, M. B. (2020). Social-emotional learning and the brain: Strategies to help your students thrive. ASCD Books.

11 Schonert-Reichl, K. A., Kitil, M. J., & Hanson-Peterson, J. (2017). To reach the students, teach the teachers: A national scan of teacher preparation and social & emotional learning. Report Prepared for CASEL. NoVo Foundation, University of British Columbia. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED582029.

12 Karimova, H. The emotion wheel: What it is and how to use it. Positive psychology. https://positivepsychology.com/emotion-wheel/.

13 Willis, J. (2018). The value of active listening. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/value-active-listening.

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The Importance of Cultivating Emotional Intelligence in Schools

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The system of education is stressed. Teachers, students, and parents are all struggling right now. With the global pandemic, we're all dealing with intense emotions and increasing levels of anxiety and depression. These feelings aren't actually all bad; emotions can be quite helpful if we know how to handle them.