Ekstrand’s (2012) article of the four human temperaments assisted in labelling my behavior disposition. I resonate being a choleric/phlegmatic personality type the most, as I am a hard worker and can delegate, but also have difficulty expressing weakness as I feel I need to be seen a excellence in performance.

Exploring this more and getting a little more specific by taking the Big Five personality test, I am not surprised that many of my traits fall into the middle of the distribution of scores. I have always commented on myself that I am quite balanced in my nature; whither it is in political views or living life in moderation and balancing work and play. That said, the ‘natural reactions’ category is slightly on the high side, whereas ‘open to experience’ is on the low side. While the natural reactions dictate that I’m “not easily upset in stressful situations” (https://www.123test.com/report/G8245EKYTFYJOTRXC1/) I would probably argue I do get the anxiety internally. Perhaps I provide the analogy of a duck swimming calmly on the water but the feet under water are pedaling fast. Likewise, I thought I would be a little higher on the open ness to experience, yet the traits describe I do value. What I do know of myself is that I am quite logical, which the low description of “ down to earth, practical, and conservative” (https://www.123test.com/report/G8245EKYTFYJOTRXC1, 2025) would suggest this.

What does this suggest for myself in becoming an educational leader? Self-reflection is key. When I was in the classroom, my PAT results were stellar. I thought I mastered teaching, and over time, my practices weaned and I got stale. I realized I needed to challenge myself, because, if I got bored then my students were bored. “Reflective practices help us evaluate our metacognitions by providing awareness of our thought processes and the patterns behind them” (Feller and Franklin, 2024, para 4). If I did not do that, I most likely would not be in the role I am in today; supporting and coaching secondary science teachers around my school division. It was this reflection that I use as a tool now I use with teachers, as that reflective practice deepens learning (Feller and Franklin, 2024, para 7). Then lends my current leadership approach towards a servant leadership role, whereby having high expectations and assisting teachers in developing their own skills that enhance student performance (Spring and Henderson, 2024, para 18).

While I share my lived teaching experiences with teachers in supporting their own practices, being a servant leader also means having a vision (Blanchard, 2018). For instance, in my division I noticed in divisional data science scores starting to drop in skills and a reduced number of students entering the Edmonton-area science fair. Wanting to support student success, I envisioned creating a divisional-wide science fair; where schools would come to division office in a non-judging showcase event. Working with many teachers in the division in how to approach, today, the Showcase is thriving, scores are improving, and assessment practices have changed in some schools. While being visionary, the implementation of this required meeting the needs of each school in order to accomplish the goal. Approaching this across a bigger Albertan division, required a leadership approach that “prioritize[s] collaboration and empowerment, and that foster an environment in which teachers and students can thrive” (Spring and Henderson, 2024, para 14).

These experiences reflect on the three principles Combs, Misser, and Whitaker (1999) identify what a leader has in a sense of self. The first is to have a positive self concept. While I faced animosity and trials, I need to remain to have a positive self concept. I am willing to take risks and try innovative approaches despite I score more on the conservative side of the ‘Opening to Experiences’ in the Big Five Personality Traits. Being cognizant aware of open to experiences, which is also the second principal from Combs, Misser, and Whitaker (1999), as I am aware leaders are more effective when they are open to experiences (Combs, Misser & Whitaker, 1999). The experiences, and the data to support these experiences, helps build relationships. Combs, Misser, and Whitaker (1999) state the third principal is to identify with others. Doing so, and being an effective leader, requires building trustworthy relationships with others (Combs, Misser & Whitaker, 1999). This also requires compassion (Combs, Misser & Whitaker, 1999). This component reminds me of Pope Francis’ message that we need to remind ourselves that we need to smell like our flock. We are not better than others, and need to humble ourselves as we are one of the same. To this, this is how I see myself to be an effective servant leader. The three principles outlined by Combs, Misser, and Whitaker (1999) I see are not separate entities, but as a triangulation that connects and builds off each other. To be an effective leader, we need to understand each other’s construct to achieve the shared goal.