{"id":345,"date":"2018-10-08T05:28:17","date_gmt":"2018-10-08T05:28:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/books.twu.ca\/strategic-discoveries\/?post_type=chapter&p=345"},"modified":"2019-01-18T17:37:53","modified_gmt":"2019-01-18T17:37:53","slug":"the-accidental-leader","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/books.twu.ca\/strategic-discoveries\/chapter\/the-accidental-leader\/","title":{"rendered":"The Accidental Leader"},"content":{"raw":"
\r\n

Leadership appears in\u00a0many forms in a myriad of environments with varying degrees of influence.\u00a0 Real leadership is sometimes unrecognizable compared to the traditional notion of the leader being the one with the most power or holding the highest position.\u00a0 In current workplaces, a true leader is one who builds up others to perform their tasks more efficiently and effectively without sacrificing more than a task should require.\u00a0 The longer I work in education, the more necessary it becomes to support administration to lead wisely and consistently in the whirlwind of constant change.\u00a0 The following discussion includes both a personal and professional perspective on strategic leadership applied in an educational setting and how I accidentally began this journey.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Responding to Stress<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n

Accountability to others heightens the need for responsible decisions and attention to detail.\u00a0 Conflicting or competing expectations create unavoidable opportunities for stressful conversations and situations.\u00a0 Today\u2019s work world is fraught with individual expectations, many of which do not fall in line with the workplace mission, vision or values (MVV) but require attention for a more complete investment in the work community.\u00a0 \u201cServant leaders build community to provide a place where people can feel safe and connected with others, but are still allowed to express their own individuality\u201d\u00a0(Northouse, 2013, p. 223).\u00a0 By investing in my colleagues, I find more meaningful reaction to the constantly changing parameters of my teaching career.\u00a0 Restructuring schedules, adapting teaching approaches, and collaboration reduces the isolation of being in a classroom and creates opportunity for sharing the stress each day brings.\u00a0 Being committed to the growth of people in my personal and family life\u00a0(Northouse, 2013)\u00a0also mitigates the stressors of life\u2019s uncontrollable events.\u00a0 Informed and purposeful\u00a0decision-making does not prevent all\u00a0problems, but it does reduce\u00a0panicked reactionary responses.<\/p>\r\n

\u201cWhatever you do, do it all for the glory of God\u201d (1 Corinthians 10:31) is a simple concept.\u00a0 Stress is usually a sign of competing motivations which need sorting out to focus on what is essential.\u00a0 Growing up in small town Canada where most of my Mennonite family gathered monthly or attended church together weekly reinforced the importance of living well wherever I went; serving others was as natural as breathing.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n\r\nI don\u2019t naturally seek leadership opportunities but having been in teaching long enough to offer some helpful hints to beginning teachers places me in a position where not doing so is selfish. \u00a0Paul admonishes his student, Timothy, to be aware of how he lives among those to whom he is ministering (I Timothy 4: 11-16).\u00a0 My alignment with scriptural principles is the foundation for leadership decisions, especially when I feel inadequate or incapable.\u00a0 I discovered that if I want to see strong leadership in my school, it depends on me to support, encourage, and model effective leadership strategies.\u00a0 I must\u00a0be positive; I must be proactive; I must be present today and prepared for the future.\r\n

Developing My Personal Mission, Vision, and Values<\/h3>\r\nMy educational leadership journey is one of accidental decisions.\u00a0 I only wanted to take a few courses to renew my joy of teaching and regain some of the purpose I experienced when I began teaching a few decades ago.\u00a0 The many rapid-fire changes occurring in the educational world created disillusionment and panic for many experienced teachers and administrators. I realized\u00a0I needed to be flexible enough to embrace\u00a0change or I would break under the ever-increasing demands of the job and my newly-acquired family life.\r\n\r\nChoosing to take a few courses seemed an appropriate measure for an educator, and I wanted a more spiritual focus.\u00a0 What a delight and relief it was to discover a leadership approach which embodied the scriptural principles I was practicing in my public education career all these years!\u00a0 Transformational servant leadership (TSL) resonates with my daily faith-filled practice.\u00a0 Developing\u00a0personal mission, vision, and value statements (MVV) is the\u00a0logical result of my re-education on leadership and part of the ongoing learning process.\u00a0 \u201cStrategy involves change, and achieving long-term performance potential in an ever-changing environment requires continuous change\u201d (Hughes, Beatty, & Dinwoodie, 2014, p. 21).\r\n

Mission<\/h4>\r\nA\u00a0mission statement provides the guiding principle for decisions, conversations, and actions stemming from the personal into the professional.\u00a0 My walk and my talk should match and support my practice wherever I go (James 3:13); people should be able to count on my consistency and rely on my leadership.\u00a0 Developing a mission\u00a0statement focuses my vision and values to remain faithful and steady for the duration of my career and reminds me that I am in the business of educating people to live successfully beyond the walls of the elementary school:\r\n\r\nMy mission\u00a0is\u00a0to prepare\u00a0people to live fully and confidently in\u00a0the knowledge they are uniquely created for a purpose larger than themselves and to equip them for their express calling (Proverbs 22:6).\r\n

Vision<\/h4>\r\nDelineating a vision presents specific features to assist the activation of my mission.\u00a0 In Navigating Strategic Possibilities<\/em>, the authors quote Tom Boardman who states, \u201cYou need a clear and compelling vision to take people along with you towards new goals and objectives.\u00a0 It requires passionate, committed and ethical people to move together towards a clearer vision\u201d (Ungerer, Ungerer, & Herholdt, 2016, p. 65).\u00a0 My enduring priorities include the following:\r\n\r\n\u2022 My spiritual health is the foundation for living out my mission.\r\n\r\n\u2022 To encourage, support, and assist all generations of my family.\r\n\r\n\u2022 Continue to plan well for transformational lessons which demonstrate godly principles,\r\n\r\neven if they cannot be explicit.\r\n\r\n\u2022 Mentor\u00a0other teachers, educational assistants, administrators and parents to develop\r\n\r\na repertoire of strategies for sound educational practice.\r\n

Values<\/h4>\r\nSince values represent the foundational premises for the mission and vision, it is necessary for me to base all my practices on biblical principles.\u00a0 Working in the public education system requires diligence to ensure consistency between my teaching, my conversations, and my choices\u00a0(Ungerer et al., 2016, p. 67).\u00a0 The power inherent in a teaching position necessitates\u00a0wise\u00a0application; it\u2019s impact is far-reaching and often life-long.\u00a0 TSL\u00a0is the leadership model for all positions and levels of education to ensure consistent use of purposeful, intentional teaching practices.\u00a0 \u201cTransformational leadership is not merely directive. It is concerned with the performance and development of followers to their maximum potential\u201d (Imbenzi, Page, & Willaume, 2018, para. 14).\r\n

Key Strategic Drivers<\/h3>\r\nTrying to make my workplace or family life follow my MVV\u00a0will not be practical since I cannot do all the work nor can I control all the factors which inevitably come up through daily living.\u00a0 Setting priorities to maximize my skill set, energy\u00a0and influence through\u00a0appropriate settings and opportunities is more effectual.\r\n\r\n\u2022 I can assist in developing behaviour strategies for children.\r\n\r\n\u2022 I can clarify curricular requirements in BC\u2019s new curriculum.\r\n\r\n\u2022 I can complete tasks of organization and streamline meeting practices for our staff to\r\n\r\nbenefit from\u00a0their collaboration time.\r\n\r\n\u2022 I can communicate positive observations for all our staff, including EAs and parent\r\n\r\nvolunteers.\r\n

Trading the Old Economy for the New<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nStrategic leadership is not about knowing all the answers and making all the decisions as in old economy thinking.\u00a0 New economy thinking involves focus on relationships and building others up to further their own practice (Ungerer et al., 2016, p. 16). The promotion of virtuous leadership inherently develops longevity with a strong moral base (Ungerer et al., 2016, p. 41-51).\u00a0 \u201cVirtuous leadership is the future and excellent businesses will embrace it\u2026because it is part of their moral fibre\u201d (Ungerer et al., 2016, p. 57).\r\n\r\nMy weakest leadership area is that of visioning.\u00a0 I can identify ineffective functions within our school practice but am usually unable to find workable solutions that fit the restraints of the current educational trends.\u00a0 Negative responses stifle my creativity and innovative thinking due to my old economy thinking there is one right way to solve problems.\u00a0 I need to embrace the polarity of both-and thinking to see more options (Hughes et al., 2014, p. 44).\r\n

Conclusion<\/h3>\r\nKnowing my limitations is as important as knowing my strengths.\u00a0 While I am\u00a0not currently seeking a formal position of leadership, I am very aware of the influence I have within a school or family environment.\u00a0 I am much better at serving and facilitating than I am at leading.\u00a0\u00a0Transformational servant leadership (TSL) strategies provide leaders with a framework to make sound decisions, strengthen and guide all staff (Bass & Riggio, 2006, p. 171), and develop school systems which\u00a0educate\u00a0students for powerful life decision-making capabilities.\u00a0 Transcending the restrictions of traditional thinking to\u00a0see new potential in current situations for meeting the mission, vision, and values empowers\u00a0all workplace members.\u00a0Enabling others creates a legacy for ongoing flexibility and adaptability in the\u00a0continually changing, fast-paced world; it strengthens leaders through distribution of leadership responsibilities while accessing divergent thinking for immediate decisions.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

References<\/h4>\r\n

Bass, B. M., & Riggio, R. E. (2006). Transformational leadership<\/em> (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Psychology Press.<\/p>\r\n

Hughes, R. L., Beatty, K. C., & Dinwoodie, D. L. (2014). Becoming a strategic leader: Your role in your organization's enduring success<\/em> (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Imbenzi, G., Page, D., & Willaume, D. (2018). Transformational servant leadership. Leadership Monograph<\/em>. Retrieved from https:\/\/books.twu.ca\/monograph\/chapter\/transformational-servant-leadership\/<\/a><\/p>\r\n

Northouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and practice<\/em> (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.<\/p>\r\n

Ungerer, M., Ungerer, G., & Herholdt, J. (2016). Navigating strategic possibilities: Strategy formulation and execution practices to flourish<\/em>. Randburg: KR Publishing.<\/span><\/span><\/p>","rendered":"

\n

Leadership appears in\u00a0many forms in a myriad of environments with varying degrees of influence.\u00a0 Real leadership is sometimes unrecognizable compared to the traditional notion of the leader being the one with the most power or holding the highest position.\u00a0 In current workplaces, a true leader is one who builds up others to perform their tasks more efficiently and effectively without sacrificing more than a task should require.\u00a0 The longer I work in education, the more necessary it becomes to support administration to lead wisely and consistently in the whirlwind of constant change.\u00a0 The following discussion includes both a personal and professional perspective on strategic leadership applied in an educational setting and how I accidentally began this journey.<\/p>\n

Responding to Stress<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Accountability to others heightens the need for responsible decisions and attention to detail.\u00a0 Conflicting or competing expectations create unavoidable opportunities for stressful conversations and situations.\u00a0 Today\u2019s work world is fraught with individual expectations, many of which do not fall in line with the workplace mission, vision or values (MVV) but require attention for a more complete investment in the work community.\u00a0 \u201cServant leaders build community to provide a place where people can feel safe and connected with others, but are still allowed to express their own individuality\u201d\u00a0(Northouse, 2013, p. 223).\u00a0 By investing in my colleagues, I find more meaningful reaction to the constantly changing parameters of my teaching career.\u00a0 Restructuring schedules, adapting teaching approaches, and collaboration reduces the isolation of being in a classroom and creates opportunity for sharing the stress each day brings.\u00a0 Being committed to the growth of people in my personal and family life\u00a0(Northouse, 2013)\u00a0also mitigates the stressors of life\u2019s uncontrollable events.\u00a0 Informed and purposeful\u00a0decision-making does not prevent all\u00a0problems, but it does reduce\u00a0panicked reactionary responses.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever you do, do it all for the glory of God\u201d (1 Corinthians 10:31) is a simple concept.\u00a0 Stress is usually a sign of competing motivations which need sorting out to focus on what is essential.\u00a0 Growing up in small town Canada where most of my Mennonite family gathered monthly or attended church together weekly reinforced the importance of living well wherever I went; serving others was as natural as breathing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I don\u2019t naturally seek leadership opportunities but having been in teaching long enough to offer some helpful hints to beginning teachers places me in a position where not doing so is selfish. \u00a0Paul admonishes his student, Timothy, to be aware of how he lives among those to whom he is ministering (I Timothy 4: 11-16).\u00a0 My alignment with scriptural principles is the foundation for leadership decisions, especially when I feel inadequate or incapable.\u00a0 I discovered that if I want to see strong leadership in my school, it depends on me to support, encourage, and model effective leadership strategies.\u00a0 I must\u00a0be positive; I must be proactive; I must be present today and prepared for the future.<\/p>\n

Developing My Personal Mission, Vision, and Values<\/h3>\n

My educational leadership journey is one of accidental decisions.\u00a0 I only wanted to take a few courses to renew my joy of teaching and regain some of the purpose I experienced when I began teaching a few decades ago.\u00a0 The many rapid-fire changes occurring in the educational world created disillusionment and panic for many experienced teachers and administrators. I realized\u00a0I needed to be flexible enough to embrace\u00a0change or I would break under the ever-increasing demands of the job and my newly-acquired family life.<\/p>\n

Choosing to take a few courses seemed an appropriate measure for an educator, and I wanted a more spiritual focus.\u00a0 What a delight and relief it was to discover a leadership approach which embodied the scriptural principles I was practicing in my public education career all these years!\u00a0 Transformational servant leadership (TSL) resonates with my daily faith-filled practice.\u00a0 Developing\u00a0personal mission, vision, and value statements (MVV) is the\u00a0logical result of my re-education on leadership and part of the ongoing learning process.\u00a0 \u201cStrategy involves change, and achieving long-term performance potential in an ever-changing environment requires continuous change\u201d (Hughes, Beatty, & Dinwoodie, 2014, p. 21).<\/p>\n

Mission<\/h4>\n

A\u00a0mission statement provides the guiding principle for decisions, conversations, and actions stemming from the personal into the professional.\u00a0 My walk and my talk should match and support my practice wherever I go (James 3:13); people should be able to count on my consistency and rely on my leadership.\u00a0 Developing a mission\u00a0statement focuses my vision and values to remain faithful and steady for the duration of my career and reminds me that I am in the business of educating people to live successfully beyond the walls of the elementary school:<\/p>\n

My mission\u00a0is\u00a0to prepare\u00a0people to live fully and confidently in\u00a0the knowledge they are uniquely created for a purpose larger than themselves and to equip them for their express calling (Proverbs 22:6).<\/p>\n

Vision<\/h4>\n

Delineating a vision presents specific features to assist the activation of my mission.\u00a0 In Navigating Strategic Possibilities<\/em>, the authors quote Tom Boardman who states, \u201cYou need a clear and compelling vision to take people along with you towards new goals and objectives.\u00a0 It requires passionate, committed and ethical people to move together towards a clearer vision\u201d (Ungerer, Ungerer, & Herholdt, 2016, p. 65).\u00a0 My enduring priorities include the following:<\/p>\n

\u2022 My spiritual health is the foundation for living out my mission.<\/p>\n

\u2022 To encourage, support, and assist all generations of my family.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Continue to plan well for transformational lessons which demonstrate godly principles,<\/p>\n

even if they cannot be explicit.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Mentor\u00a0other teachers, educational assistants, administrators and parents to develop<\/p>\n

a repertoire of strategies for sound educational practice.<\/p>\n

Values<\/h4>\n

Since values represent the foundational premises for the mission and vision, it is necessary for me to base all my practices on biblical principles.\u00a0 Working in the public education system requires diligence to ensure consistency between my teaching, my conversations, and my choices\u00a0(Ungerer et al., 2016, p. 67).\u00a0 The power inherent in a teaching position necessitates\u00a0wise\u00a0application; it\u2019s impact is far-reaching and often life-long.\u00a0 TSL\u00a0is the leadership model for all positions and levels of education to ensure consistent use of purposeful, intentional teaching practices.\u00a0 \u201cTransformational leadership is not merely directive. It is concerned with the performance and development of followers to their maximum potential\u201d (Imbenzi, Page, & Willaume, 2018, para. 14).<\/p>\n

Key Strategic Drivers<\/h3>\n

Trying to make my workplace or family life follow my MVV\u00a0will not be practical since I cannot do all the work nor can I control all the factors which inevitably come up through daily living.\u00a0 Setting priorities to maximize my skill set, energy\u00a0and influence through\u00a0appropriate settings and opportunities is more effectual.<\/p>\n

\u2022 I can assist in developing behaviour strategies for children.<\/p>\n

\u2022 I can clarify curricular requirements in BC\u2019s new curriculum.<\/p>\n

\u2022 I can complete tasks of organization and streamline meeting practices for our staff to<\/p>\n

benefit from\u00a0their collaboration time.<\/p>\n

\u2022 I can communicate positive observations for all our staff, including EAs and parent<\/p>\n

volunteers.<\/p>\n

Trading the Old Economy for the New<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Strategic leadership is not about knowing all the answers and making all the decisions as in old economy thinking.\u00a0 New economy thinking involves focus on relationships and building others up to further their own practice (Ungerer et al., 2016, p. 16). The promotion of virtuous leadership inherently develops longevity with a strong moral base (Ungerer et al., 2016, p. 41-51).\u00a0 \u201cVirtuous leadership is the future and excellent businesses will embrace it\u2026because it is part of their moral fibre\u201d (Ungerer et al., 2016, p. 57).<\/p>\n

My weakest leadership area is that of visioning.\u00a0 I can identify ineffective functions within our school practice but am usually unable to find workable solutions that fit the restraints of the current educational trends.\u00a0 Negative responses stifle my creativity and innovative thinking due to my old economy thinking there is one right way to solve problems.\u00a0 I need to embrace the polarity of both-and thinking to see more options (Hughes et al., 2014, p. 44).<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h3>\n

Knowing my limitations is as important as knowing my strengths.\u00a0 While I am\u00a0not currently seeking a formal position of leadership, I am very aware of the influence I have within a school or family environment.\u00a0 I am much better at serving and facilitating than I am at leading.\u00a0\u00a0Transformational servant leadership (TSL) strategies provide leaders with a framework to make sound decisions, strengthen and guide all staff (Bass & Riggio, 2006, p. 171), and develop school systems which\u00a0educate\u00a0students for powerful life decision-making capabilities.\u00a0 Transcending the restrictions of traditional thinking to\u00a0see new potential in current situations for meeting the mission, vision, and values empowers\u00a0all workplace members.\u00a0Enabling others creates a legacy for ongoing flexibility and adaptability in the\u00a0continually changing, fast-paced world; it strengthens leaders through distribution of leadership responsibilities while accessing divergent thinking for immediate decisions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

References<\/h4>\n

Bass, B. M., & Riggio, R. E. (2006). Transformational leadership<\/em> (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Psychology Press.<\/p>\n

Hughes, R. L., Beatty, K. C., & Dinwoodie, D. L. (2014). Becoming a strategic leader: Your role in your organization’s enduring success<\/em> (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.<\/span><\/p>\n

Imbenzi, G., Page, D., & Willaume, D. (2018). Transformational servant leadership. Leadership Monograph<\/em>. Retrieved from https:\/\/books.twu.ca\/monograph\/chapter\/transformational-servant-leadership\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Northouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and practice<\/em> (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.<\/p>\n

Ungerer, M., Ungerer, G., & Herholdt, J. (2016). Navigating strategic possibilities: Strategy formulation and execution practices to flourish<\/em>. Randburg: KR Publishing.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"menu_order":2,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"The Accidental Leader","pb_subtitle":"Personal Strategic Development Assessment","pb_authors":["sally-hinksman"],"pb_section_license":"cc-by-nc-nd"},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[64],"license":[56],"part":44,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/books.twu.ca\/strategic-discoveries\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/345"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/books.twu.ca\/strategic-discoveries\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/books.twu.ca\/strategic-discoveries\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/books.twu.ca\/strategic-discoveries\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/books.twu.ca\/strategic-discoveries\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/345\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2415,"href":"https:\/\/books.twu.ca\/strategic-discoveries\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/345\/revisions\/2415"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/books.twu.ca\/strategic-discoveries\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/44"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/books.twu.ca\/strategic-discoveries\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/345\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/books.twu.ca\/strategic-discoveries\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=345"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/books.twu.ca\/strategic-discoveries\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=345"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/books.twu.ca\/strategic-discoveries\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=345"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/books.twu.ca\/strategic-discoveries\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=345"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}