Too often, people assume that because someone has shown promise or experienced success in a particular area, he or she has the ability to guide others to that same level of greatness. This is simply an inaccurate assumption. Andrew Munro (2005) warns:
Wrapping up attributes, behaviours, tasks and outcomes into a package of competency dimensions might seem an economical way of summarising leadership and management requirements, but by bundling cause and consequence there is a risk of confusing who is currently effective (displaying the achievement of outcomes) from who might be effective in the future (evidence of those attributes predictive of outcomes). (p. 65)
Schools cannot ensure effective school leadership by simply promoting a good teacher to the role of principal or promoting a good principal to the role of superintendent. The skills required to lead other people differ from those personal and professional skills required to perform other tasks. In 2002, the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) reported that by 2012, 40 percent of the United States’ principals would retire, and qualified candidates would not replace most of them. We are now years beyond that stark warning. The NASSP (2002) report also notes that few school districts have structured recruitment programs that systematically seek out the best principal candidates, or implement training programs that grow future leaders.
Unfortunately, the crisis predicted in 2002 was even worse than anticipated. In a stunning report titled Churn: The High Cost of Principal Turnover, the School Leaders Network (2014) confirms that 25 percent of principals leave their post each year and 50 percent leave after three years. That same report also highlights the impact that principal turnover and effectiveness have on students. It concludes that a 10 percent drop in principal turnover in high-poverty communities, coupled with district investment in principal effectiveness, would translate to an increase of $30,024.07 in lifetime earnings for students enrolled in those schools (School Leaders Network, 2014). Therefore, it is imperative that school systems recruit and retain leaders who understand how to lead and sustain school improvement. This requires that school and district leaders possess a set of diverse skills that can impact both the technical and cultural dimensions of organizational change.
Technical change involves the manipulation of policies, structures, and practices. Organizations really need this form of change, but when used exclusively, it ignores very important aspects of organizational reform (Muhammad, 2009). Cultural change refers to addressing the beliefs, values, motivations, habits, and behaviors of the people who work within the organization. People often overlook this form of change because it is challenging and complex (Muhammad, 2009). In this book, we will establish that changing the culture of an organization is essential to improving outcomes, and it provides the context to make technical innovation effective. Technically savvy but culturally ineffective leaders will find little success in transforming schools.
Human beings are complex, so leaders need a skill set as diverse as human beings themselves in order to cultivate better practice. To begin our discussion of the skills that effective change leaders require, we first look at the transformational leadership model and what it means to become a transformational leader.
Transformational Leadership
James MacGregor Burns (1978) originally introduced the transformational leadership model in a book titled Leadership. Burns (1978) describes transformational leadership as a process where “leaders and followers raise one another to higher levels of motivation and morality” (p. 20). The clarity and specifics of this model have advanced since he first introduced it in 1978. His original model provided a paradigm for transformational influence but very few specifics. Bernard M. Bass (1985) significantly contributed to the study of this model when he introduced eight characteristics of transformational leadership.
1. Model integrity and fairness.
2. Set clear goals.
3. Have high expectations.
4. Encourage others.
5. Provide support and recognition.
6. Stir people’s emotions.
7. Encourage people to look beyond their self-interest.
8. Inspire people to reach for the improbable.
A scholarly paper that Langston University (2016) published, titled Transformational Leadership, includes the most compelling and vivid description of this form of leadership that we have found:
Transformational leadership is defined as a leadership approach that causes change in individuals and social systems. In its ideal form, it creates valuable and positive change in the followers with the end goal of developing followers into leaders. Enacted in its authentic form, transformational leadership enhances the motivation, morale and performance of followers through a variety of mechanisms. (p. 1)
We believe that schools will have the best chance to significantly impact student outcomes if they develop transformational leaders—leaders who understand that their behavior significantly contributes to their schools, districts, families, communities, and world. Leadership is serious business; an ineffective leader can make a lasting negative impression while an effective leader can positively impact lives for generations. We believe that every school and every district deserves transformational leaders.
The evolving definition of a transformational leader has led us to a question: What skills must a leader possess to positively influence those who are subject to his or her leadership? The previous works have heavily described the outcomes but lightly described the specific skills needed to achieve them. Because effective change leaders are not born, but rather evolve from experience and training, we seek to provide a concrete and duplicable guide for becoming a transformational leader. We don’t need superheroes to get this right. We need to focus on four essential skills that transformational leaders need—skills that focus on the why, the who, and the how of change—so that leaders and those they lead can ultimately do the change, making it a reality.
1. Leaders must effectively communicate the rationale—the why of the work: People tend to resist change to practice and lack motivation to improve when leaders have not skillfully communicated the rationale or case for improvement. To embrace a vision, people have to clearly understand the vision and feel personally compelled to contribute to the vision.
2. Leaders must effectively establish trust—the who of the work: A transformational leader needs the very essential ability to connect with others’ emotions. Facts and objective evidence alone do not inspire people; people need to connect with their leader on a personal level and know that their leader has not just an intellectual connection but also an ethical connection to their purpose.
3. Leaders must effectively build capacity—the how of the work: People will more willingly take a risk and try a new idea if leaders have prepared them professionally. Leaders must invest in training, resources, and time if they want educators to enthusiastically embrace new ideas and practices.
4. Leaders must get results—the do of the work: Ultimately, improvement cannot be optional. A transformational leader must skillfully assess and meet the needs of those he or she leads, but eventually, he or she has to demand full participation in the change and improvement process.
In addition, we want to clarify that transformational school leadership is not only synonymous with administration. Teachers, counselors, and classified staff (secretaries, custodians, and paraprofessionals) may actively help promote change initiatives that benefit a school’s core purpose. Throughout this book, we provide a variety of experiences in the form of scenarios that leaders—not just administrators—might find themselves in, along with skills and strategies to utilize during the change process.