Running Head: PERSONAL LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY 1
Personal Leadership Philosophy: Either Lead or Don't, there is no try
Crystal Akwaowo
Student ID: L31514495
EDUC 741
Dr. M. Orlando
EITHER LEAD OR DON’T, THERE IS NO TRY 2
Abstract
My goal as an educational leader is to improve the quality of education within my community, to
advance the practice and pedagogy of the educators and staff I work with, and to make valid and
long-lasting ties with my community. As an effective leader, I set my standards for myself and
those around me high. To keep growing as a learner, I must continue learning, collaborating, and
cross-training. I know knowledge is power, and the more that I know, the more I can effectively
share. By sharing what we as a staff know, we can continue learning and growing as a
community.
EITHER LEAD OR DON’T, THERE IS NO TRY 3
In a post-COVID-19 world, educators have jumped to the forefront of the technological
world. We, as educators, have always been a learned group of professionals, but now more so
than ever before. Kouzes & Posner (2017) state that model the way is one of the five exemplary
practices of education. While modeling the way has always been an essential teaching method, it
has become even more so currently. With the new forms of learning, teachers have become the
cornerstone in many communities. Parents, students, and community leaders have looked
directly to educators during this period, and teachers have stepped up to the plate to assist.
Those Educational leaders who have been the most successful during this time set the example,
those who continued to educate themselves to facilitate the education of their staff, and those
who never lost track of who we are doing this for students. My goal as an educational leader is
to improve the quality of education within my community, to advance the practice and pedagogy
of the educators and staff I work with, and to make valid and long-lasting ties with my
community.
Philosophy of Educational Leadership
As an educational leader, it is of the utmost importance to start with the destination in
mind. Kouzes & Posner (2017) state that "leaders must have a destination in mind when asking
others to join them on a journey unto the unknown" (p. 37). I want to encourage my peers and
fellow educators through my actions, and to do this; I must know where I want to end up at the
end of the road. Educators must understand that there is a plan and know what the end game is.
To encourage my fellow educators, I must be able to show them the way forward through those
around me is through my action, deeds, and my words. I must remember that encouraging my
peers and fellow educators by being honest and encouraging. While they sound easy to do, they
EITHER LEAD OR DON’T, THERE IS NO TRY 4
are, in turn, rather tricky. Being honest is often difficult for both parties involved, and sometimes
being honest means having difficult conversations.
As educators, we do our best to motivate and encourage our students but often forget that
we too are students, and a kind word and genuine encouragement will often go far. Kouzes and
Posner (2017) elaborate further by stating, "…encouraging the heart might very well be the
hardest job of any leader because it requires the most honestly and sincerity…" (pg. 19-20).
Teaching is perhaps one of the most challenging professions possible. More than 44% of new
teachers will leave the profession within the first five years (Brown, 2020). Many teachers state
a lack of support from their administration (lack of support and lack of discipline) as one reason
they leave teaching (Brown, 2020). Teaching is perhaps one of the most rewarding careers, but
it is also one of the most demanding.
As an educational leader, I believe that my school is an extension of the community.
The community's needs must be taken into account when an educational leader looks at the plan
for the school. "A sense of community and pride will promote growth among all members of
your stakeholders..." (Meador, 2017). By tying the community and its needs into the school
culture, allows the school to use outsides resources to help your vision and school to be
successful. By default, once the community is tied into the school, the community's environment
will then be reflected in the school too.
Leadership Practice
As an effective school leader, there is a multitude of things that must be done. The most
important in my book is to show up. Be present. Be present at activities, in meetings, be visible
in day-to-day events. To be present that means as a leader, I must be prepared. The leader must
dedicate themselves to the daily work, constant self-evaluation and improvement, and the
EITHER LEAD OR DON’T, THERE IS NO TRY 5
support of other leaders (Kouzes & Posner, 2017). That means being organized in both time
management and a list of daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly objectives. In addition to
being organized, an effective leader also puts value on people over paperwork. An effective
leader knows that to make the best use of the time they have, they have to make the best use of
the people they have on their staff by delegating and no micro-managing (Wabisabi, 2020). As
an effective leader, I need to be able to trust and depend on my fellow educators and staff to
achieve the mission we as a school have.
I believe that by being visible in the community and the school, many issues and
problems will be brought to my attention. Attending community and school events will allow
me to be visible to my stakeholders. This will enable parents, teachers, community members, and
students to approach me during these events. This high viability also allows me to get to know
my fellow educators, students, parents, and community members on a different level. It makes
me, as an effective leader, more approachable. "A successful school realizes that true leadership
is the business of everyone under its roof" (Wabisabi, 2020).
Relationship
To be an effective educational leader, I believe that relationships are of the utmost
importance; but are often one of the most frequently looked over pieces. In an environment
where we all sink, or we all swim, each member of the team is vitally important. Teachers and
staff must feel apricated and valued. When many school districts report teacher and staff
shortages, where teacher education preparation programs are declining (Camera, 2019), it is vital
that the entire team feel apricated and be given a chance to continue learning and growing. To
show value to teachers and staff, influential leaders can offer support in a multitude of ways
ranging from valid professional development, peer-to-peer assistance, and mentoring programs
EITHER LEAD OR DON’T, THERE IS NO TRY 6
(Obrien, 2014) go a long way to showing staff that they are valued, their experience and their
education are also a priority to both you as the leader and the school as a whole. They also
facilitate relationships between teachers and staff that may not have naturally occurred.
To facilitate this type of relationship as an educational leader, I will need to work
inclusively with my fellow educators and staff. Since the goal for all educators is to become
better educators to increase student learning and achievement as an effective leader. I need to
facilitate those goals. By consistently offering learning opportunities that are both engaging and
meaningful, influential leaders can continually add to both their teaching toolbox and to their
fellow teachers and staff. Teachers and staff need to feel valued
Educational leaders know that to build effective relationships, the relationship must be
built on "…common respect and sureness…" (Kouzes and Posner, 2017). For a school to be
successful, relationships must be an inclusive effort. Teachers and staff need influential leaders
and vice versa. Perhaps one of the most important goals of an effective leader focuses on
working with all stakeholders and other leadership. To facilitate this, as an effective educational
leader, all teachers should be used as highly useful resources. Most teachers lead their
classrooms through their words, actions and behavior. An effective educational leader will use
these skills and talents to build their school community.
Diversity
Diversity might be one of the most important factors when dealing with leadership. We
naturally want to be with people like us, but we tend to learn the most from those who are the
least like us. "…researchers have documented that students' exposure to other students who are
different from themselves and the novel ideas and challenges that such exposure brings leads to
improved cognitive skills, including critical thinking and problem-solving." (Wells, Fox, and
EITHER LEAD OR DON’T, THERE IS NO TRY 7
Cordova-Cobo, 2016). Moreover, this diversification in schools has led to adults who are
comfortable working with colleagues, customers, and clients from diverse cultural backgrounds.
The more diverse we can make our schools, the more we can "address implicit biases related to
racial, ethnic, and cultural differences" (Wells, Fox, and Cordova-Cobo, 2016). This
diversification must also cross over to our places of education. By having a diverse workforce,
schools can encourage greater creativity and innovation, increased productivity, and reduced
employee turnover are just a few positive benefits (PrincePerelson, 2020). As an educational
leader, our diverse student population must be taught by those who look and sound like
themselves. Diversity is perhaps one of the greatest tools we educational leaders can give our
staff, students, and community.
My story
When you ask an adult what they wanted to be when they grew up, they usually list the
things they wanted to be a doctor, lawyer, cowboy, police officer, fireman, etc. My story is a bit
different. I always knew I wanted to be a teacher, and I wanted to be a doctor. I knew what I
wanted to be, and by my junior year of high school, I had already taken my SAT and scored high
enough to gain admittance to my school of choice. I worked hard and perceived through college.
I decided that a Bachelor's degree was not enough. So shortly after getting married and having
my first son, I decided to go back to school for my Master's in Special Education and then my
Education Doctorate in Special Education. Along the journey, I met many people, visited many
places, and overall realized that the best thing I could give my children, as well as those in my
classroom, was the best version of myself, which means being a lifelong learner. I love to learn;
I love to share what I learn with all around me. I find that once someone's passion for learning is
started, rarely is it quenched.
EITHER LEAD OR DON’T, THERE IS NO TRY 8
For many of my students, no one ever lit that fire, no one ever planted that seed, so for many of
them, learning and school are boring and mundane. As I have gotten older, I have seen what
many of the students I teach go through at school. I have only ever worked at Title One school
in high-poverty areas. The lack of access to basic things has always astounded me, especially for
those labeled Special Education. I tell my students all the time, just because you are Sped does
not give you a freebie card, you still have to work, you still have to do everything your
classmates do, and often you have to work harder to get it done- but that does not mean you are
any less gifted or special then anyone else is. I have been told by most of my administration that
I am too hard on my kids, I expect too much from them, they cannot achieve the goals I have set
for them. Until my students reach those goals, until they are on the honor roll and getting good
grades, then I am told what a great job I do and how lucky my students are to have me. I think
that if more students had someone who cared, who was there present daily. Student success rates
(especially in Special Education) would be significantly higher. My job as a Special Education
teacher is to work myself out of a job- once my kids are ready to go into an inclusion/general
education classroom, I have achieved a level of success. Once they no longer need me (a self-
contained Sped teacher), once they can function without me, then I have achieved success.
Conclusion
As an educational leader, learning is never done. To be the best education leader
possible, improving the quality of education within my community, advancing the practice and
pedagogy of the educators and staff I work with, and to make valid and long-lasting ties with my
community is my end goal. Using my philosophy of educational leadership, leadership practice,
relationships, diversity, and my leadership story are just a few ways to explain and give
examples of how I will work towards becoming an effective educational leader. While education
EITHER LEAD OR DON’T, THERE IS NO TRY 9
is not an easy career field, it is by far one of the most rewarding for those who choose to make it
their life passion. By being a lifelong learner, I know that I will continue to hone my kraft as
long as I teach. I never wanted to be an administrator, but I found that while I cannot change the
whole system, I can impact and change the system where I am.
EITHER LEAD OR DON’T, THERE IS NO TRY 10
References
Brown, G. (2020, March 4,). Why New Teachers are Burning Out
Early.Rewire.OrgKhttps://www.rewire.org/new-teachers-burning-out-early/
Camera, L. (2019, December 3,). Sharp Nationwide Enrollment Drop in Teacher Prep Programs
Cause for Alarm.US NewsKhttps://www.usnews.com/news/education-news/articles/2019-
12-03/sharp-nationwide-enrollment-drop-in-teacher-prep-programs-cause-for-alarm
Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2017).KThe leadership challenge: How to make extraordinary
things happen in organizations.K(6th ed.). John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Meador, D. (2017, December 07,). An Educational Leadership Philosophy for School
Leaders.Khttps://www.thoughtco.com/educational-leadership-philosophy-for-school-leaders-
3194580
Obrien, A. (2014).KWhen Teachers and Administrators Collaborate.
Edutopia.Khttps://www.edutopia.org/blog/when-teachers-and-administrators-collaborate-
anne-obrien
PrincePerelson. (2020). The Importance of Diversity in the Workplace.
https://tcf.org/content/report/how-racially-diverse-schools-and-classrooms-can-benefit-all-
students/
Wabisabi Learning. The 10 School Leadership Best Practices That Make a Difference: What to
model for staff, students and everyone wanting to learn how to lead.Wabisabi
Learning.Khttps://wabisabilearning.com/blogs/leadership/10-school-leadership-best-practices
EITHER LEAD OR DON’T, THERE IS NO TRY 11
Wells, A., Fox, L., & Cordova-Cobo, D. How Racially Diverse Schools and Classrooms Can
Benefit All Students.K(February 9, 2016).Khttps://tcf.org/content/report/how-racially-diverse-
schools-and-classrooms-can-benefit-all-students/
