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Leadership Platform
Ebonee Ervin-Gardner
California State University San Marcos
LEADERSHIP PLATFORM 2
Introduction
opportunity to reflect on what makes an effective leader. In The Leadership Challenge (2012),
Kouzes & Posner explain that “leaders mobilize others to want to make extraordinary things
happen in organizations. It’s about the practice leaders use to transform values into actions,
visions to realities, obstacles into innovations, separateness into solidarity and risks into rewards.
It’s about leadership that creates the climate in which people turn challenging opportunities into
remarkable success.” This quote embodies my core beliefs about educational leadership.
leadership experience, I have learned that effective leaders have work to create a shared vision,
Vision
Effective leaders have a vision for the future and seek to create a shared vision with their
James M. Kouzes & Barry Z. Posner note that “leaders look forward to the future. They hold in
their minds ideas and visions of what can be. They have a sense of what is uniquely possible if
everyone works together for a common purpose” (p. 100). Over the years, my personal vision
has been rooted in my passion to provide equity for all students. Disparities in access have
plagued our education system since its beginning in the 17th century. In an effort to rid the
system of these disparities, it is essential that educational leaders be proactive in closing gaps by
implementing policies and practices that help to create a level playing field for all students
LEADERSHIP PLATFORM 3
despite their race, religion, socioeconomic status, or sexual orientation. For this reason, I am
committed to developing a shared vision in which equity for all students is the foundation.
In an effort to inspire a shared vision rooted in equity, I serve as an advocate for the
underserved as a member of the School Site Council (SSC). Through my work with the SSC, I
have had the opportunity to collaborate with the council to allocate funds to various intervention
programs, supports, and services to help level the playing field for the typically underserved. As
Capacity
As a leader, I realize that I am only as effective as the team around me. For this reason, I
will work diligently to build capacity in others. As an educational leader, I will be charged with
making system wide improvements and this cannot be done without the efforts of the entire
team. By building capacity in others, this becomes a more manageable task. I can build capacity
in others through shared leadership. In Linking Leadership to Student Learning (2012), Kenneth
Leithwood states “research has found that increasing teacher influence may improve schools
During my time in the CSUSM Education Administration program, I have had many
opportunities to see leaders build capacity in their staff. In my time shadowing, I realized just
how important it was for administrators to have a strong staff. I got an opportunity to see
administrators mentor, monitor, and build confidence in their staff. In one particular incident that
I witnessed, an administrator met with a newly appointed department chair to check on her
progress. During their meeting, the department chair was able to share her progress and ask
LEADERSHIP PLATFORM 4
questions. The meeting also gave the administrator time to clarify things, communicate a vision
and goals, and provide timely and effective feedback. Kouzes & Posner (2012) describe this
process by explaining that “giving your power away and fostering their personal power and
ownership will make them stronger and more capable” (p. 22). For this reason, I will work
industriously to build capacity in my staff, which will empower the staff to be confident and
capable members of the team and better enable to school to move toward the vision.
Relationships
With an ever present need for collaboration in education, I understand the need for
fostering positive relationships through communication and building trust as relationships are
built of trust and rooted in the quality of communication and an openness in sharing information
(Kouzes & Posner, 2012). In Introduction to Educational Leadership & Organizational Behavior
(2009), Patti Chance explains that “communication is an essential function of any organization.
Schools, as organizations, rely on the cooperation and collaboration of many people to achieve
their common goals” (p. 153). This principle aligns directly with Standard 3 of CPSEL as
building relationships is closely related to cultivating “a safe and productive learning and
that the reality is that principals do not have what I call “direct power.” I believe that they do,
however, have “relational power.” That is power through relationships. Over the years, I have
of my own leadership practice as I believe that it is by the relationships we build that we can
Conclusion
Through creating a shared vision, building capacity in others, and fostering relationships
through communication and trust, leaders lay the foundation for effective collaboration and
success. .Effective leaders understand that “ ‘ you can’t do it alone’ is the mantra of exemplary
leaders- and for good reason. You simply cannot get extraordinary things done by yourself”
(Kouzes & Posner, 2012, p.238). This means that we have to have work with our staff to create
a shared vision, build up our staff so that they are equipped to embody the vision, and use our
influence base on the relationships we build to accomplish the vision. Upon reflection, it has
become clear that effective leadership “is not about who you are; it’s about what you do”
(Kouzes & Posner, 2012, p. 15). That is why I am committed to practicing these three principles
References
source/educator-prep/standards/cpsel-booklet-2014.pdf?sfvrsn=71b5d555_0
Kouzes, J., & Pozner, B. (2012). The leadership challenge: how to make extraordinary things
Leithwood, K., Louis, K. (2012). Linking leadership to student learning. San Francisco: Jossey
Bass.