21st Century Leadership

Educational Disadvantage –
A focus on School Leadership
DEIS PROGRAMME
promises……
 “Professional development for principals
including programmes supporting the
development of skills in the areas of strategic
leadership and change management, with the
assistance of LDS”
 “Integrated services: to enhance integration
and partnership working both within the
education sector itself and between the DES
&…..”

21st Century Leadership

DEIS SCHOOLS

 197 Urban Band-1 Primary schools

 141 Urban Band-2 Schools

 333 Rural Schools

 204 Post Primary Schools in the DEIS

Programme: DAS & VEC

21st Century Leadership

21st Century Leadership

THE DEIS LANDSCAPE

 BARREN
 ISOLATION
 RESENTMENT
 OVERWHELMED
 RESISTENCE
 FRENETIC
 INTENSITY
 JOY & MORAL IMPERATIVE
21st Century Leadership
WHAT IS CULTURE?

 “A pattern of basic assumptions – invented,

discovered, or developed by a given group as
it learns to cope with problems….
that has worked well enough to be
considered valid and , therefore, to be
taught to new members as the correct way
to perceive, think, and feel in relation to those
problems” (Schein, 1985)
Highly relevant in a DEIS school
21st Century Leadership
MAKE OR BREAK
 “Culture is, in part, a learned defence mechanism
to avoid uncertainty and anxiety” (Schein, 2001)
"It can be argued
 that the only thing of real importance that leaders
do is create and manage cultures;
 that the unique talent of leaders is their ability to
understand and work with culture;
 and that it is an ultimate act of leadership to destroy
culture when it is viewed as dysfunctional." (Schein,
2004)

21st Century Leadership

 How
leaders
allocate
How leaders resources
react to Deliberate
critical incidents role
and modelling,
organisational teaching,
crises Building and coaching
&
Maintaining
Culture How
leaders
What allocate
leaders rewards
pay and status
attention to How leaders
recruit, select,
promote,
&
‘excommunicate
 Visionary

Historian Symbol

Healer Anthropological
LEADER
sleuth

Actor Potter

Poet

Deal & Peterson, 1999

School Leadership

 Leadership is about giving direction,

offering inspiration, building teamwork.
It is derived from one’s fundamental
values and personal style.
 Leadership is about finding and
deciding which path to take, about
building and maintaining an
organisational culture
21st Century Leadership
LEADERSHIP

 Leadership is like beauty: it’s hard to define,

but you know it when you see it…

 Influencing others’ actions to achieve

desirable goals

 INVOLVES THE WISE USE OF

POWER
21st Century Leadership
LEADER AS LION

 CLEAR PERSONAL VISION

 EXTREMELY KNOWLEDGEABLE
 STRONG AND TENACIOUS
 COMMUNICATES FORCEFULLY
 AMASSES POWER
 TAKES CHARGE & SOLVES PROBLEMS

21st Century Leadership

LEADER AS LAMB

 DEVELOPS A SHARED VISION

 ASKS QUESTIONS
 COPES WITH WEAKNESS
 LISTENS AND ACKNOWLEDGES
 DEPENDS ON OTHERS
 LETS GO

21st Century Leadership

Empowerment
 The reverse of power wielding

 Allows expression to the creative and service aspects of

leadership

 Skills and ability are more important than status

 Involves people in building a positive culture

 Leaders throughout the organisation

The sharing of power

21st Century Leadership

MEMBERS OF ANY GROUP

Need to
 Feel important

 Feel valued & appreciated

 Know that they matter

 Know that they make a difference

 Have a sense of significance

21st Century Leadership

Affirmations

 Positive
 Present tense
 Specific
 Personal
 Emotionally charged
- the difference that makes the difference

21st Century Leadership

ENCOURAGING COLLABORATION

“If we follow principles (symbolised by a

compass) that always point north, we gradually
develop moral authority; people trust us, and if
we truly respect them, see their worth and
potential, and involve them, we can come to
share a common vision”

Stephen Covey: The 8th Habit

21st Century Leadership

POSITIVE CULTURE
 LEADERSHIP PERMEATES
 SUCCESS IS CELEBRATED AND
RECOGNISED
 HONESTY, OPENESS ARE EVIDENT
 EXTERNAL INVOLVEMENT
 PARTICIPATION IS ENCOURAGED
 OPEN TO CHANGE
 TAKES RISKS
 SOCIALISATION
21st Century Leadership
NEGATIVE CULTURES
21st Century Leadership

The woodpeckers
have to be dealt
with!
 21st Century Leadership

Creating a positive school

culture

TO BE A LAMB IS REALLY TO BE A LION

 Grant me the serenity…
to accept the things
I cannot change;
courage to change
the things I can;

and the wisdom

to know the difference.
21st Century Leadership