Some Thoughts on Leadership

Summary

Gurr's (2017) meta-analysis of research was completed using the International Successful School Principalship Project, this study investigated the relationship between a principal's role and the effect that their role played on helping to make a school successful. Gurr's (2017) study is beneficial in specifically disseminating how school leadership affects student learning and allows us to understand better what "success" means in this context. It is helpful to understand the definition of success that Gurr (2017) identifies to further our understanding of the part that principals may or may not play in student success. The rubric included:

• Evidence of student achievement beyond expectations on state or national tests, where this evidence exists.
• Principals' exemplary reputations in the community and/or school system. This could be gained through consultation with system personnel or other principals, school inspection reports, and so forth.
• Other indicators of success that are context-specific, such as the overall reputation of the school, awards for exemplary programs, etc.

Throughout the study, principals from varying countries and schools were interviewed. Common threads were discovered when it came to answering the question- what makes these leaders and schools particularly successful? Some highlights that stood out for me included shared leadership, high expectations, trust, and transparency; I have always believed people-centered aspects of leadership were important without data like this to support my opinion. Gurr (2017) pointed out that these influential principals are student-centered "Above all else, they are driven by the desire to provide the best educational environment they can for all students" (p.5). What was particularly interesting was Gurr's (2017) finding that both transformational and instructional leadership were equally valued.

How can this better inform our practice?

There is no doubt that research such as this can help us define what makes a great principal or leader of a school. It can support future and potential leaders to reflect on their practice and determine if they can exhibit some or even many of the qualities that have been listed in this study. However, while there are many commonalities between the leadership models and some of the schools, there were obvious differences that occurred depending on the time, the initiatives, the people, and the school's needs. Essentially, the context in leadership was an essential factor in a principal's success. The context was evident in Indonesia, where the values of the community played a part in success- including the idea that they were "entrusted by God" and in Singapore, where the concept of knowing oneself was significant. These small samples serve as an important reminder for those wishing to be principals in cultures outside of our own. The values of countries and cultures will vary; therefore, leaders need to understand and try to gain a deeper understanding of the culture within which they choose to work. Differing cultural norms are undoubtedly apparent to me while living in China. Approaches that work well with western colleagues, like speaking directly about a topic, do not always translate well to a culture where "saving face" is inherent for some. It is also a constant reminder for leaders to remember to keep our students at the center of all that we do; however, it seems to achieve this, that we need to cultivate the trust and leadership of the school in which we are working.

References:

Gurr, D. (2017). A Model of Successful School Leadership from the International Successful School Principalship Project. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50980-8_2