What are some qualities and characteristics that can be found in most successful school leaders?

As an aspiring administrator, it is important to start thinking and acting like an administrator! The way you carry yourself today (whether inside or outside of school) will determine how people think of you tomorrow. It is never too late to start molding and shaping who you will be, in the future, as an administrator. Moving into a different role will require a new set of responsibilities that will need to be handled differently. After you share with your current administration that you want to move forward in leadership, their expectations of you will be different and your behavior and attitude will need to adapt as well. I am still growing and learning, on a daily basis, and strengthening those qualities and characteristics that will make me a stronger leader for our school community.

1. Communicator: One of the best ways to be a strong communicator is through actively listening to others. Too often, young administrators feel as though they need to prove their knowledge. This will come out during meetings and conversations with others, when young leaders spend more time talking than listening. It is humbling, but important, to realize that you are not always the smartest person in the room and listening to other people’s ideas will make you a stronger leader. One of the main responsibilities of a leader is managing change and being able to sort through different thoughts and ideas to help develop a solid plan of action. The quality of a true leader is knowing when to talk and when to listen.
2. Collaborator: The days of administrators sitting alone in their offices, making decisions void of others, is over. The intelligence of team needs to guide leaders in moving a school and organization forward. Administrators need to work together and set an example that disagreeing on topics and educational philosophy is acceptable and necessary. It is through healthy and respectful questioning and dialogue that teams are able to function and make constructive and positive changes.
3. Positive Example: As an aspiring administrator, it is time to start thinking of yourself in a different light. Ask yourself, what qualities am I currently representing that define my character? Respect? Truth? Honesty? Knowledge? Care? Passion? You need to be setting a positive example, at all times, with all school stakeholders. Your interactions, inside and outside of school, will be watched closely by others. If there are things that you need to change, now is the time to start. If you are unsure, imagine yourself in the principal’s chair and ask yourself this question, “If I were principal, should I engage in this activity and how should I respond?”
4. Leadership: Leaders have a presence, and often times, without even knowing its full extent. The best leaders will know and understand that there comes a time when a difficult decision needs to be made, and that they are the ones that need to make it and own it. However, more importantly, they realize that they are part of a larger team and it is their responsibility to make sure that all ideas are heard and valued. Leadership comes naturally and is earned rather than self-proclaimed. Leaders continually stretch their own professional learning through staying current with best practice and sharing their learning with others.
5. Acceptance: Administrators make mistakes…especially young administrators…and, it is okay to make mistakes! The lessons learned from the mistakes is what will separate good leaders from great leaders. When mistakes are made, many people will already know about it within the school community. Admitting to the mistakes, apologizing for them, and offering a solution on how to move forward will garnish a large amount of respect from others. Leaders are not expected to be perfect (although sometimes it may feel that way), but they are expected to move forward in the best interest of the school and to be an advocate for all stakeholders.
6. Accountability: Great leaders hold themselves, and others in their organization, accountable for different initiatives and expectations. The idea of accountability and follow-through is very simple: if you say you are going to do it, then do it! However, it is not always that simple, especially when a number of initiatives are being juggled and considered. Staying organized will be key in being able to respond to the different challenges and staying focused on various goals. To take this one step further, I would challenge that finding key people within your school to support different initiatives will be a leaders greatest asset. Leaders can not accomplish everything themselves, they need to be able to tap key players and leaders within their organization to help support and move the school forward.

What qualities and characteristics would you add to the list?

Photo by Leslie Perry @ http://lesliegperry.blogspot.com/