- How do you define transformational leadership based on your reading?
- How can transformational leadership impact the way an administrator leads a school?
- How can transformational leadership impact the school administrator as he/she leads integrating technology with instruction?
The word transformation has come up a lot recently in Alexandria City Public Schools. TC Williams High School was recently awarded a special grant under the No Child Left Behind Act, citing the school as being “persistently low achieving”. This grant entitles the school to transform itself and create a better learning environment for students. Because of all of this the word transformation has been thrown around a lot, when reading about transformational leadership, one can’t help but think of schools that are in need of a complete transformation needing leadership like this. The two very much seem to go together.
Transformation itself is defined as “change in form, appearance, nature, or character. (“transformation”, 2010) according to Dictionary.com, in turn a transformational leader would be someone who is able to change their nature or form to evolve with the needs of the organization. This person would be able to grow as the organization grows. For a leader to be transformational they will need to be a person who is open to growth and change, this is not something common for most principals. Many principals run their schools in the same way that many teachers have been teaching the same classes for 20-30 years in a very traditional model. Transformation calls for a change; you cannot continue to operate under the same form as you did 20 years ago, not even 10 years ago. The world has been changed by technology and we are now in the 21st century.
A transformational leader can impact an entire school by setting the example for the change. If that principal takes it upon him/herself to be the example, much like the servant leader does, the staff and students will be more open to the change. A transformational leader does not get bogged down in the details of the day to day work of a school instead sees the daily lessons for the school as small parts of the overall vision. A transformation leader is one who changes the role that other staff plays in the bigger picture because that is what the growth model needs. A transformational leader is also one cares and values the work that everyone in the entire school organization is putting towards the school vision.
In regards to technology, a transformational leader would take advantage of the technologies available to them to implement the changes occurring in their organization. They would embrace the technologies that would make the transformation more user friendly and productive for all those involved, especially students. The transformational leader for TC Williams High School herself has already explained to the entire staff that using technology to enhance communication between parents, students, teachers and administrators is one of her top priorities and that using technology to keep students “powered up” is expected of all staff members. She strongly feels that students should not have to “power down” in a school environment, in order to be competitive in the 21st century, students need to learn to problem solve using the technologies around us. Because of her feelings towards instructional technology, she is showing the staff that she is a transformational leader because she is not looking at the day to day lessons happening in the classrooms as separate pieces, but rather one piece to the change we will over the next three years to the entire organization. She is seeing the entire vision rather than the daily events.
As schools across the country begin their own transformations, they will be looking for transformational leaders. Those who can envision the changes and play a part in those changes, leaders who can adapt to the changes and are ready to inspire the staff to change as well.
transformation. (2010). Dictionary.com. Retrieved July 25, 2010, from
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/transformation
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