WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE SCHOOL LEADER?

Before moving forward, there is one thing which might cross your mind, and that is why schools need leadership and how good leadership can make a school more productive, progressive and maintains the highest standards. 

Well- school is a like a team where one has to lead from the front and in this case it either the principle or the management board depending on the school hierarchy and roles. In many schools, these leaders are perceived as someone who has traditional responsibilities of just telling people about their responsibilities. But in fact, leadership in the school is all about the leaders set the baseline for the future generations so you might wonder what the characteristics are of these school leaders who help schools such as American schools in Dubai and other international schools shine like anything.

Following are some of the characteristics which a school leader must have for effective leadership which can help schools reach heights:

Vision:

One of the first characteristics an effective leader must have is having a clear vision. The vision will give them the direction with a clear sense of purpose, success, and morality which they have to follow. Having a great or clear vision is paramount for any school leader because with that vision they are going to build the future and do not let the circumstances or situations decide on the progress and development.

Passion:

You know what they say about passion:

Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you. Oprah Winfrey

So it goes for school leadership as well because it is that internal desire to lead the school to greater success making it more memorable.  A teacher’s main responsibility to provide the students with best learning experience making it worth cherishing and remembering. A school leader must have that internal passion for teaching and learn at the same time.

So what indicates that a leader is passionate? Well- if they are actively taking an interest in the life and learning of the students then they are passionate. Teachers at American schools in Dubai are passionate as they take a keen interest in the learning of the students and overall school environment.

Resilience:

Resilience is to recover from any hurdles that one might come across. Leadership is not an easy task, there are a lot of hurdles which might impact the process but a leader must be aware of how to keep moving.

Instead of panicking, a leader must be able to handle the situation which might unforeseen and has come anyway during the process. Handling crises with a calm mind are what makes a good leader. Instead of getting disappointed about anything and anyone, he or she must be able to tackle the things with optimistic and energetic point of view.

Persuasion:

The mind of students are naïve so if you have the ability to tell a lesson while you are describing an interesting story then believe me you have got them. The process of communicating an experience while telling a story is known as persuasion.

One of the characteristics for any school leader is being great at persuasion and actively listening. The school has several grades and levels which mean the audience is diverse, and you can not address the audience individually so your method should be convincing for all ages and levels. Students do not want to hear something boring and even if they do they are not going to retain so this characteristic is a must.

Courage:

Courage is essential in any leadership because it shows the confidence and determination. If one person has the willpower and patience to see the things which are necessary for the learning of the things that that is what effective leadership is all about.

When a teacher is willing to fight with the management and take the risk just because they want students to have better learning, then that is one courageous leader right there. In this selfish era, having a school leader who is courageous is a rare thing, but luckily American schools in Dubai have those kinds of teachers and management do appreciate anyone providing better suggestion which enhances the overall learning environment.