Third rung - ETL504 - The Teacher Librarian as Leader

Leadership is a very ambiguous and indistinct term, am I a leader, or do I just guide the students and team members around me in the direction I believe that is correct…. Is that leadership?

So far as I understand it - in a school situation the effective leader’s direction (and this is not necessarily the Principle) inspires the teachers who in turn encourages the students to achieve.  (Marzano, Waters & McNutty)

I expect, as it has in previous semesters and previous subjects, that as this semester unfolds my understanding of leadership in schools will be altered.

In answer to the first Forum I believe that leadership is a performance involving the collaborative interpersonal processes of a manager’s job, but I also believe that many managers are not necessarily leaders. Leadership must involve a least two people, where one is intentionally influenced to make something happen by the other.
Leaders: 


• Use communication to influence fulfilment of a goal


• Regard the workplace dynamic as a partnership 


• Guide rather than push


• Guide others to a ‘result’ and then let them claim ‘ownership’ 


• Don’t always have the right answers, but are willing to find them


• Have the energy, drive, integrity and credibility to be able to inspire others

Leadership should involve looking behind you occasionally to see if anyone is following or if you actually are making a change for the better. 



My position does not lend itself to making big changes within the library so I attempt to lead by example in providing the best processes I can to teachers, students and my team, as well as directing them to the ‘new’ that I find to advance what they do. I allow those I ‘lead’ to achieve and to become self-sufficient, to take ownership of a project and also take ownership of the success of that project. I have tried to create a team that is independent but also works with each other’s strengths to achieve our common goal of making the library the hub of the college. 

16/04/2014 - I do not find it that unusual that study and my everyday life continue to intertwine at certain points.

My subject this semester is based on the Leadership qualities to be found within the school library spectrum, my work life this semester is also revolving around the leadership ‘qualities’ of those who are directing us in the largest series of modifications seen in decades. Yet I have just watched a movie, ‘Invictus’, a story of two leaders who lead by example and inspire others to excel by expecting more of themselves. While watching this movie I could not help reflecting and contrasting the movies plot, my studies and the situations occurring at work...