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David Bollish
Chadron State College
School Administration and Leadership 633
July 26, 2015
Reflection Paper: Relationships as the Swiss Army Knife of
Administration

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Relationships as the Swiss Army Knife of Administrators

Managing relationships can be one of the most influential,
dynamic and impactful components of school function. An
administrator who can efficiently and effectively wield relationships on
a variety of levels can impact his or her school in multiple aspects.
These include student learning, school effectiveness, and the
development of culture. All of these areas are direct reflections of an
administrators functionality and building. Also, the ability or lack their
of to successfully affect change, an increase in learning, a culture shift,
or implement reform are clear representations of an individuals ability
to influence those around them. This being said, leadership is
influence as defined by John C. Maxwell, a well known author of
leadership, and therefore the measure of ones influence could easily by
correlated as a measure of ones leadership. Bluntly, is a person in a
leadership role who has limited or no influence really capable of
leading?
First, relationships are an everyday component of education, and
for an administrator successfully being able to establish, create,
maintain, and cultivate relationships is with out doubt a necessary skill.
In addition those building leaders whom can more successfully create
and build relationships are likely to reap some highly beneficial rewards
of being able to do so (Friedkin and Slater pg. 140, 1994). These
relationships may well serve as the most influential tool an

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administrator has. In todays principalship a person is asked to
perform so many tasks that the in ability to influence and others would
render a building principal relatively ineffective just due to the amount
of tasks require to complete. According to Alvy and Robbins on page
44, A key leadership issue in the principalship is developing strong
and healthy relationships. Principals interact with people all dayteachers, students, classified staff, parents and the community.
In regards to relationships with students and the potential impact
on student learning principals and administrators are but in varying yet
critical and often difficult situations with young people. Administrators
often deal with discipline, are perceived and promoted as heavies by
students and staff, and generally have to uphold handbook policies,
and maintain even set precedents regarding student behavior or
governance. This makes for an often-unpopular position. This being
said, the ability to create relationships with students both in and out of
your office allows an administrator to begin to extend their reach of
influence beyond, teachers, reform, and initiatives. The principal that
can still connect with students even those whom have crossed their
path based on poor choices are sure to have a better experience, and
more impact on them in future situations. This may largely be a
contributor to why many experienced principals preach visibility to
students. Being in the halls, in their classes, at their games, knowing
their names most definitely has a greater impact on students than not

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knowing at all. This being said regardless of how savvy or gifted an
administrator is in building relationships with students they will always
be viewed differently by students, teachers and parents (Alvy and
Robbins pg. 54, 1998). This being said while relationships with
students can be impactful, helpful, and rewarding it is important to set
a clear and firm image while also maintaining the best interest of all
students (Alvy and Robbins pg. 52).
Next, while relationships with students can increase influence the
administrators skill in establishing relationships with staff, parents,
and the community is drastically more impactful on student learning by
the shear number of persons that it can affect. A principal having a
positive rapport with teachers can orchestrate a school wide approach,
initiative, reform etc Also, the administrator with the support of
veteran and incoming staff can profoundly impact a students learning
situation. Alvy and Robbins suggest that veteran staff can be highly
influential in student outcomes as they drastically impact entire staff
perceptions. It is suggested that productive relationships with the
experienced staff can be established by asking veteran staff member
to work with new teachers, the principal is affirming the veterans
status as the recognized school leaders on how things work around
her(Alvy & Robbins, 1998, pg. 96). These relationships can help
effectively promote and implement and impact a students experience
in curriculum, Response to Intervention, Positive Behavior Support

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Interventions, instructional practice, and so on the potential to greatly
change the learning environment for children is drastically multiplied
when an administrator has the type of relationships and rapport with
staff that allow him to adjust the flow and direction of the building.
This being said, an administrator that only has relationship with one
staff member or one department still holds the power to more
effectively influence students learning in that teachers, or that
departments class rooms. According to the study conducted by Hoy
and Rees exploring the influence and cause of loyalty from staff
members toward administrators those administrators whom were less
authoritarian and allowed for shared decision making and collaborative
discussion increased their staff loyalty, conversely this increased their
influence according to the study.
Third, school effectiveness can largely be attributed towards the
relationships with which the building is founded on. A principals ability
to create open and honest relationships allows for a more efficient
school. According to the Abilene Paradox and in analyzing its findings
it seems resounding and confirmed that the primary issue was a lack of
open and honest communication from all parities. A willingness to
agree led ultimately to frustration and blame. As a principal
establishing an open and collaborative professional learning
environment that invites juxtaposed thinking, and contribution begins
to create a culture that will be able to avoid an Abilene Paradox.

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Next, when administrators are searching for solutions and proactive
strategies to creating collaborative and positive relationships they
utilize one of the following three approaches to boost building
efficiency and collaboration through positive collegial relationships.
1. Being supportive and open to staff sets the fundamental basis
for honest and collaborative conversation. Once these elements are
both modeled and expected it serves as the standardized format for all
conversations moving forward. Including those regarding decisions,
curricula goals, personal practices, motives, and so forth. The
principals role as educational leader should absolutely be to support
and invite teachers to share their voice, experience, and knowledge to
great a more holistic picture for all persons involved when making
decisions and plans in order to avoid a situation similar to the Abilene
Paradox.
2. Another important role of the school leader will be to use their
values as a compass for the big picture. This really combines
strategies but in focusing on the bigger picture, and allowing for moral
responsibility to serve as a guide for decision-making, the staff, district,
and administrator themselves are set up for a more positive and
successful situation and relationships. Alvy and Robbins state that
The moral tone should help create a climate in which teachers are
affirmed for engaging in risk-taking behavior to improve their
teaching." which implies that making decisions with moral principals in

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mind requires an environment that allows for persons to take risk and
feel supported (Alvy and Robbins pg. 175).
3. After supporting teachers, and establishing an honest plat form,
creating a moral tone and allowing for staff to take risks an
administrator must then make sure to focus not only on the long-term
vision but also the short-term mission. Those principals who were able
to keep in mind their longer term goals, and the theme that they were
developing to get there, were able to do more and with greater
coherency and greater pulling together on the part of the school staff
(Alvy and Robbins, 1998, p. 152). By continually working towards the
short-term mission goals while also honoring the long-term direction of
the building and staff through creating relationships based on a culture
of honest, moral based communication to address issues and create
solutions, the administrator now has positive relationships, and
three effective strategies for their staff and building to fluidly and
smoothly function on.
Lastly, and arguably most profoundly a building leaders ability to
affect change or to influence their school is largely related to the
relationships they are able to cultivate as well as the culture they are
able to build. "Leadership is a team effort. Teamwork, trust, and
empowerment are essential elements in the leadership efforts ("Kouzes
& Posner pg.11-12, 1999). According to Leading, Lauding, and
Learning: Leadership in Secondary Schools Serving Diverse Populations

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the schools and administrators that were able to set aside everything
except human relationships pertaining not only to students and staff
but extending to the parents and community as well were more able to
push past cultural, geographical, and other such educational hardships
with higher levels of success. The emphasis of affecting the people as
whole through creating rapport and relationships proved to be the
catalyst for principals who drastically wanted to change all aspects of
their school. An administrator who can focus adamantly on his building
culture while being willing to model, expect, encourage, teach,
demand, empower others to do the same as the primary mission of the
schools has the potential to dynamically impact student learning, staff
morale, and community and stake holder support. Focusing on the
human side of schools through relationships can provide a much more
fertile situation for growth and change. Leaders encourage the heart
of their constituents to carryon.... It's how leaders visibly and
behaviorally link rewards with performance. Love of their products,
their services, their constituents, their clients and customers, and their
work-may be the best kept leadership secret of all. (Kouzes & Posner
pg. 13-14, 1999).
Clearly and in reflection, the administrators who can establish,
maintain, promote, and create healthy relationships through out their
building and community with out doubt have some advantages. Not
only have relationships been discussed, researched and tested but

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theyve also been confirmed as highly dynamic components of
successful leadership. Interaction with students, staff, colleagues,
parents, and community members take place on a daily basis for
administrators. Those whom can more effectively manage and
establish positive, healthy, and honest encounters while maintaining
professional boundaries have been proved to have more success when
wanting to impact student learning, school effectiveness and building
culture. If influence is to be able to change how people behave or
respond, then having a foundation to begin that conversation or
request, other wise referred to as a relationship, then relationships may
well be the most important ingredient in leadership.

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References
Alvy, H. B., & Robbins, P. (1998). If I only knew--: Success strategies for
navigating the
principalship . Thousand Oaks, Calif: Corwin Press.
Friedkin, N., & Slater, M. (1994). School Leadership and Performance: A
Social
Network Approach. Sociology of Education, 67(2), 139-147.
doi:10.2307/2112701,
Hoy, W., & Rees, R. (1974). Subordinate Loyalty to Immediate Superior:
A Neglected
Concept in the Study of Educational Administration. Sociology of
Education,
47(2), 268-286. doi:10.2307/2112108
Kouzes, J.M.,& Posner, B.Z. (1999).Encouraging the heart A: leader's
guide to rewarding and recognizing others.San Francisco:Jossey-Bass.
Sather, S. (1999). Leading, Lauding, and Learning: Leadership in
Secondary Schools
Serving Diverse Populations. Journal of Negro Education, 68(4),
511-528.
doi:10.2307/2668151.