Danielle Grieco

ED 597 Independent Study in Educational Leadership

1 December, 2016

Leadershipin Retrospect

My study of leadership in the world of education has taken some intriguing turns: when I

first set out to study educational leadership more intensely, I think I expected to find pragmatic

and hands-on techniques which I could instantly apply in order to elevate the world of education

in the place of my classroom and my school. What I found as I worked through books and

implementing ideas is that the basis for strong leadership in any capacity is deeply internal, and

change can only be initiated and sustained if it is first initiated and then sustained internally.

The books that I worked with throughout this semester did indeed give me some

incredible food for thought as far as enacting concrete changes in my world: in my classrooms,

in my mentoring team, in the way I interacted with colleagues and students within the school

day. In summation, however, all of the actual tips and techniques could be tied to a few key

internal conversionary factors that the one leading must first augment. Commitment, dedication,

discipline, clarity, understanding, compassion, sacrificethese are the essential elements of

success in any area, and a leader is simply the one who can best convey verbally and by self-

image the need for these in pursuit of a goal, and draw them out of subordinates. If the teacher

does not believe deeply and firmly in the need for every student that passes through his or her

walls to walk out better formed and educated, then all of what the teacher does will lack luster;

students cannot be expected to be passionate about needing their formation if their leader the

teacher does not first believe, convey, and portray this ideal. Students can only be motivated to

stay dedicated to working through a difficult course and its connected materials if the teacher
shows this same dedication to helping the students comprehend the material. In essence, then,

yes, leadership entails and necessarily includes several key factors such as discipline, clarity,

commitment. These factors are essential to the achievement of the goal, but they will only carry

weight in pursuit of the goal if subordinates can clearly see the marks of these attributes in the

one leading.

Leadership, then, becomes primarily a thing of the character of the leader. The leader of

students, department teachers, schools, or districts can only expect loyalty, commitment,

dedication, clarity, compassion and sacrifice if he or she is first willing to assume these virtues.

One can pretend for any amount of time; one can be committed in first one then another

situation. To embody these attributes of leadership, however, the leader must truly believe in

their importance and put forth the effort the make them a part of his or her character. While my

study of educational leadership has led me to this conclusion, I will not pretend it is an easy thing

to assimilate! On the contrary, it seems to be the work of a lifetime. What is encouraging,

however, is that it can be accomplished. Life is forever providing us with instances which need

someone to step up and take control. Sometimes these instances are literal, sometimes they are

more subtle. All, however, present the opportunity to lead: to draw others with us on a journey

towards the achievement and accomplishment of some end and goal. With dedication to the

pursuit of the ideals of leadership, one can form a habit. A habit of commitment, of clarity, of

compassion, of understanding, of loyalty. In finality, therefore, one can build such a habit of

exterior leadership attributes that one eventually begins to accumulate these attributes as part of

his or her inner character. This, then, is what sets leaders part. Some talented individuals may be

able to extract these attributes from their teams. Leaders embody them, and thus draw them out

of their followers spontaneously.