The successful functioning of a school is dependent on the
kind of leadership that is exercised (Marzano, Waters & McNulty, 2005, p.
5). Before this course, I was fully convinced that the best kind of leadership
is service. But with the rapid change in
society, I began to realise that these changes must be accompanied by changing paradigms
of leadership (Townsend, 2011, p. 95).
Marzano, Waters and McNutty concurs that to be an effective
leader one must be skilled in the different styles of leadership which are
transactional, transformational, servant and instructional.No one leadership
style is appropriate for all followers and situations (2005, p. 18).
No matter what leadership style
is used, change will always be involved (“Leading Change,”2013). In schools, change is necessary to meet the
demands of the 21st century literacy needs (O’Connell, 2012, p. 217). Kotter states that by improving the ability to
change, organizations can increase their chances of success, both today and in
the future. He also names eight processes on how to lead change(Kotter, n.d.)
The Teacher librarian as a leader must be an agent of change.“Teacher librarians are involved
in the process of change whether they are implementing a program for the first
time, making changes to an established program or participating in some aspect
of school improvement (Oberg, 1990)(“Teacher librarians as,” 2011).
To lead change there are a number of concepts which a teacher
librarian should understand.
Team work: The shape of organisations has changed
over the years. Instead of a single individual leading, teams are created (Belbin,
2010, p. 143). Within the team, each member
is given a role and leadership is shared. Having teams create a feeling of
belongingness and the staff learn from each other (Aguilar, 2012).
Change Process: Change can affect people in so many
ways. Orridge names seven elements that need to be managed if successful transformation
is to be achieved. The first three addresses the resistance aspects and the
last four are the motivators that should be applied (Orridge, 2009).
Innovation: Change is accelerating and we don’t know
what’s coming in the future, which means that we must innovate to both prepare
for change, and to make change (Morris, 2010). To innovate means to be open to
new ideas, take challenging tasks and interact with stimulating people and
spaces (“Innovation takes practice,” 2013).
Communication: Change is not openly accepted by
everyone but if properly communicated it will have a better outcome. An excellent
leader is an exemplary communicator. A good leader will be aware of the
information needs of the members. The leader will involve the members in the
decision making process by listening to input and feedback. Lastly, leading by
example sets a powerful model of commitment especially during times of change
(Facey, n.d.).
Vision: Organisations need to know the direction it
is heading to. They need to state clearly how they intend to get there and
communicate this to their staff. A vision statement is an articulation of the
institutions major goals and ambitions. Having a vision statement will allow
for growth and expansion or improvement that should be taken (“Why do you need,”,
2012).
Strategic Planning: To be a solid, well run library,
strategic planning is essential. According to Michael Eisenberg,” a strategic
plan is an analysis of the library and a plan or vision for guiding and
developing the library to maximise student growth and learning,”(Wong, 2012). He
suggests keeping documentation on how the library best serves the students and
the teachers.
One of the most important roles of a teacher librarian is
that of being a leader. Working across the whole school gives the teacher librarian
the opportunity to use influence and relationships to lead change. Change that addresses how to improve student
learning and how to incorporate digital learning is the future.
In my first assignment blog, I compared leadership to a life cycle of a tree. I see myself now in the small plant stage. My ETL504 journey has made me more confident about taking on the leadership role. I know that leading learning in a digital world is a big challenge but exciting at the same time because it opens more doors for learning and opportunities for collaboration.
References:
Facey, J. (n.d.). Effective communication: skills that make
leaders stand out from the crowd. Retrieved May, 2013 from http://www.ceoforum.com.au/article-detail.cfm?cid=6128&t=/JoAnne-Facey-Mercer-Human-Resource-Consulting/Effective-communication-skills-that-make-leaders-stand-out-from-the-crowd
Innovation Takes
Practice More Than Talent. (2013, January 30). Retrieved May, 2013 from http://www.redthreadthinking.com/innovation-takes-practice-more-than-talent/
Leading Change. ( 2013). Retrieved May, 2013 from http://interact.csu.edu.au/portal/site/ETL504_201330_W_D/page/2179fa2f-bbfd-4f13-803d-da9d7fd8c83e
Lewis, L. K. (2011).
Communication approaches and strategies. Organizational
change creating change through strategic communication (pp.
144-176). Chichester, West Sussex, U.K.: Wiley-Blackwell. Retrieved May, 2013
from http://www.csuau.eblib.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/patron/FullRecord.aspx?p=707958
Langdon, M. (2010). Why Innovate: The link between strategy
and innovation. Retrieved May, 2013 from http://www.innovationmanagement.se/2011/08/19/why-innovate-the-link-between-strategy-and-innovation/
Marzano, Robert J.; Waters,
Timothy; McNulty, Brian A.. School Leadership That Works: From Research to
Results. Alexandria, VA, USA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum
Development (ASCD), 2005. p 5. Retrieved May, 2013 from http://site.ebrary.com/lib/csuau/Doc?id=10089219&ppg=12
Orridge, M. (2009). 75 ways to
help sustain organisational transformation. Change leadership5developing
a change-adept organization (pp. 35-52). Farnham, England:
Gower ; Retrieved May, 2013 from http://site.ebrary.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/lib/csuau/docDetail.action?docID=10325965
Townsend, T.
(2011). School leadership in the twenty-first
century: different approaches to common problems?. School Leadership and
Management, 31(2), 93-103.
Retrieved May, 2013 from http://www.tandfonline.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/doi/abs/10.1080/13632434.2011.572419
Why do we need a vision statement? ( 2012). Retrieved May,
2013 from http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/infokits/mission-vision-values/vision-statement/why-vision/
Wong, Tracey. "Strategic long-range planning.(for school library media centers) ." Library Media Connection 31.2 (2012): 22-23. web.ebscohost.com. Web. Retrieved May, 2013 from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/ehost/detail?sid=aad9ba8a-9e98-4f76-92aa07e7da9b2ec3%40sessionmgr113&vid=1&hid=123&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=iih&AN=82392196
Zmuda, A., & Harada, V. H. (2008). Librarians as learning specialists: moving from the margins to the mainstream of school leadership. Teacher Librarian, 36(1), 15-20.Retrieved May, 2013 from http://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=43699042&site=ehost-live
