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LEADERSHIP PLATFORM PAPER

Leadership Platform Paper

EDAD 620: Sumer 2020

Sita Ayala

Mr. Centofranchi
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LEADERSHIP PLATFORM PAPER

Within my journey to becoming an educational leader, I have learned many lessons that

will impact my future practice. The principals of leadership have been part of those lessons, as

they provide valuable insights into becoming a successful leader. All principals are essential, but

a few especially resonated with me. These principals have shifted my vision of leadership to one

that is collaborative and intentional, and I have begun to explore what these principals might

look like within my current and future scope of practice. These principals include, shared

leadership, shared vision, and cultivating trusting relationships with stakeholders.

Shared Leadership

Shared leadership encompasses a system of collaboration between staff, parents, and

administration that allows for educators to best meet the needs of all students the site serves. In

spite of challenges that students may face, such as; low socio-economic status, English language

barriers, or special needs, with shared leadership, staff have the opportunity to rise to the

occasion and become a part of the decision-making process in implementing strategies,

examining data, and making collaborative decisions that will result in success for every student.

According to Kouzes & Posner (2017), “Leaders significantly increase people’s belief in their

ability to make a difference. They move from being in control, to giving over control to others, to

becoming their coach. They help others learn new skills, develop existing talents, and provide

the institutional supports required for on going growth and change. In the final analysis, leaders

turn their constituents into leaders” (pg. 220).

Through Dr. Meyerott’s course, I had the opportunity to do a case study on my principal.

This case study provided valuable insight as to how a principal can lead with shared leadership.

The principal I found was a transformational leader in which he sought input from stakeholders
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through the decision-making process and provided opportunities for staff to rise to the occasion

in leadership roles. This created a true sense of community within the school site, as the leader

trusted the staff and the staff in return trusted the leader. According Johnson, Uline, & Perez

(2017), when allowing others into the decision-making process it builds sense of community

which is characterized by a high level of trust and a commitment to each other’s personal and

professional success. Teachers are less likely to feel disconnected with shared leadership and

more likely to feel like they are a part of a strong, professional team.

Shared Vision:

A common goal or vision is the most effective way to ensure all stakeholders are working

together to achieve success. A shared vision drives policy, practice, and decision making.

According to Kouzes & Posner (2017), “Shared visions attract more people, sustain higher levels

of motivation, and withstand more challenges than those that are exclusive to only a few. You

have to make sure that what you can see is also something that others can see” (Pg. 97). Wallace

(n.d.) agrees, stating leaders will need to utilize effective collaboration to reach school goals.

School goals cannot be attained by one person. The principal must share the effort, as a team is

needed to worked together to improve school performance.

As a future leader, I want all stakeholders to feel that they have a voice in supporting our

students. Together, we will create a shared vision from common beliefs and ideas that will

support student achievement and encompass the community and school site’s values. A shared

vision will also help create a culture that promotes a shared urgency for growth and improvement

in teaching and learning for all students (Johnson, et al 2017). This will provide all stakeholders

with a purpose and a shared commitment to improvement. With a shared vision, I will be able to

influence higher levels of effort and commitment from staff and parents. Commitment to change
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and progress will stem from trust to develop educational improvement within the school site. As

a leader, shared vision means ensuring stakeholders have access to the data to remind them of the

need for improvement and the impact on student’s lives.

During the Educational Administration program, I had the opportunity to dig into my

site’s data, and along with a team, determine an area of inequity for my CalAPA. This

experience was essential in providing me with the tools to successfully implement a shared

vision. The team disintegrated the data and together created a shared vision that everyone

understood and valued as we worked together towards the common goal.

Cultivating Relationships:

As a leader, one of my primary roles will be to develop relationships with my staff. In

order to do so there are certain elements I must implement within my practice. Getting to know

my staff will ultimately drive the support I provide to others. Aguilar (2016) states, “Knowing

about each other’s histories, backgrounds, values, beliefs, hopes and dreams, skills and abilities,

and fears and concerns is important. This understanding helps cultivate empathy for each other

and contextualize the behaviors of group members.” (pg. 42). Another way to cultivate

relationships with my staff and stakeholders is by creating an environment of trust. Without trust,

educators and staff will not be able to have meaningful or difficult conversations regarding

student learing and achievement. Aguilar (2017) suggests naming trust as a value or norm and

modeling it in day to day actions with staff and families.

An additional component of cultivating relationships is developing self-knowledge. In

order to understand emotions, we must be able to manage them and how they impact others

(Aguilar, 2017). Self-knowledge encompasses reflection. Reflection, as a leader, is important as

is empowers us to reflect on the discrepancies between what we want and what we currently are.
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Transparency is another component of cultivating relationships. Providing the why behind

decisions is imperative as it provides staff insight into the leader’s thinking and behavior

(Aguilar, 2017). Throughout my coursework in the Educational Administration program, I have

had multiple opportunities to practice cultivating relationships with staff. One opportunity that

especially stood out, was providing instructional leadership to a new teacher through my

CalAPA. Establishing trust was essential to the success of our interaction and the success of the

new teacher’s practice We met multiple times, and through our interactions I got to know her

strengths and together we were able to identify areas of growth. By listening, asking relevant

questions, and being transparent we developed goals that would help her continue to develop as

an educator.

Creating change with shared leadership, shared vision, and the cultivation of trusting

relationships are some of the most important principals I will take from this program. The

Educational Administrative program provided the skills, knowledge, and opportunities to put

what I learned, as a leader, into practice. Working with the professors, as well as district

personnel, enhanced my understanding of what it means to be a transformational leader and I

will take these lessons and knowledge with me on my leadership journey as I commit to serving

the staff, families, and community I work for.

References:

Aguilar, E., (2016) The art of coaching teams: Building resilient communities that transform

Schools. San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons Inc., Retrieved from: ProQuest Ebook

Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/csusm/detail.action?docID=4455002.

Johnson, J, Uline, C., & Perez, L., (2017) Leadership in Americas best urban schools. New

York: Routledge. https://doi-org.ezproxy.csusm.edu/10.4324/9781315685519

Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2017). The leadership challenge: how to make extraordinary

things happen in organizations. Sixth edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons,

Inc.

Wallace, S. (n.d.) What Makes a Leader? [Video]. Retrieved from:

https://hermes.csusm.edu/Mediasite/Play/2611d92f461b452aa2dc8a48549822401d