Transformational Administrators

According to Leithwood (2007), “relatively few studies find a relationship between the principal’s hands-on supervision of classroom instruction, teacher effectiveness, and student achievement” (p.191). This quote summarizes the importance of transformational leadership or leadership that focuses on setting directions, developing people, and redesigning the organization rather than just teaching and learning. Leadership tactics that are interested in commanding and policing (transactional leadership) staff are no longer the ideal models, instead models that inspire, arouse emotion, provide individualized support, and allow workers to view their work in new lights / creating metonias are much more desirable (Leithwood, 2007; Senge, 2007). To me, transformational leadership borrows many ideas from servant leadership where it is the responsibility of the administrator to work for his colleagues allowing them to reach monumental successes. Transformational leadership is focused on creating positive change, whereas, typical transactional leadership relies solely on maintaining the status quo through simple rewards and consequences (Marzano, Waters, McNulty, 2005).
Transformational leadership paves the road toward successful educational reform by empowering staff with autonomy and creating a team of leaders that are all working toward professional growth and a common vision. Instead of commanding change, transformational leadership fosters change through the betterment of others and through the ideas of others. This type of leadership affects the way administrators lead schools by giving them a unique skill set. The first skill of transformational leadership is setting directions where visions, priorities, and expecting high performances are the norm. However, along with this, transformational administrators are also compelled to develop others by providing attention to those who may seem left out to even those who crave maturation (Leithwood, 2007). The final skill set transformational administrators use to lead schools is redesigning the organization where the focus is changing the culture from within, e.g., involving staff in school decisions and creating collaborative team work. Also, a transformational administrator recognizes the importance of community and as Fullan (n.d.) reports, “healthy neighborhoods and healthy schools go hand in hand, and school-community relationships are key“ (Move Toward the Danger section, para. 1).
Tied to this unique skill set of transformational administrators is the idea of incorporating innovative technology. A transformational leader knows that school improvement and technological advancement go hand in hand. Integrating technology supports transformational leadership because without it staff will be limited on daily execution of instruction, will not be pushed to change their curriculum or professional skills, will lose great opportunities to learn new technological skills with others, and may continuously maintain an old and ineffective school vision. Incorporating technology with instruction will create school reform through the enhancement of others and allowing others to develop a new confidence with current technology that will break down old barriers and create effective instruction that will increase student achievement.
With better technology, the teacher is likely to see an increase in student achievement. One department in particular that benefits from technological advancements is special education. As a transformational leader, special education may be an area within the school that has been neglected for many years. The staff members may seem excluded from the other departments and may lack a significant amount of resources. In order to meet the needs of special education students transformational administrators will treat the department equally with regard to curriculum and technological resources, autonomy, create opportunities for personal mastery, and involve staff in learning opportunities with other non-special education staff. Most importantly, the transformational leader will treat special education with an empathetic ear (Spears, n.d.). During the transformational process, it is important to guarantee all staff respect, openness, and understanding. This will surely allow the special education department to voice their opinions, commit to change, and believe in the school’s revolutionary vision. This in itself will increase student achievement in special education.
Overall, transformational leadership, if implemented correctly, will create school reform. To me, transformational leadership derives a lot of its character from Christian perspectives. For example, In Paul’s letter to Timothy, Paul describes leadership qualities that greatly resemble transformational and servant leaders. Apostle Paul states a leader is above reproach so work with great integrity and push the status quo and what is beneficial; a leader is temperate challenging times of stress with calm and collective responses; a leader demonstrates self-control; a leader is respectable and earns the respect of others; a leader is hospitable, warm, open, accessible and listens to others; a leader is able to teach and produces more than they actually consume; a leader is non violent and carries on them thick skin but a loving heart (Timothy 3:1, New International Bible). To me transformational leadership is Christian oriented placing others and the bigger picture of school education before yourself and simultaneously inspiring others through humility and determination.

References
Fullan, M. (n.d.). Leadership for the 21st century: breaking the bonds of dependency. Retrieved July 11, 2010, from http://www.cdl.org/resource-library/articles/bonds_dependency.php
Leithwood, K. A. (2007). Transformation school leadership in a transactional policy world. In . Jossey & . Bass (Eds.), The jossey-bass reader on educational leadership (2nd ed., pp. 183-196). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Marzano, R. J., Waters, T., & McNulty, B. A. (2005). School leadership that works from research to results (pp.13-27). Alexandria: ASCD.
Senge, P. M. (2007). Give ma a lever long enough.and single-handed I can move the world. In . Jossey & . Bass (Eds.), The jossey-bass reader on educational leadership (2nd ed., pp. 3-13). San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Spears, L. C. (n.d.). Ten characteristics of a servant-leader. Retrieved July 20, 2010, from http://www.maxwiseman.com/guests/servant/characteristics.htm