Western Teacher Leadership Dispositions
The following Leadership Dispositions are organized into four domains, two of which are focused inward and have to do with self while the remaining two domains give attention to how we relate with those around us and with school structure and expectations. These are true dispositions, not descriptions of outward behaviors that spring from dispositions. For the teacherleader, these dispositions support the practice of fairness and the underlying belief that ALL students can learn. |
A. SELF-AWARENESS:
1. Emotional self-awareness.Teacher leaders high in emotional self-awareness are attuned to their inner signals, recognizing how their feelings affect them and their school and community performance. They are attuned to their guiding values and can often intuit the best course of action, seeing the big picture in a complex situation. Emotionally self-aware teacher leaderscan be candid and authentic, able to speak openly about their emotions or with conviction about their guiding vision.
2. Accurate self-assessment.Teacher leaders with high self-awareness typically know their limitations and strengths, and exhibit a sense of humor about themselves. They exhibit a gracefulness in learning where they need to improve, and welcome constructive criticism and feedback. Accurate self-assessment lets a teacher leader know when to ask for help and where to focus in cultivating new teacher leadership strengths.
3. Self-confidence. Knowing their abilities with accuracy allows teacher leaders to play to their strengths. Self-confident teacher leaders can welcome a difficult assignment. Such teacher leaders often have a sense of presence, a self-assurancethat lets them stand out in a group.
B. SELF-MANAGEMENT:
1. Self-control.Teacher leaders with emotional self-control find ways to manage their disturbing emotions and impulses, and even to channel them in useful ways. A hallmark of self-control is the teacher leader who stays calm and clear-headed under high stress or during a crisis-or who remains unflappable even when confronted by a trying situation.
2. Transparency.Teacher leaders who are transparent live theirvalues. Transparency-an authentic openness to others about one's feelings, beliefs, and actions-allows integrity. Such teacher leaders openly admit mistakes or faults, and confront unethical behavior in others rather than turn a blind eye.
3. Adaptability.Teacher leaders who are adaptable can juggle multiple demands without losing their focus or energy, and are comfortable with the inevitable ambiguities of organizational life. Such teacher leaders can be flexible in adapting to new challenges, nimble in adjusting to fluid change, and limber in their thinking in the face of new data or realities.
4. Achievement.Teacher leaders with strength in achievement have high personal standards that drive them to constantly seek performance improvements-both for themselves and for their students. They are pragmatic, setting measurable but challenging goals, and are able to calculate risk so that their goals are worthy but attainable. A hallmark ofachievement is in continually learning-and teaching- ways to do better.
5. Initiative. Teacher leaders who have a sense of efficacy-that they have what it takes to control their own destiny-excel ininitiative. They seize opportunities-or create them- rather than simply waiting. Such a teacher leader does not hesitate to cut through red tape, or even bend the rules, when necessary to create better possibilities for the future.
6. Optimism.A teacher leader who is optimistic can roll with the punches, seeing an opportunity rather than a threat in a setback. Such teacher leaders see others positively, expecting the best of them. And their "glass half-full" outlook leads them to expect that changes in the future will be for the better.
C. SOCIAL AWARENES
1. Empathy.Teacher leaders with empathy are able to attune to a wide range of emotional signals, letting them sense the felt, but unspoken, emotions in a person or a diverse group. Such teacher leaders listen attentively and can grasp the other person's perspective. Empathy makes a teacher leader able to get along well with people of diverse backgrounds or from other cultures.
2. Organizational awareness.A teacher leader with a keen social awareness can be politically astute, able to detect crucial social networks and read key power relationships- Such teacher leaders can understand the political forces at work in a building or district, as well as the guiding values and unspoken rules that operate among teachers and administrators there.
3. Service.Teacher leaders high in the service competence fosteran emotional climate so they keep the relationship with students, colleagues, administrators, and parents on the right track. Such teacher leaders monitor stakeholders' expectations and satisfaction carefully to ensure they are getting what they need. They also make themselves available as needed.
D. RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT
1. Inspiration.Teacher leaders who inspire both create resonance and move people with a compelling vision or shared mission. Such teacher leaders embody what they ask of others, and are able to articulate a shared mission in a way that inspires others to follow. They offer a sense of common purpose beyond the day-to-day tasks, making work exciting.
2. Influence.Indicators of a teacher leader's powers of influence range from finding just the right appeal for a given listener to knowing how to build buy-in from key people and a network of support for an initiative. Teacher leaders adept in influence are persuasive and engaging when they address a group and excel as a positive influence on student performance.
3. Developing others. Teacher leaders who are adept at cultivating students and colleagues show a genuine interest in those they are helping along, understanding their goals, strengths, and weaknesses. Such teacher leaders can give timely and constructive feedback and are natural mentors or coaches.
4. Change catalyst. Teacher leaders who can catalyze change are able to recognize the need for the change, challenge the status quo, and champion the new order. They can be strong advocates for the change even in the face of opposition, making the argument for it compellingly. They also find practical ways to overcome barriers to change.
5. Conflict management. Teacher leaders who manage conflicts best are able to draw out all parties, understand the differing perspectives, and then find a common ideal that everyone can endorse- They surface the conflict, acknowledge the feelings and views of all sides, and then redirect the energy toward a shared ideal.
6. Teamwork and collaboration.Teacher leaders who are able team players generate an atmosphere of friendly collegiality and are themselves models of respect, helpfulness, and cooperation. They draw others into active, enthusiastic commitment to the collective effort, and build spirit and identity. They spend time forging and cementing close relationships beyond mere work obligations.