Introduction
Leadership is the method through which an executive may lead, guide, or influence the conduct and work of others in order to realize specified goals in a given circumstance. Leadership is a manager’s capacity to persuade subordinates to work with zeal and confidence. In its basic form, leadership is convincing others to comply with specific policies and action plans. As a result, anyone who can persuade others to follow them has leadership abilities. Leadership occurs at all levels of an institution or society, not only among people in designated. Consequently, growing leadership skills demands an individual to identify her leadership style and learn how to handle change in diverse work environments in their action plans. This paper analyses the aspect of leadership that will promote the successful transition of management into parental responsibility using transformational leadership in my action plan.
Transformational Leadership
Managers have traditionally requested Staff to execute given tasks and anticipated compliance. A transformative leader, on the contrary, encourages Staff to be innovative. Transformational leaders in education achieve beneficial outcomes, such as increased learner involvement with their course subject and other school interests (Cowne et al., 2019). Similarly, subordinates of transformational leaders exhibit reduced dissonance, more fantastic task performance, and higher task contentment than subordinates of non-transformational leaders. They invite their learners to participate in a class debate on the protests. The vigorous debate encourages student participation (Cowne et al., 2019). Furthermore, interested students do better on assignments and demonstrate a more profound comprehension of recent issues in context.
Parents feel appreciated and actively involved in devising methods to fulfil the needs of their children. The transformative leadership style positively engages parents in the decision-making process. For instance, a teacher may fear that the demonstrations are too controversial, a topic to discuss in class. That educator might contact families and parents to get feedback on how the issue should be addressed (Curran, 2019). Celebrating the distinctive characteristics that identify individuals is a component of transformative leadership. Notably, a transformative leader, on the other hand, will urge learners in the classroom to express their encounters with the holiday (Cowne et al., 2019). Students gain positive interest and therefore perform better work and comprehend more.
Ultimately, students learn the value of empowering others to make their own decisions through transformational leadership. Similarly, utilizing this approach in action plans enables schools to evolve; for example, it prepares graduates of various programs to land prestigious management roles with remuneration packages in the education field while still creating the educational landscape an inventive and captivating setting for bringing about exciting changes (Cowne et al., 2019). Since transformational leadership allows for close relations among educators and students, the latter’s perceptions of learning results can give extra insight into potential changes to the educational process. Partnership formation and management are critical to ensuring practice sharing and knowledge generation for long-term effects (Cheminais, 2014). The need to shift from a leadership program decision-making process to one that incorporates top-down, middle-out, and bottom-up processes, as well as collaborative partnerships.
Operational Paradigm Leadership for SENCO
The Operational Management Paradigm is a typical leadership style that, in the context of the SENCO, has its foundations in the role’s list of critical duties. The list includes establishing contact with families and professionals, counselling and helping colleagues, having IEPs, and collecting, recording, and updating data about children. The SENCO’s responsibility in this model is operational and focused on the performance of activities considered vital or required by policymakers (West-Burnham, 2009). Whereas the Staff in this paradigm may exhibit many traits of good leadership, their accomplishments will be determined by operational management action plans. To increase quality, an operational leader may conduct quality inspections or design new rules in the institution. The operational managers equally aid in reducing possible expenditures inside the institutions.
Pros and Cons of the Transformative Approach of Leadership
As is often the fact with such phrases, the strength of transformation is proportional to the degree of vagueness with which it is employed. In the context of a conversation about action plans that would trigger the change in schools, three major application types are identified: transformation as increased performance in the school setting, transformation as attaining peak effectiveness, and transformation as profound change (West-Burnham, 2009). An alternate leadership paradigm of transformational leadership, therefore, is operational leadership. Transformation does not involve increasing productivity and quality; it does not concern enhancing incrementally or optimizing organizational performance alone. On the contrary, transformation refers to a substantial shift throughout every aspect of the organization due to a fundamental rethinking of its purpose and character. As with every management style, transformational leadership is the most appropriate approach, explored in this section.
The transformative approach epitomizes the school’s culture through partnering with the teachers and learners in the Pursuit of a Common Goal. Transformational leaders are distinguished by their ability to swiftly assess an institution’s existing status and develop a sound plan for its advancement and development. The leader conveys her goal to the Staff with passion and influence to bring everyone on board. Staff is encouraged to accomplish their tasks because the entire work experience is worthwhile and exciting.
Notably, ethical Integrity is a fundamental virtue of transformative leadership that misses out on other approaches. Therefore, their whole domain of influence is built on them being honest and publicly embodying the ideals they have created for the institution. As a result, a transformative leader will emphasize performing tasks correctly. They are often attributes and ethics-focused, which helps workers to stay on track and serve the best interests of the firm and its broader communities.
Consequently, change is created and perfectly managed through a transformative leadership approach. This leadership style emphasizes the constructive impact of the transformation “for the collective good” and informs subordinates how they may help (Cowne et al., 2019). This makes it significantly simpler for employees to accept – and even appreciate – the change. Notably, the Situational Contingency Hypothesis postulates that leaders should change their strategy and conduct depending on the environment. This notion holds little weight about parental management because implementing action demands innovation, creativity, and emphasis on critical aspects. The leader should know the entire situation before selecting what is appropriate for the group.
Additionally, leadership impact theories affect how followers perceive leadership rather than official authority. This hypothesis, in particular, is concerned with influential leaders and, therefore, not appropriate for implementing action plans. Furthermore, reciprocal leadership theories are founded on trust and respect between the leader and the followers; therefore, they may be crucial in implementing action plans. However, I will prefer transformational, incredible performance over transactional leadership for successful change management.
Notwithstanding, the transformative approach also accompanies significant disadvantages. Ultimately, the transformative approach can result in employee burnout. While a transformative leader may inspire some, others may perceive their influence as a continual source of stress. Transformational leaders prioritize authenticity, which includes embracing the corporate culture and principles (Cowne et al., 2019). This persistent pressure to attain the big goal and to take pleasure in the company’s accomplishments can lead to staff demotivation and burnout. It conveys that more is necessary than merely showing up there, performing an excellent job, and then leaving.
Similarly, transformative leadership has a significant risk of being abused. If the transformative leader’s interpretation of “conducting tasks accurately” is the incorrect method for the firm and its people, it will negatively affect the institution (Ekins, 2015). A charismatic leader may give in to the allure of a bad idea. Consequently, transformative leadership style may negatively impact when coercive force compromises authority.
Conclusion
In conclusion, institutions must be open to adapting in order to evolve. Change, on the other hand, is famously difficult to accomplish since many individuals are opposed to it. The change faces significant opposition because of fear of the unknown or the belief that the new situation will be worse than the previous one. By definition, transformational leaders are outstanding communicators who mobilize people around their goal of the future by delivering clear and consistent policies. When an organization experiences a breakdown, it frequently seeks a transformational leader to explain the corporate mission clearly and offer solutions.
Reference List
Cheminais, R., (2014), Handbook for SENCos, LONDON Sage Publications.
Cowne, E., Frankl, C., Gerschel, L., (2019), The SENCo Handbook Leading and Managing whole school approach, Seventh Edition, Routledge
Ekins, A., (2015) The Changing Face of Special Educational Needs: Impact and implications for SENCOs and their schools. 2nd edition. Routledge, Chapter 5, pg. 69-84
West-Burnham, J., Rethinking Educational Leadership: From improvement to transformation, 2009, 1st Edition, Bloomsbury Publishing
Curran, H., 2019, How to be a brilliant SENCO: Practical Strategies for Developing and Leading Inclusive Provision, Taylor & Francis Group, Series Nasen Spotlight Ser