In this article, the author discusses what she was able to learn from an exercise in self-reflection regarding her teaching. She also discusses the advantages of reflection for administrators: First, a reflective practice is data-driven, making it a more valid way to evaluate administrators' knowledge and skills. Second, a reflective practice…

Designed to help you get the best out of your team, this practical book shows you how to motivate and engage people through the effective design, application and review of performance management. Checklists and practical guidance notes are provided to help you understand the principles and practice of effective performance management and how the…

The movement of women into line school administrative positions has fueled the debate over whether females and males lead in different ways. This paper presents findings of a study that examined the "lived" experience of two female high school principals. Data were collected through observation and indepth interviews. Although the women had…

This book presents the stories of a group of Maine educators--teacher leaders, teaching principals, and principals--who met at the Maine Academy for School Leaders (MASL) in 1992 to share their experiences and frustrations and to help each other improve their understanding and practice of educational leadership. They share personal accounts of how…

The development of sound theory and theory-based instruments is essential for studying the impact of instructional leadership on student learning outcomes. This article argues that a constructivist perspective provides a more reliable basis than a functionalist perspective for understanding what differentiates effective instructional leaders from…

On average, leaders are engaged in one form or another of communication for about 70 percent of their waking moments. This digest provides suggestions for school leaders who want to increase the effectiveness of those interactions. A first step is to recognize that listening is the skill most essential to effective communication. Other skills of…

This book provides insights into the dynamics of organizational transformation and presents a diagnostic framework for leading organizations through periods of radical change. Part 1 provides a framework for looking at the different types of change and the action strategies for dealing with them. Chapters include: (1) "Change Leadership: Core…

The quality of education offered by a school district is measured by the extent to which all of its students become successful learners. Students' chances for success are often dependent on the district's assignment process. This paper presents findings of a study that identified the ways in which central offices encouraged administrators and…

As costs for higher education increase and traditional state appropriations formulae, in which dollars follow student/semester credit hours, are often no longer in use, educational institutions are being asked to provide higher quality services with flat or even slightly reduced budgets. To meet these needs, department chairs and deans need to…

Research has demonstrated that corporations succeed or fail on the basis of how well they are led. Although the importance of leadership in organizational decision making has been recognized and studied extensively, numerous studies have also demonstrated the central role that the principal plays in shaping the school culture which, in turn, is a…

Researchers who have focused on issues of interpersonal communication in organizations have concluded that it is an essential component of organizational life. This paper presents findings of a study that examined the role conceptions of principals in the Centenial Schools Program (CSP) and those of principals in non-CSP schools. Communicator…

In 1991 the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) launched its LeaderLab program, with the goal of helping executives take more effective action in their leadership situations. This publication presents findings of a program evaluation that explored whether program participants took more effective action in their leadership situations. Data were…

Although community college leaders are regularly faced with decisions that have significant ethical import, they tend to have little if any formal preparation in how to make them. For the most part, administrators want to make decisions that improve the effectiveness of educational delivery, promote organizational health, are congruent with…

This paper examines qualities of effective school leadership that are critical to successful educational change. The first part explores various definitions of leadership, discusses the concept of leadership versus management, and describes the challenges that school leaders face. The paper then draws on data collected from interviews with four…

This paper presents findings of a study that examined how six women headteachers in Great Britain worked as school leaders. Data were obtained through observation, joint inquiry, structured conversations, and life-history interviews. The study drew on Wallace and Hall's (1994) power-culture metaphor, which stated that individuals make different…