INFRASTRUCTURE POST 1994
4.8 ATTRIBUTES OF LEADERSHIP CONSIDERED IMPORTANT WITHIN A TRANSFORMING SCHOOL CONTEXT
Chapter Four: Conflicting Views On Principals As Leaders L Bhagowat
4.8 ATTRIBUTES OF LEADERSHIP CONSIDERED IMPORTANT WITHIN
Chapter Four: Conflicting Views On PrincipalsAsLeaders L Bhagowat
Table 4.8: Ten most highly rated attributes considered imoortant within a transforming school context by principals and teachers
ATTRIBUTES NO OF ATTRIBUTES NO OF ATTRIBUTES NO OF
IDENTIFIED BY RESPONSES IDENTIFIED BY RESPONSES OBSERVED BY RESPONSES
PRINCIPALS EDUCATORS EDUCATORS
Fairness 21 Foresight 14 Communicative 12
Flexibility 18 Fairness 13 Foresight 9
Communicative 17 Communicative 13 Fairness 8
Foresight 13 Team spirit 7 Team spirit 7
Tolerance 12 Assertiveness 7 Empowerment 6
Transparency 11 Caring 7 Transparency 5
Honesty 10 Open mindedness 6 Tolerance 4
Empathy 8 Empowerment 6 Assertiveness 3
Sensitivity 6 Tolerance 5 Caring 3
Firmness 6 Transparency 5 Open mindedness 1
Table 4.8 clearly illustrates that the principalship is being viewed by both principals and educators as a role that needs to be more humanistic in nature. This is demonstrated by the fact that of the 10 most highly rated attributes by both principals and teachers, the humanistic attributes are dominant. Transformational leadership involves assessing followers' motives, satisfying their needs, and meeting them as full human beings (Northouse, 2001; Bass& Avolio, 1994).
The 10 most highly rated attributes identified to be important in a transforming school context by principals are indeed necessary to implement change. Being fair, flexible and communicative are important to gain the trust and confidence of stakeholders.
These attributes would allow the principal to involve people, making the process of transformation a shared one. This assertion is strengthened by Blase & Blase (1999:
369) who claim that their fmdings "echo research that discusses long-understood fundamental human needs for trust, support, and professional interaction (Herzberg, 1996; Maslow, 1954)".
Having foresight is imperative: one needs to have a vision which serves as a driving force. However, only 16% of principals and 20% of teachers identified it as an
Chapter Four: Conflicting Views On Principals As Leaders LBhagowat
important attribute. This does not resonate with the claim made by 80.3 %(Table 4.6) of principals who stated that they were acting as visionaries all the time/very often, once again supporting the theme that there exists a disjuncture between what principals perceive as leadership and their actual practice of leadership. The attributes of honesty, empathy, sensitivity and firmness have been identified by 10 and less principals. This is an indicator that at least approximately 8% of the principals are beginning to understand that the concept of leadership is increasingly calling for leaders to understand they need to be humane to lead humans. As Duignan and Macpherson (1992) so aptly articulate, principals require the capacity to empathise with the disorientation of colleagues, students and parents during times of reorganization.
The 10 attributes identified by educators to be important in a transforming school context are equally important, but below 20% of educators identified them. Of greater significance is the finding that educators observed below 15% of principals illustrating these attributes while leading schools, supporting the notion that there exists a dissonance between educators' expectations and observations of the attributes considered important in a transforming school context. This finding can be explicated by the notions that (i) teachers and principals may not share similar interpretations of the attributes and (ii) teachers may not appreciate the attributes of principals of which they are unaware. However it is important to be cognizant of the dissonance between teachers' expectations and observations of the attributes perceived or actual.
It's important to note that educators rated foresight as the number one attribute required to transform schools. This means that they look to the principal to be a visionary who can provide direction for the people and the organization. They also expect to be treated fairly and to be kept well informed about changes or impending changes. The rest of the attributes, such as being able to generate team spirit, being caring, open minded, empowering, tolerant and transparent, while at the same time being assertive, signifies that while educators want to be respected and capacitated they also expect the principal to lead the process of change. In the words of Maxwell (2002: 35): "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. Leadership begins with the heart, not with the head. It flourishes with a meaningful relationship, not more regulations."
Chapter Four: Conflicting Views On Principals As Leaders L Bhagowat
The above fmdings display an inclination to the school refonn literature, which highlights how the principal as a transfonnational leader is gradually evolving to assume not only the professional attributes but the humanistic attributes (Caldwell &
Spinks, 1992). However, an important point to consider is that certain attributes, such as self confidence, that are evident in the literature on transfonnational leadership, do not feature in Table 4.8 which ranks the 10 most highly rated attributes considered important in a transfonning school context. This would be an appropriate time to pause and take cognizance of these attributes. The ability to influence is akin to being able to lead (Maxwell, 2002; Northouse, 2001).
"The school refonn literature delineates the need for creative and innovative leadership for transfonnations to occur, a violation of the traditional rules that tend to the status quo" (Akerlund, 1988; Johns & Moser, 1989; Barth, 1990; Bennis, 1990;
Sarason, 1991; Ellis & Cranshaw, 1992 as cited in Cline & Nechoche, 2000: 154).
"The dynamic creativity that is required of deep school transfonnations necessitates an energetic principal that serves as a maverick leader" (Cline & Nechoche, 2000:
154). The above mentioned attributes introduce a third dimension to the attributes necessary for a principal to lead school transfonnation which can be regarded as creative. To lead transfonnation at the school site principals are required to explore their professional, humanistic and their creative attributes.
Having explored the attributes of principals that propel them to act as change agents at the school site, it is time to evaluate (i) how principals rate themselves as leaders of school transfonnation and (ii) how educators rate their principals as leaders of school transfonnation.