CHAPTER 8 TEACHING AND LEADERSHIP
2.3 LEADER AND LEADERSHIP: THE SEARCH FOR DEFINITION AND MEANING MEANING
“I’ll give you a definition, maybe.”
(Samuel Goldwyn, 1882-1974)
In order to embed this study in as firm a foundation as possible, and to acknowledge and illustrate further the prevalent difficulties discussed above, it is necessary to review the attempts that have been made to seek for both meaning and a workable and relevant definition of leadership despite the observations of Rost (1991, p.99):
21 Attempts to define leadership have been confusing, varied, disorganized, idiosyncratic, muddled and according to conventional wisdom quite unrewarding.
I turn first to Maxwell’s (1993) postulation that a leader is someone who has the ability to obtain followers. Macoby’s (2007b, p. xvi) definition, though worded slightly differently, is fundamentally similar: “There is only one definition of a leader, and that is someone people follow.”
The derivation of the English words ‘leader’, ‘lead’ and ‘leadership’ can be traced to the ancient Anglo-Saxon word laed, which spoke of ‘a path’ or ‘a road’ along which people would travel. The word laed in turn derived from the word laeden, which meant ‘to travel’ or ‘to go’. It was also used in reference to the journey travellers would take along a road or (because of the sea-faring nature of the Anglo-Saxons) across a sea. The concept of a ‘leader’ evolved so as to refer to the person who pointed out or found the way to proceed on a journey. Laed was a word common to all the northern European languages, such as Anglo-Saxon, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish and Swedish. It is a word that has reached modern times more or less unchanged. The original metaphor (and the word itself) is also to be found in the Persian and Egyptian languages, as well as in the Mashona language of Zimbabwe (Adair, 1988; Adair, 2002; Kets de Vries, 2006a).
It is of interest to compare the words ‘lead’ and ‘load’, both of which are derived from the same word: ‘loadstone’. The ‘loadstone’ (or ‘lodestone’) describes the magnetic metal in a compass that points to or finds the way north, thereby enabling travellers to be ‘led’ to their destination.
It is from this origin that certain connotations persist in terms of the word ‘leadership’, namely, journey, change, transformation, renewal and moving towards something better.
Change is endemic to leadership. Bacon (1930) has suggested that any leader who will not apply improved and different remedies to old problems must expect more problems, for time itself is a great creator and innovator. For Kotter (1990b, 1998), leadership is
22 primarily about generating change. “Good leadership moves people in a direction”
(Kotter, 1988, p.17).
The differing metaphors of leadership – one being that of the ‘head’ and the other that of a ‘journey’ – take on importance when one comes to understand the derivation of the word ‘leader’ and its common usage in the English language. Adair (2002, pp.59-60) comments:
The two metaphors have very different connotations. One is vertical and the other is horizontal. The head sits on top of the body and it is the most important member. The image lends itself naturally to a hierarchical understanding of tribes or societies […]. By contrast,
‘leader’ does not have hierarchical undertones. Leaders and followers are the same size, and on the same level.
Leadership describes the state, activities, competencies and/or functions of a leader. It is not only about the charisma-filled, remarkable performances of a few on a world stage, but it is also concerned with the daily activities of ordinary people who are comfortable with themselves, setting out to make a difference in the lives of others. Leadership can and does exist at all levels in organisations, not just at the top; the larger the organisation, the greater the number of levels of leadership that could potentially exist.
A source of considerable confusion when it comes to the word ‘leadership’ has less to do with the first part of the word, ‘leader’, and more to do with the latter part, ‘ship’.
Leadership denotes both the role occupied by an individual, as the leader, as well as the attributes demanded of the individual in that role (Adair, 2005). Bass (1981, p.7) claims: “There are almost as many different definitions of leadership as there are persons who have attempted to define the concept.” Robertson (2008, p.37) has suggested: “The definitions of leadership are many and varied […] after millennia the elusive and complex phenomenon is still giving rise to new definitions.”
Several definitions from this wide-ranging and ever-expanding list of definitions of leadership are of relevance to this study and therefore invite consideration, as they make
23 important contributions to the thinking about and understanding of the phenomenon of teacher leadership.
There is a popular and widely published ‘definition’ which simply claims that
“leadership is influence” (Maxwell, 1993, p.1). Such a definition is, however, more a synonym than a definition. A cognitive approach to defining leadership posits that it
“originates in the human mind” (Gardner, 1995, p.15) and “affect[s] the thoughts, behaviours and feelings of a significant number of individuals” (Gardner, 1995, p.84).
Such a definition resonates with the teacher’s pedagogic responsibilities towards the pupils in his/her class, as does the definition suggested and framed by Adair’s Action Centred Leadership theory (see Figure 2.1. below): “Leadership is a process in which a leader influences a group, made up of individuals, toward the achievement of a task, in a given situation, by meeting the needs of the task, the group and the individuals” (Forde, 1992, p.36). Montgomery (1961, p.11), famous for his military leadership in the Western Desert and in Europe during the Second World War, introduced a now well- used phrase that I have incorporated into the title of this study: “the beginning of leadership is the battle for the hearts and minds of men.” Covey (2004, p.98) has offered an important definition which warrants consideration in the context of teaching and learning: “Leadership is communicating to people their worth and potential so clearly that they come to see it in themselves.” Another definition (which is widely quoted but whose originator remains anonymous) that resonates strongly when it comes to the teacher-pupil imperative is: “The function of the leader is to create an environment in which all people can reach their full potential.”
Heifitz (1994, p.27) provides the following: “The activity of mobilising people to deal with their tough issues.” This is an attractive definition in a teaching/learning context in that it describes leadership as an activity that is more than just influence and that is free of the leader’s sole will. It is geared towards socially positive outcomes that not only meet the needs of the followers but also elevate them to a ‘better place’ or to “higher levels of motivation and morality” (Burns, 1979, p.20). It is also concerned with inspiration, intellectual stimulation and personal consideration (Bass, 1985), and thus incorporates the higher tenets of the transformational leadership theory (see below) whilst also encapsulating the important aspects of the other definitions mentioned. In addition, this definition reflects the African-community style of leadership, which uses
24 patient dialogue to define community needs and utilises human talent and potential so that people work happily beyond their normal contribution. Such leadership is good at
“encouraging full participation and shared leadership of every member of the community” (Ngambi, 2004, p.128).
These definitions together provide an understanding of the concept ‘leadership’ as it is to be considered in the context of the teacher in the classroom.