Balanced Leadership

Balanced leadership allows a leader to meet the needs of a school by addressing all areas, and focusing on the areas that directly promote student achievement.


According to the self- assessment I was strong in the areas of affirmation, visibility, outreach, situational awareness, involvement in curriculum, knowledge of curriculum, contingency, and ideals/beliefs. Input, Order, Intellectual Stimulation, Flexibility, relationships, discipline, and communication are areas that I need improvement in. In comparison to the Balanced Leadership assessment, the results were the same and my strong areas remained the same.

I feel that the seven areas that need improvement are important components of being an effective leader and in order to promote change you definitely need to be able to communicate with your team and students, maintain order and discipline, allow input from other leadership sources and foster intellectual growth and brainstorming amongst staff members.

The strong areas are needed as well, but without the others effectiveness may not be as tangible. I would know how to operate a school, be involved in the curriculum as well as the instruction in the classrooms, and be effective in the community but I would fall short in areas that support teachers and students and the healthy functioning of a school. All of the responsibilities are needed to create an effective leader.

According to Marzano, relationships and flexibility have a great influence on student achievement. Both of these responsibilities correlate with being in touch with your staff personally and professional. It reminds me of Herzberg's motivational model that stresses various motivators and factors having an affect on job satisfaction. If teachers and staff feel appreciated and valued at a school, their performance will be a testament to that. Through flexibility leaders are able to promote change and adapt to their environment. They grant staff the opportunity to express concerns and they are not afraid to make changes. This will help with student achievement because leaders will make changes in instruction, staffing, teaching models, and curriculum that may improve the way their students learn. By fostering positive relationships with staff members they create trust, loyalty, and comradery. Teachers and staff will be more willing to follow the Principal's vision in raising student achievement.

Relationship and Flexibility are the areas where I need improvement according to both assessments. In order to improve in Flexibility I would adapt my leadership style to the functioning style of the institution but also enforce the necessary changes needed to be effective. I would maintain an open door policy with teachers and staff and try to work with them instead of as an individual. Healthy working relationships would be fostered by getting to know my staff, their desires, teaching beliefs, and personal visions. I would develop a family-oriented team and encourage their personal and professional growth.