Leadership

In the last few weeks I have been thinking hard about what makes a good leader and how can I become one. It started when I went to a Soroptimist breakfast and several female leaders spoke about being bosses and how being female affects their leadership styles. I realised that being a leader is something that I've been trying to do in my professional life and that I actually need to reflect on this as much as anything I do in the classroom. So I've come up with 6 things I have observed in great leaders.

1.  Of the amazing leaders I have worked with one of the most important things I have noticed is that they build people up. They support people to achieve and be the best they can be, and they aren't worried that you will be too good and take their job.

2. Accept responsibility, if you make a mistake own it. This was something told to me a few years ago and it has stuck. If you accept responsibility then you can move forward, it clears the air and remarkably you get a lot more respect for it. Tried this on both sides this definitely works.

3. Honesty, seems obvious but telling the truth to people is really appreciated.

4. Consistency, if you know where you stand it is lovely. Some of the best leaders I have worked with have been consistent in their attitudes but happy and willing to change their ideas if they are given evidence.

5. Actions, they say that they are louder than words. A good leader will be the first to action something. They will be the one who if they ask the whole staff to learn something they will be the one who asks how to do it first.

6. A good leader isn't threatened by someone who is better than them at something. This one is hard and sometimes it's easy to get threatened if someone is better than you at a particular job. Hopefully they will be better than you and you will get an awesome leader who will support you in the same way you've supported them.

I'm not sure if women make better leaders but I do know that we make different leaders. I can't copy the styles of some of the great leaders I have worked with but I can get tips from what they do. Trying to copy someone else's ideas has never worked, but sharing good practice will always be in style.
Sometimes the leaders I have learnt from have been fellow teachers, sometimes they have been students. I have learnt a lot from watching and interacting with truly amazing people. Hopefully all this leadership malarky will rub off at least a little.