Leadership in Education

Essay.
Introduction
The debate over whether leaders are born or made is never ending. Many people believe that leaders
are born with characters that qualifies them to lead. On the other hand, many people believe that leaders are
made by the environment and the vision that drives them to work hard and emerge as a leader in their society.
The world has known many great leaders who have changed and influenced the world in one way or another.
Having a clear vision and being a visionary leader can be one of the way for a person to emerge as a leader. A
leader is defined as a person who is in charge of a company or an organization or even a country (Davies et
al., 2005). The difference between one leader and the other might be the style of leadership that they use. This
paper will focus on three styles of leaderships, and it will discuss their definition, the characteristics of each
style and the difference between them.
My notes: (the essay will be about the different styles of a leadership. Some people think that the leader born the
qualifies to be a leader. In my opinion the leader is made from the environment and their visions.)

Definition and description of the leadership styles

1- Bureaucratic style of leadership
Leadership styles are diverse and different, and the first leadership style is the bureaucratic style. The
bureaucratic style of leadership is one of the most important formal models that consider an organization as a
hierarchical system (Bush, 2003). (hierarchical system is like the tringle from top to down)
The idea of the bureaucratic theory was first introduced by Max Weber, who argues that this type of leadership
is the most efficient form in management (Tomlinson, 2004). It describes a formal organization that aims for
efficiency through rational approach to management (Bush, 2003). The bureaucratic style focuses on the
importance of hierarchical authority and the chain of command associated with the hierarchy. This type of
leadership style like other formal models is goal oriented with the person in charge at the top of the hieratical
pyramid. The decision-making process and the behavior of the staff in this style are directed by rules and
regulation instead of personal relationships. This style of leadership encourages the impersonal relationship
between the staff to limit any individuality in the decision making process (Bush, 2003). The jobs appointment
in this type of leadership is based on the experience and the qualification that a person has. The promotions in
this kind of leadership also depend on the expertise that is demonstrated by an individual.
In a school setting the teacher report to the head principal who is at the top of the hierarchical system.
According to Tony Bush (2003), all schools are bureaucracies, there are rules governing the behavior of the
members (P.45). The decisions and the goals of the schools are always decided by the head principle in this
style of leadership. Everyone in the school is goal oriented, and they all work for the common goal.
Bureaucracy style is used in schools by many countries including China, Poland, and many others (Bush,
2003).

2- Collegial style of leadership

The second leadership style is the collegial and it describes a work environment where the authority
and the responsibility of the work is shared equally between the co-workers who have a clear understanding of
the aim of the institution (Bush, 2003). This type of leadership relies on the decentralization of the authority by
distributing the power or the authority away from the center and to others (Tomlinson, 2004). This type of
leadership is normative, and the decision-making process is made through a discussion that end with the
consensus of all the members involved. The decisions that are being made are normally based on democratic
principles (Bush, 2003). The collegial style adopts a common set of values that the members of an
organization share while socializing during the training period or in the early professional practice (Bush, 2003).
Everyone involved in the decision-making process agrees on the common goal that limits the conflict and the
division in the work. The size of the decision-making group is an essential element in the collegial style, the
group must be relatively small to enable everyone to be heard and it must consist of people who are expert in
their fields (Tomlinson, 2004).
The collegial leadership style was first used in schools in the 1980s and 1990s when it was viewed as
the most appropriate style (Bush, 2003). In a school setting this type of leadership is defined as teachers
discussing and collaborating with other teachers to meet a common target or goal (Tomlinson, 2004). The
teachers hold the authority of expertise and can be autonomous while making decisions. However, teachers
must collaborate and share their experiences to teach and learn. In this leadership style all the teachers talk
and discuss their plans and their preparation for the lessons and classroom observations are considered
normal (Bush, 2003).
3- Transformation style of leadership
The third type of leadership style is the transformational leadership that was introduced by Dr. James
Burns (Bush, 2003). This type of leadership emphasizes on the commitments and capability of the members of
the organization. The characters of the transformational leadership are divided into four main characters that
are labeled as the four Is (Johannsen, 2014). The first character of this leadership style is the individual
consideration that provides personal attention to other that need it. The second is intellectual stimulation where
the leader encourages others to be involved in several brainstorming sessions. The third character is the
idealized influence where the leader is the role model for the others, and everyone is expected to use the
leader as an example. The final character is the inspirational motivation where the leader expects high
performance from everyone involved by motivating them (Bush, 2003).
This style of leadership was adopted by many scholars because it encourages the members to perform
beyond their expectations (Hoy et al., 2001). There are three basic function that a transformative leader must
have. First, the transformational leader has to always motivate his followers in order to achieve the highest
levels of performance possible by transforming their beliefs, attitudes and values. Second, they have a
charisma that sets a vision and instill trust and pride while working. The vision of the transformational leader is

what guides the members of this leadership style. Finally, they always try to stimulate intellectual and offer it to
their followers to get the best possible results (Bush, 2003).
In the school setting, the role of the administrators is to focus their attention on facilitative power to help the
teachers in the school to reach their possible potential. The teachers and the administrators lead by example in
the school to achieve the highest result possible. In an educational setting this type of leadership helps the
teachers growth and development and it is very effective in problem solving (Bush, 2003).
Comparing characteristics
All of the leadership styles tend to be normative ( what is accepted as normal) and can be applied in
any school setting (Bush, 2003). The leadership theories tend to be selective which means that every theory
focuses on an element at the expense of other elements for example; the Bureaucratic focuses on rules at the
expense of personal relations. Another point that all of the leadership styles have in common is that they all are
based on observations, and then they are developed into concepts.
All of the leadership styles have their strength, but they also have their weaknesses. The bureaucratic
leadership style follows the rules strictly which could ensure that there is an equality in opportunities. The rules
and regulations in the leadership style ensure that everyone is efficient and capable of the task at hand. The
Bureaucratic style is less effective in teams and unlike the collegial and the transformational style cannot be
flexible and therefore it leaves no room for creativity or innovation The bureaucratic style makes it hard for
schools to change their rules and adapt to the needs of society (Bush, 2003).
On the other hand, the collegial style is based on sharing and democracy that leads to less conflict in
the working space which increase the productivity of the employees. The main focus of the collegial model is
the decision-making process that only works when the group consists of experts. Furthermore, the
transformational leadership is based on the vision and the motivation of the leader that challenge the members
and make them work harder which improve the productivity in the workplace. The leaders inspire their team
members and always expect them to be the best at what they do. Nevertheless, the followers may find it hard
to follow the leaders vision if they didnt believe in it. Administrators can struggle and find challenges in all of
the three leadership style (Davies et al., C,2005).
Reflection
In conclusion, each one of the leadership style has it strength and it weaknesses and in my opinion it is
very important to understand each style in order to determine which style works best in different work settings.
As a future teacher and possibly an administrator, I think that it is not possible to have a perfect leadership
style because there is a flaw in all of them. However, understanding them all in detail make me think of what
kind of a leader I want to be in the future. As a teacher, I want to offer my students a support system so that
they can reach and achieve what they are capable of. I also want to offer them structures and rules to follow
because everyone needs structure. I want to be the kind of teacher who listen to my colleagues and learn from
their experiences and share my experience with them. In the end, I want to combine all of the leadership styles
and create a leadership style based on the strength of the three leadership styles that are mentioned in this
paper.

References
Bush, T. (2003). Theories of educational leadership and management (3rd ed.). London; Thousand Oaks: Sage
Publications.
Davies, B., Ellison, L., & Bowring-Carr, C. (2005). School leadership in the 21st century: Developing a strategic approach
(2nd ed.). London; New York: RoutledgeFalmer.
Johannsen, M. (2014, March 9). Types Of Leadership Styles. Retrieved Septemper 17, 2015, from legacee:
https://www.legacee.com/types-of-leadership-styles/
Hoy, W. K., & Miskel, C. G. (2001). Educational administration: Theory, research, and practice (6th ed.). Boston: McGrawHill.
Tomlinson, H. (2004). Educational management. London: RoutledgeFalmer.

Leadership in Education Questions

1. Name and describe a leader that you know.
- Sheihk Zayed Bin Sultan (God bless his soul). There are a lot of leaders that I know
about them but I choose to write about Sheihk Zayed Bin sultan because of what he did for
this country. We cannot count them even because of his hard works to develop the
country.

2. What did they do to make a positive change or have a positive influence in the
world or their community?
- Sheihk Zayed did a lot of changes in the UAE, he moved the UAE from past to modern
quickly. He worked very hard to do this changes in the country. He was adapted to face the
challenges that he may face it and the people who are arguing him in something. He had a
lot of achievements in the country and outside the country for poor countries and poor
people.

3. Name three qualities that you think they have.

Sheikh Zayed had a lot of qualities that make him a good leader which they are: - Passion, inspiration and innovation.

I.

What are the 3 styles of leadership presented in the essay?

-

I.

II.

Read the student essay Leadership in Education and answer the

questions.

Bureaucratic style of leadership

Collegial style of leadership
Transformation style of leadership

The essay states The bureaucratic style of leadership is one of the most important
formal models that consider an organization as a hierarchical system (Bush, 2003). Explain
the meaning of hierarchy in your own words.
- Hierarchy is a method in which members of an organization or society are graded
according to relative status or authority.

Who is at the top of the hierarchy in a school?

- The head principle is at the top of the hierarchy in the school.

III.

The bureaucratic model has the main aim of

- Efficient form in management.

IV.

What is a chain of command in a school?

-

Principle, Vice principle, social specialist, teachers, students, canteen workers, security.

V.

Explain a Collegial style of leadership in your own words.

- Describing a work environment where responsibility and authority is shared equally by colleagues.

VI.

The essay states This type of leadership (Collegial) relies on the decentralization of the
authority by distributing the power or the authority away from the center and to others
(Tomlinson, 2004). Explain what this means when applied to a school and give one
example.

VII.

VIII.

IX.

X.

- This mean that Collegial leadership will distribute the power to the others and will help
them. For example, in the school if the principle were collegial leadership then she/he will
deal with the other stakeholders as their friends so she/he will not be a leader on them it is
like the friends help each other.
What are the characteristics of Transformational Leadership?
- The individual consideration.
- Intellectual stimulation.
- Idealized influenced.
- Inspirational motivation.
What are the three qualities described that a Transformational Leader must have?
- Has to always motivate his followers in order to achieve the highest levels of
performance possible by transforming their beliefs, attitudes and values.
- They have a charisma that sets a vision and instill trust and pride while working.
- They always try to stimulate intellectual and offer it to their followers to get the best
possible results.
Considering transformational leadership, the essay presents the idea that The teachers
and the administrators lead by example in the school to achieve the highest result
possible. In an educational setting this type of leadership helps the teachers growth and
development and it is very effective in problem solving (Bush, 2003). In your opinion is
this an important focus for schools? Explain.
- In my opinion I think it is really important focus for the school because the type of the
leadership will help the teachers to grow and to develop. so, if the leader supports the
teachers in this way then the teacher will support the students a lot in developing their
learning.

Complete the tables that shows 3 strengths of each leadership model.

Bureaucratic
Collegial leadership
Transformational
Leadership
leadership
-

Follows the
rules strictly
which could
ensure that
there is an
equality in
opportunities.

Based on
sharing and
democracy.

Based on the
vision and the
motivation of the
leader.

Less effective
in teams.

Increase the
productivity of
the employees.

Improve the
productivity in
the workplace.

Ensure that
everyone is
efficient and
capable of the
task at hand.

main focus of
the collegial
model is the
decisionmaking
process.

Leaders inspire
their team
members and
always expect
them to be the
best at what
they do.

4. In your opinion do you think it is possible for aspects of all three leadership styles
to be used in a school in UAE? Explain your reasons and give examples to justify.
-

In my opinion I think it could be possible for the three styles of the leadership to be
used in the school but it is really important that the principle of the school take the
strengths of each style and use it in the school. So, everyone will be benefited in the
school a lot but, if the principle was not able to do all of that then it not possible to use
all three styles in the school because it will affect all the stockholders in the school.