This informal CPD article on ‘Leading and Managing Schools are Distinct Responsibilities’ was provided by Asian College of Teachers, an award winning teacher training institution offering a range comprehensive pre-primary teacher training courses in Asia.
School leadership and management are the two most fundamental components of school functioning and improvement. Through research into effective schools worldwide, we know that the most successful principals and head teachers both lead and manage those working in their schools. However, school management and leadership are not the same thing and should not be mixed up.
Leadership vs. Management
Leadership focuses more on the vision, motivation, the future, and the teams and people in your school, whereas management is the backbone that provides systems and processes essential to the smooth functioning of the school. Hence, leadership and management though are very different yet the two are not mutually exclusive and are crucial for successful school development.
It is not an impossible task to be a manager and a leader at the same time; however, if someone is a great leader doesn't mean s/he will be a great manager or the other way around. True leaders are well-aware of the differences and effectively make their teams understand this through their actions.
‘Leadership’ is strategic, and includes tasks such as enhancing teaching and learning, feeding analysis and evaluation as prerequisites for development.
‘Management’ comprises of task-oriented activities, which includes writing reports, producing action plans, and various other administrative tasks.
Leadership has nothing to do with titles or personality traits
Leadership is associated with the positive trait found in people that is developed through careful planning, vision, strategy and correct decision-making that results in workforce empowerment. It has been seen that most people relate leadership with their position in an organization. However, nothing can be further from the truth as titles, management, or personal agendas do not make an individual a leader. Personality traits such as being charming or having a charismatic personality do not necessarily make one a leader.
Leadership is more like a process that influences those around to produce their best efforts toward the achievement of their goals. True leaders can influence the organisational climate and the behaviours and actions of the staff of the organization by showcasing and following professional integrity throughout.
However, leaders often face multiple challenges in the organization, one of them being to gain and thereafter maintain the respect and trust of the people they lead and manage. Leaders follow a set of their own rules, if they continuously fail to follow those and instead showcase poor values and ethics, then it will be tough for them to have people respect them and demonstrate loyalty towards them. Leaders who are inconsistent with their values and ethics in the workplace will baffle other colleagues. Good and successful schools can only happen through a leader’s clear demonstration of values and ethics.
Role of Educational Managers
On the other hand, management refers to performing pre-planned tasks regularly with the help of colleagues and subordinates. Allan Murray, CEO of Fortune Media refers to a manager as someone who “establishes appropriate targets and yardsticks, and analyses, appraises and interprets performance.” An educational manager has the responsibility to demonstrate the five important functions of management - planning, organising, coordinating, commanding, and controlling.
Educational management is all about effectively and efficiently creating and maintaining environments within educational institutions that foster, support and maintain effective teaching and learning. Managers can become successful leaders when they perform leadership responsibilities, including giving clear communication/feedback, inspiring and guiding, and motivating employees to always showcase their best abilities and be more productive in their daily functions.
Therefore, educational leaders and school managers have distinct responsibilities. A leader is more into developing the vision of the school and aligning the staff members with that vision and finally directing them towards the achievement of the set goals whereas the school managers are more into organising, allocating resources and problem solving. However, both are necessary for the success of schools.
We hope this article was helpful. For more information from the Asian College Of Teachers, please visit their CPD Member Directory page. Alternatively, please visit the CPD Industry Hubs for more CPD articles, courses and events relevant to your Continuing Professional Development requirements.
