Hari Singh K.C.
Asst. Campus Chief
Southwestern State College

Visionary Leadership and Management

Leadership is the fulcrum of an institution and everything relies on it. Leadership is a skill where leader leads through example, influence and decision. Developing leadership is a long process and can take a concrete shape over a long period of time. Leadership is a process by which a person influences, inspires, motivates and directs the activities of people to help achieve group or organizational goals. Leadership has more to do with development and growth of an institution for which a leader must be capable, creative and visionary. Therefore, the approach of a leader should be guided more by a new vision and innovation than it is required in the management of an organization. Managers require to be adept at the optimal management of human and other resources of an organization. For achieving this objective, they may have to exercise a certain degree of control for keeping things in order and people in place.  So, management has less to do with dreams and visions and more to do with the management of existing human and other resources. The vision of an institution is its blueprint for what it wants to be and where it wants to go in future. The work culture of an institution and the vision of its leadership go hand in hand for the desired and timely realization of its goals. A vision without culture may not take an institution anywhere. 

Different levels of leadership process

There are different levels of leadership depending on motivation people have for following the path shown by their leader. People follow because they have to and the leader is right. People follow because they want to make a good professional relationship with the leader. People follow because as a leader you have worked for the organization in a result oriented way. People follow because they know what you have done for them and the organization. Also, people follow because they know who you are as a leader and what and who you represent. The relationship among the stakeholders is the foundation of school leadership. School principals have to go to the community to meet people and connect with them. As leaders, they should know how to connect with the parents, guardians, as well as their sub-ordinates.

How to develop leadership capacity by school leader

The success of a school relies heavily on the capacity and quality of its principal. School leaders must know how to change the negative momentum and energies of their subordinates into positive momentum and energies. As school leaders, it is their responsibility to identify what is negative or what is positive. They should also find out their weaknesses and what people want and expect from them. They should be a good listener, and should remain open to learning new ideas. Planning and predetermining the change is very necessary. It is also necessary to adjust organizational priorities and to lay out the step clearly for implementing those priorities. After going into action, it is both desirable and necessary to review progress on a daily basis. Besides, a leader must realize that doing everything worthwhile is similar to performing an uphill task and self-discipline is the key to it. It is impossible to get a success without self-discipline as it helps to turn good intentions into good actions. It is self-discipline that makes sustainable success possible. Furthermore, it enables leaders to create consistency in them and among the people with whom they have to work. Thus self-discipline is the heart and soul of good leadership.

Guide to growth through a cultivation of leadership qualities:

For a leader, to grow both individually and organizationally, there has to be the cultivation of certain leadership qualities. A leader has to shift from positional perspective to a perspective that emphasizes on potentiality. There should be more focus on relationship than rules. Leaders have to know that how effectively they lead and how they connect with people is important than their title or position. It is desirable to focus on the vision or predetermined goals of an organization. Leaders should always be ready to learn new things. If they do not know and generate something new they should be honest and frank enough to express that in front of the people. A leader must have right attitude toward people. A leader needs to stress self-awareness, self-image, self-honesty, self-improvement, and self- responsibility. Listening to people is very vital and leaders should also evaluate where they are with the team. They should not work alone but should take responsibility for energizing other people. First and foremost, a leader has to recruit the best people for the growth and development of an organization. Commitment to spending time needed for the development of leadership is highly essential. A leader should always be interactive and approachable to other people and the stakeholders of the institution. Remaining humble and teachable is equally important. As leaders may not remain in an organization forever, they should have the foresight and a plan for bestowing legacy and succession in the organization after his/her departure.

School leadership skills:

The success or failure of an organization depends on knowledge, skills and strategies of its leader. So a principal, being the leader of a school, should think very seriously about what skills and knowledge as well as what vision and strategies to implement. Leaders have to be visionary and strategic; they should focus on customers, political skills, policies, motivation, and confidence and trust. All of these are related to external awareness. In addition to this, leaders should value and cultivate creative and analytical thinking. It is a good idea for them to prioritize accountability, interpersonal relationship, oral and written communication. These skills are related to influence and negotiation. Team building is equally important and for it, a leader has to focus on network/partnership/alliances, self-direction, decisiveness, problem solving, review and change, and preparation of future leaders. These skills are related to network and partnership building. A leader should also have self-confidence and nurture ethical values. According to modern practice, leaders have to follow the principles of 80/20 rule. This means that they have to go into action for 20% of their total time and focus on the achievement of results for 80% of the time.