Leadership, management, supervision, evaluation, and influence are four aspects of administration worth investing time contemplating and deeply understanding.
As a teacher, it was the term, “teacher leader”.
School administrators frequently hear the terms “manager” and “leader” used with varying degrees of accuracy and specificity. When used interchangeably, the result for an administrator is an ambiguous interpretation of what is expected of the role.
This may lead to one striving to understand and improve, as he or she struggles to define their purpose, while scrutinizing daily practices, patterns, trends, and habits.
There was never a clear distinction as a I pursued credits towards my administrative license. It often depended on the instructor. Some focused on the management aspects of the work, including the responsibilities involving strict daily management of tasks and processes. And others spent their time on more global and philosophical viewpoints, as they applied to people and results. Rarely was there a clear distinction drawn between leadership and management. All were vague.
Then, there’s supervision, evaluation, and influence.
In my experience, supervision lends itself more towards management. People following “the rules” or “the expectations” as laid out by “the manager”. If clearly articulated and messaged, these aspects of the management of people’s behaviors may be supervised.
Influence is a term and an idea that may fall under “management” as well, but in a slightly different manner. Systematic and more prescribed intentions allow an administrator to influence decisions, and in turn, outcomes.
Clearly communicated expectations, supervised to the desired outcomes, will achieve outcomes aligned with the organization’s purpose, vision, and mission.
In the last two decades, I’ve made lots of mistakes...and I’ve learned from them all.
And while, at times, I’ve allowed myself to be mildly obsessed and at times, distracted by these thoughts, I’ve also come to the realization of the importance of making decisions and taking actions that result, ultimately, in having an impact.
I’ve got half a lifetime’s worth of examples of these, that I’d like to spend some time sharing, unpacking, understanding, and learning from others’ feedback.
My latest thought has been surrounding a quote from Jim Collins, in an interview with Ryan Hawk, host of the Learning Leader Show podcast.
Many who follow Collins know that, while he is a prolific thought leader and writer on leadership, it is rare to find his work shared in podcasts, as he is quite selective when he agrees to participate in one of these discussions.
When asked to define leadership, Collins cited the words of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who said,
Leadership is, “…the art of getting people to want to do what must be done”.
As I progress in my work as an administrator, I return, often, to this quote. Often, I process decisions I make and my "leadership moves" through these words.
What quote or words of wisdom permeate your actions, and drive you to be better?
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