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Applying Leadership Theories

Michael L. Blackshire

Grand Canyon University

Christy Faux

EDA Leadership in a Reform Environment

February 26, 2014

Applying Leadership Theories

INTRODUCTION

In this essay, leadership theories by one leader will be discussed and analyzed. The leader of my campus will be profiled. An analysis will be developed and described as to how using transformational leadership helps the leader to achieve the district and school goals. Transformational leadership is the primary focus of the Texas Title 1 Priority schools grant the campus received a couple of years ago. There are 7 Critical Success Factors that must be met while moving toward transformation. The nature of the leader’s role and success utilizing this theory will be analyzed.

LEADERSHIP THEORIES

Transformational leadership is one of the most essential roles in education, from top, down. Burns (1978) introduced the concept of transformational leadership, describing it as not a set of specific behaviors but rather a process by which” leaders and followers raise one another to higher levels of morality and motivation”(p.20) It is the process of interaction between the leader and the teachers as well as other staff, influencing them toward district and state mandated requirements. Leadership is the ability to provide direction toward preferred future aspirations and aligns the followers toward goals achievement (Kelly-Heidenthal, 2004). Transformational leadership requires the leader to be collaborative and one who delegates.

Collaborative style complements transformational leadership by allowing for the leader to delegate responsibility on to teacher leaders. Teacher leaders are those teachers who may want to move into leadership roles while still serving as teachers. Leadership is also defined as inducing individuals or groups to take action in accordance with the purpose of the leader. Moreover, Roussel, Russell and Swansburg (2006) correctly...