Leadership Case Study

Developing Trust

Aspects of the Problem 1.  The superintendent has not built a trusting relationship with the principals.  He has not shown that he trusts or relies on them.  In fact, the decision he has made regarding their roles could imply the opposite.  He has not modeled transparent leadership; instead he has called the principals to his office and sprung this mandate on them without any prior indication of his position. Action to be Taken 1. The superintendent will revisit his decision and admit his mistake in his approach.  He will invite his principals to a meeting for an open discussion about his reasons for the decision.  He will discuss his background as a principal, so they know he identifies with them.  He will conduct the meeting in a relaxed manor while sitting at their level.  He will then solicit their opinions about his conclusions, be open to their viewpoints and listen actively to their concerns.

Vision

Aspects of the Problem 1.  The superintendent may have a vision for his district, but it is not a vision that is shared or supported by the principals.  His vision does not coincide with the beliefs of the principals in that they are educators and not managers.  He did not allow for adequate planning, nor did he establish trust amongst his principals before taking this action. Action to be Taken 1.  The superintendent will re-examine his vision for the district and ensure that vision is shared and supported by his followers.  He will start by attempting to establish a shared trust amongst his principals.  He will conduct a series of meetings in which he will promote a positive climate using proven group dynamic methods.  He will solicit their views of the vision and how it aligns with their schools.  He will use data-driven assessments to create opportunities that will support the vision rather than short-term solutions to a current issue.

Decision Making

Aspects of the Problem 1. While the superintendent may feel there is a need for his decision, he did not go about making the decision in an appropriate manner.  He did not identify or consider any alternatives, nor did he collaborate with the persons who would be most affected by the decision.  He used the autocratic strategy for making the decision in that he made the decision alone.  He may have felt the need for urgency since the school year was impending, however, he failed to consider the principals’ buy-in and should have collaborated with them in order to garner support. Action to be Taken 1.  The superintendent will communicate to his principals that he has decided to withdraw his decision in order for them all to further study and evaluate the situation.  He will use a collaborative approach in which he and the principals will work together to define the problem.  They will perform assessments in order to collect data presenting the scope of the problem.  They will brainstorm possible alternatives and evaluate those alternatives.  Finally they will decide on one alternative as the solution.  The principals will then be charged with determining a timeline and a means of implementation.

Communication

Aspects of the Problem 1.  The superintendent’s communication with his principals was one-sided.  He summoned them to his office with no communication as to the reason.  He passed out the new guidelines and asked for questions or thoughts, but he did not respond to any of their concerns. Action to be Taken 1.  The superintendent will take time to reflect on his communication skills and commit to developing an efficient two-way communication system with his followers.  He will study and practice effective listening skills.  He will allow for different methods of communication:  one-on-one, email, meetings, etc.  He will establish an open-door policy.  Finally, he will survey his followers to ascertain the efficiency of his communication methods and take action to improve any weaknesses.

Conflict and Issue Resolution

Aspects of the Problem 1.  The superintendent avoided conflict by not acknowledging the objections of the principals and not responding when there was conflict amongst them.  The individual principals are not aware of the roles and duties of the other principals and so are unable to understand their positions.  Action to be Taken 1.  First the superintendent will address the issue of role conflict.  Principals will study the job descriptions and performance expectations of their own and other positions in the district in order to understand the scope of those positions.  Second, the superintendent will address the issue of his own style of managing conflict.   Avoidance is only acceptable when it is necessary to delay confronting an issue.  In performing the actions noted above, the superintendent will confront any conflicts and use them as an opportunity to further establish trust and understanding of opposing sides.  He will ensure that all concerns are heard and will work for a resolution that will address all sides of the issue.

Motivating and Developing Others

Aspects of the Problem 1.  The superintendent believed that the principals would be relieved by the fact that they would no longer have to keep up with observations and conferences, and he might have thought this would be enough to motivate them to work together as a committee and buy into his decision.  However, his lack of consideration for their opinion as to their own needs belied any true effort on his part to consider using effective motivation strategies.  Action to be Taken 1.  First, the superintendent will take the actions outlined above to improve communication in order to foster an atmosphere of trust.  Next, he will task the principals to ensure that the assessments performed in the decision-making actions also address the needs of the principals and their own followers.  The superintendent will reflect on these needs and determine the best way to meet them.  As the principals begin to trust the superintendent again and understand that he is determined to address their needs, they will be more motivated to follow his lead.

Group Processes

Aspects of the Problem 1.  The superintendent did not model effective skills in conducting meetings.  He did not convey the purpose of the meeting beforehand, he did not respond to the principals’ comments and objections, nor did he take action when there was a conflict. Action to be Taken 1.  The superintendent will communicate the subject of each meeting and distribute agendas that will include the time, purpose and location.  The agenda will include time for presentation of concerns.  The superintendent will use listening skills learned in the communication actions above.  He will establish rules for the meeting so as to allow for the voicing of concerns but to discourage interruptions and conflict.  However, if conflict does arise he will address it using an appropriate conflict resolution style.

Leadership Style

Aspects of the Problem 1.  The superintendent uses a directive leadership style, giving the principals no say in the outcome.  Because of this, the principals show very little support for the mandate. Action to be Taken 1. The superintendent will study the different types of leadership style in order to employ them in a timely and effective manor.  He will adopt a collaborative style for the duration of resolving this issue.  He will be open to the ideas and suggestion of the principals.  He will empower the principals and encourage their cooperation by delegating responsibility.  He will continue to practice the listening and communication skills learned in the communication actions above.  He will continue to build trust by practicing transparent leadership.

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Ethical Use of Power

Aspects of the Problem 1.  The superintendent has exerted the misuse of legitimate power.  He has used his power as superintendent to make an autocratic decision and does not empower the principals by giving them authority to be involved in that decision. Action to be Taken 1.  The superintendent will take the time to get to know the individual principals.  He will learn their background, their philosophies and allow them to get to know him.  He will find ways to work with them in other areas in order to communicate his belief in their value to the district. He will work toward a shared vision with them individually and as a whole.  At this point, if the superintendent has been able to rebuild the trust of the principals, he will be in a position to exert the good use of referent power in order to ethically meet the needs of the district.

Culture and Climate

Aspects of the Problem 1.  The superintendent did not take into account the culture and climate of the individual schools his decisions would affect, nor did he consider the climate of his own staff of principals. Action to be Taken 1.  The superintendent will conduct appropriate assessments in order to ascertain the climate and culture of his staff of principals, as well as the climate and culture of their individual campuses.  The superintendent will address the concerns outlined in those assessments.  Further, by following the actions indicated in the trust and communication sections above, the superintendent would endorse an atmosphere of trust, and in doing so, help to develop an improved culture and climate.  Finally, the superintendent will appropriately address conflict as it arises in order to ensure a climate of mutual respect and commonality.

Change

Aspects of the Problem 1.  The superintendent has not made sharing information a priority, and he has not taken steps to ensure that all involved understand the change and the reasons behind it.  He charged the principals with the responsibility of making sure the changes took place before ensuring he had their full understanding and buy-in.  He did not address their concerns about the change, nor did he give any guidance as to how the change would take place. Action to be Taken 1. First, the superintendent will effectively communicate the reasons for the change and ensure that all those affected understand those reasons.  Next, he will outline the steps for the change and a timeline in which those steps will take place.  The superintendent will then communicate the new expectations in regard to the change and solicit feedback.  The principal will continue to practice communication skills outlined above in order to facilitate that feedback and to continue to build a culture and climate of shared trust.

Evaluation

Aspects of the Problem 1.  The superintendent based his decision on his past experience as a principal, recent reading and a review of the schools’ programs.  However, the superintendent did not use an established or data-driven evaluation method to arrive at this decision. Action to be Taken 1.  The superintendent will study and develop skills in the area of collecting and analyzing data.  He will work collaboratively with the principals to establish the definition of the issue.  They will use this definition to create an assessment tool for the collection of data regarding the issue.  After a full examination of the data, the superintendent and principals will be able to analyze the issue and take necessary steps toward its resolution.