Envisioning Leadership
Identifying a challenge that evokes your passion, understanding its historical and contemporary contexts, and bringing together the community of people needed to respond to this challenge - these are essential steps that make change possible. What kind of person is needed to lead such efforts? What characteristics make an effective leader?
Throughout your program of study, you have been encouraged to think about leadership. You have met, via video and audio podcasts, many inspiring and committed leaders in the early childhood field. This week, the Learning Resources have encourage you to delve even deeper into the characteristics of leadership.
Now, think about the early childhood field and the various situations that call for leaders to interact and work effectively with families, colleagues, organizations, government agencies, etc. Consider the thinking and characteristics that stood out for you from the reading you just reviewed. Then, identify four characteristics you believe to be the most essential for leaders in the early childhood field today.
Read carefully and answer the questions.
List of four leadership characteristics selected from this week''s Learning Resources that you think are essential for leaders in the early childhood field today and why you think each is vital.
Three mind-opening realizations about leadership that struck you from the Learning Resources this week. (Be sure to tell the reason(s) these caught your attention, and cite your sources).
Resources
Mind Tools, Ltd (2011). Leadership styles: Using the right ones for situation.
Scott, D (2005). Leaders on Leadership: How do you envision leadership in early care and education in 2015? YC: Young Children, 60(1), 20-22. Retrieved from Walden Library using the Education Research Complete database. Document: Chapter 9, "Transformational Leadership." (pp. 171 - 190) (PDF).
Northouse, P.G. (2010). Leadership. Theory and practice (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. Document: Chapter 10, "Authentic Leadership" (pp. 205-224) (PDF).
Zero to Three (2011). Three building blocks of reflective supervision.
Langford, R. (2010). Theorizing an early childhood educator''s authority for the advancement of social goods. Alberta Journal of Educational Research, 56(3). 291-303. Retrieved from the Walden Library using the Education Research Complete database.
Mind Tools. (2011). How good are your leadership skills?