Due: 48 hours before your first coaching session.
Ko ngā pae tawhiti whāia kia tata, ko ngā pae tata, whakamaua kia tina.
The potential for tomorrow depends on what we do today.
Module Objectives:
Upon completion of this module, participants will be able to:
- Identify their personal leadership strengths and areas for development.
- Set goal(s) with their kaiarahi to capitalise on strengths and work on areas for development.
- Identify what success will look like for the aforementioned goals and create an action plan to meet these goals.
Fundamentally, we (GCLA) believe that the best leaders lead out of who they are. Therefore, pop knowledge/thinking that encourages ‘fake it till you make it’ ideologies is juxtaposed with the very essence of the National Aspiring Leadership Programme, and how it is engineered.
Resources:
21 Century Leadership (The Innovator DNA)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=Hy4oQh_Qyto&feature=emb_logo
Robertson, J. and Earl, L. (2014). Leadership learning: Aspiring principals developing the dispositions that count. Journal of Educational Leadership, Policy and Practice 29(2) 3-17.
https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au/bitstream/handle/10072/68835/102356_1.pdf?sequence=1
Analyses the reflections of over 200 participants in the National Aspiring Principals’ course to show the inter-relatedness of leadership capabilities, and the keystone roles of moral purpose and of supporting the capacity to be a change agent in developing leadership.
Simon Sinek: The Issue of Trust
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmyfDfCc3_0
Robinson, V., Hohepa, M., & Lloyd, C. (2009). School Leadership and Student Outcomes: Identifying what works and why. Best Evidence Synthesis Iteration [BES]. Wellington: Ministry of Education.
http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/topics/bes/resources/spotlight-on/spotlight-on-leadership
The Educational Leadership Capability Framework (2018) describes a set of core capabilities to guide leadership development in different spheres of influence, in early childhood education services, kura and schools. The educational leadership capability framework was developed for the Teaching Council by NZCER.
https://teachingcouncil.nz/assets/Files/Leadership-Strategy/Leadership_Capability_Framework.pdf
Task: Part 1
Open the following Google Document and make a copy. Reflect on each element of the Leadership Capabilities Assessment, indicating where you believe you are at on the continuum and a few notes in the ‘Term 1’ column to explain your thinking. This will form the basis for your first coaching session with your kaiārahi. We ask you to share this document with your kaiārahi 48 hours before your first coaching session.
Task: Part 2
What leadership capabilities would you describe as requisites for you to be most effective in your current leadership context – and why?
Please take time to read and reflect on the attached links before responding to the provocation in the comments. Your response should be 150 words or less.
Assessment:
- Self-reflection throughout the module.
- Discussion, goal setting and action planning with kaiarahi.
- Post on forum for Task 2.
- Peer feedback and discussion within the online forum.
6 Responses
I personally resonate with “Building and sustaining high trust relationships” the most. The document describes building and sustaining high trust relationships as the heart/core of quality leadership; this reminds me of Simon Sinek’s notion of “leading with a genuine heart”, which emphasizes the importance of empathy and authentic connection in leadership. My leadership style has been shaped by those who have led me to inspire, to think bigger, to be curious, and to lead by example – because there is trust. This foundation allows for open communication, honest feedback, and a shared sense of purpose. It fosters an environment where individuals feel safe to take risks, contribute their best ideas, and collaborate effectively. Consequently, problems are solved more efficiently and teams achieve greater collective success. Maintaining this trust ensures that the relationships built are not only strong, but also genuine and enduring.
Hi Emma
Upon reflecting on the resources and identifying which requisites I believe are needed to be most effective in my current leadership roles, I believe that “CONFLICT AND CRISIS, COURAGEOUS CONVERSATIONS” and “LEADING CHANGE” from the leadership capabilities framework are very important areas for my leadership across my roles. These have been on my radar for myself with personal development and leadership development over the last while, that I have been trying to focus on.
I also believe that “change management” is an important part within my role which I am keen to develop further. This is due to the nature of my roles and working across schools with many different kaiako with different systems and practices already happening within their own schools.
So sorry for the late response with this one, I was a little confused on which part to write where but have figured out it is written here 🙂
I try to think about them as a person, their personalities, their moods, etc., to help me understand their answers and know what I need to or can do. I also try to value everyone’s ideas and where they have come from but keep the goal or vision in mind. It is also important to know when we can agree to disagree or when you may need to have a changing conversation with that person.
Unfortunately, the following video is unavailable:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmyfDfCc3_0
It was interesting to read about pedagogical leadership. While I believe all these aspects are important—setting clear educational goals, planning the curriculum, and evaluating teachers and teaching—none of this can be truly effective without first building strong relationships. Relational trust is essential.
The idea that “we are in the waka together” resonates with me because, without trust, collaboration becomes difficult. I also recognize that, at times, no matter what you do, people may not always agree.
I believe I have high trust in my team, but the leadership qualities I think I need presently are:
Instructional Leadership Capabilities
Pedagogical Knowledge & Curriculum Leadership – Understanding effective teaching strategies and guiding curriculum development.
Coaching & Mentoring – Supporting teachers in their professional growth and development.
Evaluating Teaching & Learning Practices – Assessing and improving instructional strategies to enhance student outcomes.
as well as Data-Driven Decision-Making – Using evidence and data to inform teaching and learning improvements.
This is why I love being in the classroom—I am on the floor, seeing firsthand what is happening and how to implement expectations effectively. When introducing something new to staff, I ensure they have time to prepare before implementing it.
The students know that I have their backs and that I will always support them whenever I can.
After watching the video about innovators, I initially found it challenging to identify my leadership style.
As a developer, I am developing skills in planning, organization, self-discipline, and accountability. I am also improving my attention to detail, as I recognise the importance of clear communication to ensure others understand my ideas. However, I naturally tend to be more of a big-picture thinker.
In terms of discovery skills, I am learning to enjoy networking more and working collaboratively to solve problems. One area I know I need to work on is questioning, as I was raised not to challenge people in authority.
Absolutely, Elleen. Relationships really do underpin everything. I also agree with you about people not always agreeing. I wonder what you do in that situation? Maybe it is when you are communicating a decision someone else has made, which you may not even agree with either (which can be the case for middle leaders). Or maybe everyone in the team, but one person, agrees with a decision. Or perhaps there is someone who never seems to be on the same page as you, no matter what it is! I wonder if anyone else in the team can add their insights here….