The leadership of an individual depends on his/her ability to guide a group of people towards a particular goal without coercing their will. He/she accomplishes this by facilitating the positive transformation of the workplace through motivation, a flexible leadership style, excellent communication skills, exemplary work ethic and the development of relationships based on trust. A leader is a person that set high expectations and leads by example. Leading involves many more aspects of the job than management. A leader strives not only for an efficient functioning of the organization but also the recognition of new opportunities and the eventual need for the change that will allow the organization to grow. I crafted the last definition after the evolution of thoughts that I underwent from week to week during my first class in the Masters in Educational Technology Leadership program at Lamar University. This definition has continued evolving to a more complex statement as the time has passed and I have grown into a leader. For the past year, I have worked to develop the set of skills that have allowed me to come closer to become a digital leader, helping teachers integrate technology and improving student’s achievement. Currently, I invest some of my time preparing and teaching webinars using Google Hangouts on Air and Skyward (our district grade book) training. It has been a challenge, but I enjoy the fact that with every one of these challenges I learn more because this learning happens within an authentic opportunity.
Cherry (2017), said “One way to improve your leadership skills is to assess your current leadership style and think about ways in which your strengths can benefit the group you are leading. By evaluating your skills, you will be better able to play to your strengths and work on improving your areas of weakness.” After reflecting, I acknowledge that my leadership style is a mixture of a few different kinds. For example, I identify myself with a situational leadership style; I can see myself adjusting and differentiating according to the particular circumstances as good teachers do. But I would like to keep working and strive to find what the teachers need and help them accomplish their individual goals and base the relationships in trust and collaboration. The job of a leader is not static; it is continuously changing in the search for improvement. And for that reason, I will continue on the hunt for experiences and resources to better the leader I currently am to become an improved and purposely renovated version of myself.
REFERENCES
Cherry, K. (2017). What is transformational leadership? A closer look at the effects of Transformational Leadership. Retrieved October 6, 2017, from https://www.verywell.com/what-is-transformational-leadership-2795313
