Summer 2018
Administering Human Resources: How My Leadership Style Advances Positive HR Practices”
Introduction
The life plan was to stay in the world of Applied Behavioral Analysis, conducting verbal behavior therapy with students with autism at the University of Nebraska, eventually pursuing developmental psychology. This plan changed dramatically when I was offered a position on the island of Bermuda as a consulting ABA therapist. As, I found myself consulting with teachers and conducting professional development with schools that I learned how critical it was that I gained more classroom experience. So, I pursued a graduate degree in Early Childhood Special Education, later earning another degree in Cognitive and Behavioral Disabilities at Nova Southeastern University in Florida.
This career took me all over the world training teachers, consulting with schools, and conducting ABA therapy after moving to Japan as my next home base for three years after the four years in Bermuda. I decided to move to Idaho in 2012 and completed my MAT at George Fox University and was the last cohort to finish the program before they closed their Meridian campus. I worked for two years with Vallivue School District creating an elementary intensive behavioral classroom before deciding to accept another position in Bermuda. I taught for another three years in Bermuda before moving to Kodiak, Alaska and teaching in a kindergarten/1st grade looping classroom.
My leadership goals are to collaborate with leadership to construct an effective RTI system and to work within the department of instruction as a mentor teacher, but not in the role of instructional support. I desire to merge special education with general education and have a mentor classroom modeling behavior management and differentiation techniques for teachers. My strength is analyzing data and perhaps the desire will come to move into special education administration, one which I’m open to, but don’t have right now.
Given my background in teaching and my desire to mentor new or struggling teachers, I gravitate primarily to the instructional leadership type. My foundational training before entering the education field is in behavioral analysis, which gives me a unique perspective to be able to look at a situation or learning environment and analyze the operating factors which should be changed to increase student or teacher success. This analyzing tendency is also reflective in my character described by Jeffrey Glanz as “Dynamic Assertive” (2002), which Glanz details a Dynamic Assertive as one who analyzes situations and are the instruments of change. Currently, teachers in my building seek advice from me regarding instructional practices and collaboration difficulties with partner teachers, because they know I will work with them to construct the most effective strategies to solve issues which they come to me with and I maintain discretion, so they know that our growth conversations are truly between us.
Influence of Research on Leadership Style
Effective leaders make student success pivotal to their work and principals need to be participants in the learning process in order to shape and encourage the implementation of effective learning models in their schools. “Instructional leadership is based upon the theory or premise of a school leader using his or her experience, education, training, and skills to improve instruction in the schools, and the teaching and learning process” (Smith, W. and Andrews, E. adapted by M. Poe). An instructional leadership style leader doesn’t just encourage professional development, they participate with their staff in the professional development. Instructional leaders must communicate the vision of the school and the school district, even in those times when they personally do not agree with that direction. The greatest strength in the instructional leadership style is that the principal strives to be a presence in the school and are personally involved in the improvement of their teacher’s. In a study by Gentilucci and Muto (2007), students identified principal approachability, interactive classroom observation/visits, and instructional leadership behaviors as direct and extremely influencing instructional leadership behaviors of their principals.
School achievement is directly correlated with school leadership (Waters & Cameron, 2007). Working in a small district, I’ve seen the moral change with each transfer of leadership, which directly influences the schools’ adaptability to grow. That is, just as leaders can have a positive impact on achievement, they also can have a negative impact on achievement. When leaders concentrate negatively on teachers or miscalculate the magnitude of the change they are attempting to implement, they can negatively impact student achievement. Waters and Cameron described “balanced leadership” as leaders properly identifying and focusing on improving the school and classroom practices that are most likely to have a positive impact on student achievement in their school. Leaders also needed to adapt their leadership practices to reflect the magnitude of change they are leading. It is the responsibility of leadership to research and know the right thing to do.
Waters, Marzano, and McNulty (2003) identified 21 leadership responsibilities that are significantly correlated with student achievement in a McRel meta-analysis study. Their findings indicated a substantial relationship between leadership and student achievement. The top ten leadership responsibilities with the greatest correlation (in order importance as determined by the study) are as follows:
1. Situational awareness – The leader uses information of how schools work to address current problems and problems that may arise.
2. Intellectual stimulation – The leader makes sure staff is mindful of current theory and practice and provides opportunities for discussion of best practices.
3. Change agent – The leader does not settle for the ―status quo by continually initiating change, even when outcomes are uncertain.
4. Culture – The leader promotes sense of belonging through shared beliefs and cooperation.
5. Outreach – The leader is readily available to all stakeholders.
6. Monitors/evaluates – The leader monitors school practices and effects on
learning.
7. Order – The leader maintains routines and operating procedures for the school.
8. Resources – The leader ensures staff has necessary materials, space, equipment, and training for classroom effectiveness.
9. Ideas/beliefs – The leader has strong ideals and beliefs about educating students.
10. Affirmation – The leader routinely celebrates school success and acknowledges
failure when warranted.
The twenty-one leadership practices included in this meta-analysis will aid principals in using their limited instructional leadership time on factors that directly influence student achievement (Gentilucci & Muto, 2007). Situational leadership occurs when leaders place emphasis on the task and the amount of empowerment on the teacher’s they are leading, depending on what is needed to complete a task successfully. This theory proposes that principals choose the best course of action based upon situational conditions or circumstances. Different styles of leadership may be more appropriate for different types of decision-making. According to Hersey and Blanchard there are four types of leadership styles: telling, selling, participating, and delegating (Hersey & Blanchard, 2010). These four types of leadership styles are to be used at varying times, and in accordance with the employee’s competency and commitment, and the group’s maturity. For example, in a situation where the leader is expected to be the most knowledgeable and experienced member of a group, a telling style of leadership might be most appropriate. In other instances where group members are skilled experts and expect to be treated as such, a delegating style may be more effective. The main idea in situational leadership is that the principal is helping their staff professionally grow as much as they are able to. This style of leadership is effective in the school culture because it is essentially a problem-solving style while concurrently striving to grow the learning community within the school. Teachers are opinionated and vocal about topics and an effective principal would be able to distinguish between what is necessary and what could be open to further discussion. Principals cannot always make everyone happy, it won’t happen and if they strive to make that a goal, failure will occur. Adapting this leadership style would also offer an alternative to my natural instructional leader tendency, because I am an analyzer and reflective. I look at situations or data and analyze the most efficient way of achieving growth while providing professional learning communities. Perhaps my leadership style will transform to a true hybrid of situational leadership and instructional leadership due to my initial training as an applied behavior analyst. Jeffrey Glanz’s description of the Dynamic Assertive leader of being “trendsetters and revolutionaries, basically they are only looking to control their lives, not the lives of others. They know what they believe in and why, and what they don’t believe in and why. They are conceptually creative and process oriented” (2002). This description of my character style is one which reflects being driven for improvement and school efficiency, a positive change for the whole group, while not seeking to be the leader of the group. In my formal evaluation this year, my administrator noted that I research before making decisions and am reflective on when I share my personal opinions and research, that I do not jump on bandwagons nor am spontaneous in my leadership style. This is also accurate of Glanz’s Dynamic Assertive leaders, but I also be aware of leading the teachers which have the direct opposite character of my own, those who desire immediate change and make emotional decisions. This will be an area of growth and challenge for myself as I strive to be an instructional leader. Conclusion Research has shown that an effective leader has the ability to increase student achievement by the way they manage and lead others. An effective leader has the ability to interpret their surroundings, to decide what needs to be done, and to analyze the results of their actions. As I find myself working in a school district which is in recovery from poor leadership and just completed the first year with new leadership, I am a witness to how effective leadership directly impacts both teacher and student achievement. In my three HR interviews, each person mentioned that communication, providing feedback, and happy staff is a duty of leadership, which is reflective of the situation which my school district is in. But, it is also reflective of the needs which will be present when I move into greater roles in leadership and to understand what has been communicated to me to enable a positive change to occur. My leadership style is truly a blend of theories, as I analyze and adapt to ensure the most positive outcome for change.
References
Blase, J. , & Blase, J. R. (1994). Empowering teachers: What successful principals do. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press
Hersey, P. & Blanchard, K. (2010). Hersey-Blanchard situational leadership theory.
Leadership-Central. Retrieved from http://www.leadership-central.com/situational-leadership-theory.html#axzz4DIHib2Sf
Marzano, R. J., Waters, T., & McNulty, B. A. (2005). School leadership that works: From research to results. Alexandria, Va: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Smith, W & Andrews, R. (1989). Instructional leadership: How principals make a difference. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Adapted by M. Poe.
Gentilucci, J. L., & Muto, C. C. (2007). Principals’ influence on academic achievement:
The student perspective. NASSP Bulletin, 91(3), 219-236.
Glanz, J. (2002). Finding Your Leadership Style: A Guide for Educators. Alexandria,
VA.:Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development (ASCD)

Waters, T. & Cameron, G. (2007). The Balanced Leadership Framework Connecting Vision with Action. Denver, Colorado: McREL