1.
Influence -
Leadership is an influence relationship. Influence
is the ability
to persuade others through dialogue about the merits
of an idea
or action. Dialogue requires that the one speaking, as well as those
listening, must remain open to differing opinions
and perspectives. Influence and dialogue
must remain non-coercive because the overall effect of the work is
directed towards bringing people into the leadership
process, not driving them
from it. People will participate and work towards
common goals if they are truly
given the opportunity to define the work and their contribution to the
efforts.
2. Collaboration - collaboration
is the ability of people to create relationships,
partnerships and
alliances to work together to make school environments
safe. Consider this! Fear has been a prime motivation
factor in both private and public organizations
since the institutionalization of bureaucracy. However,
people
acting out of fear will not collaborate or if they
do so will acquiesce with minimum effort. As already
mentioned safety and trust are the glue that hold
the leadership relationship together fostering the
collaborative
effort. It is a simple fact that in order to have
a collaborative effort the relationship must be based
on safety and trust. Without safety and trust there
is no motivation for people to want to collaborate.
Collaboration provides the impetus to those involved
to move from individual influence to collective
confluence
creating plans and actions that are effective.
3. Consensus - Consensus is the ability
to build a substantial accord on plans, policies
and actions
of the leadership dynamic. Consensus is arrived
at through the use of influence in a collaborative
environment.
Consensus differs strongly from compromise. One
of the prevailing foundations of compromise is that
each
party is going to have to give something up in
order to reach agreement. While this is not a bad thing,
it is a choice made only when consensus cannot
be reached.
The underlying message associated with consensus
is that there is a greater good than one’s own
most immediate need. Consensus moves decision making
from
intense self interest to the realm of the common
good. Creating a safe school environment is of
vital interest
to the common good. |
