How can individual leaders make a difference?

After discussing what it means to be a 21^st century educator and the ways in which we create 21^st century classrooms in our first leadership module with Dr. Camille Rutherford, my cohort participated in a second module that focused on how individual leaders can make a difference in the world of education. In order to begin a conversation about leadership and its relationship to learning we began by reading articles in leadership research which, in part, discussed the different kinds of leadership including transformational, moral, participative, managerial, postmodern, interpersonal and situational. Prior to this reading and our class discussions I was not aware of the variety of approaches to leadership and the different ways in which it is both interpreted and practiced. Part of our culminative task at the end of our workshop was to determine which leadership style most reflects our personal teaching philosophy and how we are going to implement this kind of leadership in our own classrooms. I am most aligned with the Moral Leadership approach that focuses on ethics, values, equity and justice. I believe it is a leader’s responsibility to bring people together and forge strong relationships that are based on cooperation, commitment and inclusivity. Leadership, for me, leads to teamwork and the cooperative building of positive communities in which to work and live; it is not about ego and the charismatic personality of one person with a group of automated, uncritical followers. As a result of my musings on leadership in this workshop I have developed a mission statement that articulates what I feel is most important about leadership and how I will actively practice it as an elementary educator:

As an Ed Tech Teacher Leader I seek to transform the lives of my students by creating a safe and inclusive space that nurtures curiosity and encourages exploration. The purpose of education is to create active and engaged global citizens and critical thinkers that are empathetic and invested in social justice.  I will use technology to facilitate new an innovative ways of communicating and creating meaningful ideas and shared visions. I will be determined and hopeful, collaborative and compassionate and I will take risks.

What are your thoughts on leadership? What kind of leader do you strive to be?