Understanding professional standards for educational leaders
Understanding professional standards for educational leaders as determined by experienced peers can be helpful when exploring and developing your leadership style. After reviewing the 2015 Professional Standards for Educational Leaders, prepare a chart using the template in this week’s resources to explain the following in sufficient detail with supportive references citing:
Explain at least three leadership standards you believe you have already developed and justify why.
Select at least three leadership standards you believe you still need to further incorporate into your leadership style and briefly explain how you might accomplish this leadership growth.
Length: one chart, not including title and reference pages
Sample Solution
Having been involved in several leadership roles such as fitness instructor and student council representative I believe that I have already developed three important leadership standards.
The first is the ability to make decisions quickly and accurately. Leaders are put in positions of power which requires them to make quick yet effective decisions that will benefit the entire group or organization (Lok & Crawford 2014). During my time as a student council member I had to make numerous difficult choices under tight deadlines, from establishing new policies to allocating funds across different departments. These experiences helped me develop my decision-making skills and taught me how to think on my feet while staying focused on the task at hand regardless of external pressures or influences.
Another trait that I possess is strong communication skills both orally and written. Being able to effectively communicate with one’s team is essential for any successful leader since it allows them to provide clear instructions, understand what each individual needs and also ensure everyone remains on track towards achieving their goals (Farrell et al., 2020). During my time working as a fitness instructor I practiced giving clear instructions during classes while being mindful of each participant’s abilities so they could still feel challenged without feeling overwhelmed by too much information. This skill has followed me into other leadership roles where communicating objectives concisely can save valuable resources such as time constraints or manpower costs associated with mistakes due to lack of clarity regarding tasks.
Finally, another standard that I feel like I have grasped throughout numerous experiences is maintaining an open mind when presented with new ideas or perspectives not previously considered by myself (Hershatter & Epstein‐Lubow 2018). By keeping an open attitude when approaching challenges leaders can gain insight from others around them increasing chances for successful outcomes (Fontana & Ostromanski‐Kaczorowska 2018). For example, during preparation for many events organized by student council there were often disagreements between members due mainly to differing opinions regarding how certain tasks should be completed, however we managed our way out of these impasses through dialogues where everyone listened intently which allowed us reach solutions that incorporated multiple points of view rather than just one person’s agenda.
All these standards have been beneficial in aiding me become a more effective leader over time allowing me take charge confidently no matter what kind of situation arises.