Educational leaders are more than just principals. Teamwork is the essence of many institutions, schools included. But without an effective school leader, teams can be left directionless, divided, or unmotivated. Strong, innovative, and considerate transformational leader types inspire future generations.
When there are more women in leadership positions, diverse perspectives are brought to the table. Women often bring a different perspective to problem-solving and decision-making. While men have had to appear to be competitive, strong, tough, decisive, and in control, women have been allowed to be co-operative, emotional, supportive, and vulnerable. This may explain why women today are more likely than men to be interactive leaders.
Female Leaders ‘Aren’t Afraid to Step Out of Their Comfort Zone.’ Strong female leaders are more apt to take chances that make them uneasy, or that aren’t the “safe” decision to make.
Leadership and communication go hand-in-hand. Great leaders can inspire their team to rally behind a cause. While men have the tendency to interrupt and use more assertive language, women more often focus on building mutual trust and support. A key contributor to this is the ability to actively listen to others and build a two-way dialogue as well as the ability to empathise with others, both of which women tend to be more skilled at than men. Women are good communicators. I actually act as a motivator and ensure that my team is empowered.
I believe that my team should work better when I’m not monitoring them and they should be self-motivated. They should work for their inner happiness and they should be motivated from within. I believe that as a leader, my role is to articulate a vision that unites team members, communicate our culture, discuss core values, foster a harmonious and inclusive work environment and inspire and motivate my team to consistently produce exceptional work.
Gender equality in education also means that the school system is inclusive, responsive, and empowering for all students, regardless of their gender. Not only does separating students within the classroom inhibit male and female students to learn to socialise with each other, but it also does not allow for non-binary students to feel comfortable and seen. So, avoid things like ‘girls vs boys’ games.
The quality of your decisions determines the quality of your life. If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, then you are an excellent leader. Maya Angelou once said, “Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women.”
Women understand that by stepping outside of their comfort zones, they create new and better opportunities for self-improvement.
