The Core Qualities of Effective School Leadership

Highly effective schools, are almost always led and inspired by highly effective leaders. The inverse is also true. Poor and ineffective schools are led primarily by those who are either mediocre or ineffective.

I use the term “almost” or “mostly” in both definitions due to a variety of  extraordinary circumstances.

As we know, there are literally thousands of books, articles and posts written about “leadership” – what it is; what its not, how it is developed, identified and achieved; and when its missing or needed. To be sure, the topic is probably the most written or talked about characteristic in industry, business, education and in virtually every aspect of society. It is deeply embedded in our human condition dating back to time immemorial.

According to most acceptable definitions, “leadership” is the ability of an individual or a group to influence, inspire and guide others toward a shared goal. As such, in order to be a leader, one must have followership.

An example of true leadership is exemplified by a description of Moses in the Bible. There we see a variety of characteristics and core attributes which truly define leadership and how one person, against all odds was chosen to successfully influence and lead the Bnai Yisrael.

Several of his core leadership attributes or characteristics included, but were not limited to: having a clear sense of purpose and direction; exhibiting empathy for the people he led; consistency, resilience and perseverance, having a keen sense of judgement, an unwavering sense of commitment, vision driven and goal oriented.

Yes there were times when Moses was challenged by his followers in unimaginable ways. But he nevertheless tried to stay the course.

Unfortunately, at the end of his life, he was forbidden to enter Eretz Yisrael. Indeed a very heavy price to pay for someone who spent his entire adult life focused on leading bnai yisrael to Eretz Yisrael.

So how is this aspect of leadership and its core values relevant our topic of educational leadership or to those who are hired  and charged with leading our schools?

Characteristics of Effective School Leadership

Not unlike managing or leading a major business of nonprofit organization, leading a Jewish day school or yeshiva today requires the same basic fundamental skills, talent and attributes. But in addition, it requires a sense of mission, and an unswerving passion and commitment help guide and direct people on a particular path or in a specific direction.

Having said that, it is imperative that our Jewish day schools and yeshivot hire senior educational leadership who not only posses these attributes but who also exhibit a sense of moral clarity. This is particularly the case when leading a Jewish day school or yeshiva which is guided by core Jewish values.

In many of my training sessions on leadership, I differentiate between the characteristics of a good leader vs those of a good manager.

My analogy, although somewhat simplistic is that a good manager ensures that a train is running on schedule; but, a good leader ensures that the train is moving in the right direction.

This analogy is one which is critical when describing the core qualities of school leaders.

There are many heads of school and principals who are excellent managers. They ensure that class schedules are distributed on time, report cards are issued in a timely manner, teachers submit lesson plans on time, the curricula being taught is age-appropriate, all faculty are observed and evaluated consistently throughout the year and that the school’s appearance, physical plant and image are impeccable.

These management responsibilities in addition to a continued requirement to communicate with parents at regularly scheduled times during the year are essential, but, they are not necessarily a reflection of a principal’s or head of  school’s leadership.

Leaders ensure quality, motivate faculty to engage in their professional development, ensure that the curriculum being taught is rich and is comprised of a confluence of instructional methodologies, ensure that grades are meaningful to parents and to students and are continuously preoccupied with the quality of chinuch and how its transmitted to students as opposed to quantity.

It is important to note that when directing a school, it is imperative that the head of school and principal manage and lead simultaneously. These are functions are critical. And, they more often than not become interdependent. Nevertheless, all management activity with zero leadership skills, and all leadership actions with no managerial know how leads to an imbalance of school leadership thereby effecting the quality and culture of the school.

The Torah and Talmud prioritizes responsibility, communal well-being and the leadership of influence over the leadership of power. It also prioritizes the importance of  humility, modesty and ultimately accountability.

According to Rabbi Dr. Jonathan Saks, z”l, there are seven principles of leadership.

They are:

1. leadership begins with taking responsibility;
2. no one can lead alone;
3. leadership is about the future;
4. leaders always learn;
5. leadership means believing in the people you lead;
6. leadership involves having a sense of timing and pace; and
7. leadership can be stressful and emotionally draining.

Not all of these core leadership values, characteristics  or principles come naturally or can be learned. This reality therefore begs the question…is it truly possible to train a person to become a leader or are there a specific set of characteristics which are innate or inherited, such as empathy, compassion and understanding.

Unlike decision-making, best practice and policy setting, “soft leadership skills” are more difficult or challenging to develop.

This reality sets in motion a host of challenges which schools must face when identifying a leader to “lead” the school. This is especially critical when schools conduct searches for either a principal or head of school.

According to the Center for Creative Leadership, there are 12 characteristics of a good leaders.

They are:

• self awareness
• respect
• compassion
• vision
• communication
• learning agility
• collaboration
• influence
• integrity
• courage
• gratitude
• resilience

Although it is virtually impossible for a school to identity a person who posses each of these characteristics, it is nevertheless essential that a school endeavor to identify as many of these attributes as possible.

In addition, each school must prioritize for itself those leadership characteristic or modalities which are  the most critical or essential  for the school’s current and future vitality, viability and effectiveness.

At the end of the day, all of our Jewish day schools and yeshivot require stellar leadership. The challenge must remain, what does that leadership look like, how is it identified and respected, and above all, is it sustainable through the test of time.

A true leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.……John Maxwell