This week we got in sight into the leadership styles, a very important subject at the point that if there is an appropriate leadership style in a certain situation it can make a school succeed and if not, it can lead the educational organization to failure. As you see underneath, there are many styles, there is no best style nor worst style. What matters is the ability of the leader to choose the most suitable leadership style according to the situation of the school, the participants, and so on.
Organizational leadership is usually expressed in the effect on people's motivation to perform tasks over time, while maximizing the means of motivation and with minimal use of coercive measures.
We have four different types of leadership style
Authoritarian leadership style: has control, plans everything, is intensive, sometimes not flexible, follow rules and protocol. Gives little importance to emotion and affection, insensitive to human problems, race, gender...Loyalty is rewarded more than merit.
Participative leadership style: communicates about goals, delegates, respect diversity, seek quality, family atmosphere, respect for each member, collaboration. Learns, and is willing to make changes, and does what is best for everyone.
Transactional leadership style: "reward-dependent behaviour" which is that he or she rewards in order to affect motivation. Follows followers and actions to ensure that the work is effective. In exceptions acts with dependant punishments and corrective actions. Has a lot of organization, but does not necessarily cause improvement.
Transformational leadership style: generates feelings focusing in what is important for employees, affects performance and achievement. Has higher ideals and moral values like freedom, justice, equality, peace, humanitarianism. Shapes and motivates his or her followers. Convince followers to rise above their own interest for organization. He or she is charismatic to followers, inspiring them, considering individuals, seeing problems from new perspective. Uses significant changes in their lives, reshapes concepts and values. Has aspirations and expectations, and makes changes through inspiration. This style causes improvement. It has a more positive effect than the transactional, as it increases the motivation and satisfaction of the people influencing the performance and the input. It promotes initiatives, justice and trust. This leadership style is more appropriate in a complex and dynamic environment because of his/her intellectual changes, which imply innovations in the structure, in planning and in organization, meaning that, progress. A transformational leader also provides autonomic motivation, loyalty and commitment. His/her positively influence teachers in their motivation and welfare. But it can produce burnout.
Relationship between Value Systems and Leaderships styles of School Principals
A value system is defined as an enduring organization of beliefs and rules that assist an individual in selecting alternatives, resolving conflicts and making decisions. An individual's value system determines his hierarchy of preferences, his perception of the world, his behaviour and the manner in which he selects his information.
The main difference between people is the importance that they attribute to different values.
A value system can be classified by orientation, we have to distinguish between a pragmatic value system and a moral value system.
A pragmatic value system is characterized by competition, achievement, obedience, ambition, aggression. Principals with a pragmatical value system will adopt a transactional leadership style.
A moral value system is characterized by tolerance, contact with others and relationships,equality, friendliness, family and personal security. Principals with a moral value system are probably to adopt a transformative leadership style.
It is reasonable to assume that a school principal´s values system affects his/her leadership style.
