The leadership islands
As I observed leadership in our schools it started to become apparent to me that not all leaders are created equal. So I started to pay closer attention to see if I couldn’t create in my mind some general categories for the types of leaders that I see. Mainly I’m talking about superintendents, but with some thought I might be able to apply this to high school principals also, but that’s a thought for another time.
The thing that started me thinking about this was observing a handful of superintendents that appear to think differently and behave differently than most superintendents. They tend to be younger, more innovative, and less willing to be one of the “good old boys.” In conversation they are more likely to see the need for real systemic change, and not as likely to see more money as the only solution to education’s problems.
They appear to prefer to “fly under the radar”, and implement strategies in their schools that pushed the defined limits of the system. They neither see, nor desire, the approval of their peers not in their immediate circle of professional friends. The superintendents seem destined to implement the really “out-of-the-box” thinking that may lead to real change in education. Interestingly, this seems to be a group that is growing in number. And for my money, that’s a good sign.
As I was analyzing the small group of superintendent I started to think about the other categories that superintendents might fit in. The first obvious group are those veteran superintendent’s who have emerged as de facto leaders among their peers. They are more confident and outspoken about what they believe. They tend to be very supportive of doing business as we currently do, only better. For the most part they are highly respected by their peers, and also by policymakers. They truly are the banner carriers for the profession. They inherently are neither innovative nor creating outside the bounds of what is traditionally accepted as good educational practice among educators.
The category that occupies the middle ground of superintendents tends to be made up of relatively young superintendents who agree with, and seek the leadership, and mentoring, of those veteran superintendent’s who are attempting to improve on the status quo. They appeared to be biding their time until they emerge as the veteran defenders of the system. These superintendents are very reluctant to be the initial implementers of any new strategy, preferring to follow the lead of their mentors.
Anyway, food for thought. Whether you agree or disagree leave a comment. Like I said, this is the beginning of what I think I believe 
