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Implications for School Leaders

2 March, 2015 - 10:41
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The potential impact on a school which is led by someone who practices one of the theories mentioned could be powerful. Greg Brown, principal of Giles County High School in Giles, Virginia was interviewed and is currently practicing servant leadership in his own school and sees it as a positive tool to be used. Brown said that a leader practicing servant leadership "is only as strong as the faculty" (Brown, 2009). The servant leadership model for leaders can have a far reaching impact, which could affect the leader, the staff, and the entire school. Brown said that he purposefully goes around his school every morning to ask his faculty, "What can I do to help you?" (Brown, 2009). In servant leadership, this line of action is an example of the leader giving teachers the opportunity to give their views and advice about the school culture. The implications of this type of input is important because the staff feels more of a part of the decision making process and empowers them considerably. Brown believes that this type of leadership will empower the teachers and allow the faculty the feeling that they should do more and can do more both in an instructional and management way (Brown, 2009). In today's schools this type of leadership is vital because the school leader has to have an eye on many different aspects of the building. Brown believes that servant leadership will allow him and other school leaders to take full advantage of the power in numbers that a school's staff has (Brown, 2009). Brown wants to make sure that every voice is at least heard as he said, "An assertive leader will get more out of the faculty instead of a dictator. This has turned more than an 8 to 4 job for both faculty and administrators." (Brown, 2009). The fact is that the faculty wants their voice to be heard and servant leadership could be powerful force in a school when used correctly.