Leadership – Jennifer Oaten

I HOPE THEY……

Develop a sense of purpose

Your team know what they do and how to do it, but you can make a big difference by sharing a strong sense of why you are doing it. You can help your team develop an understanding of the team’s purpose and how their role contributes to College life. Take the time to consider what you want the team to achieve and why this will make a positive difference to the community.

Are authentic

Leadership is about being yourself and staying true to your values. Share your vision and live your values. Don’t be hard on yourself when you don’t live up to your own expectations. Reflect and learn from those times when you stumble. We all make mistakes, and they are valuable learning experiences too. Genuine humility is also a valuable leadership attribute.

Show empathy

Having empathy is crucial as a leader because interacting with others is a key part of the role. Understanding other people’s stories is an integral part of human connection, and as relationships are critical to effective leadership, empathy can help with this understanding. Building connections with all year groups and staff is important. When you understand others’ perspectives or opinions, you are more likely to accommodate their views in your decisions

Empower their team

You don’t need to know everything and be good at everything to lead effectively. Seek help from others, encourage them to take on responsibilities, and give them the freedom to be creative and recognise their efforts. Leverage people in your team with passion and skill in areas you lack. Your role is to help every team member be their best. But you are also important because you help the team be better than the sum of its parts. Great things can happen when people value the diversity in their team.

Are brave

Leadership is hard, takes much courage but also brings much joy. A leader must be courageous and have the strength of conviction to stand up for what they believe in, even in the face of opposition. A leader must be persistent and never give up, no matter how difficult the challenge may seem. Leaders must be brave and develop the confidence to speak in small and large groups putting forward ideas and proposals. Leadership requires us to be brave, say and do what is right, and respectfully challenge others’ ideas and opinions

Talk less and listen more

A leader’s job is to listen intently to what others have to say. You can show you are listening by not interrupting, asking questions to clarify and acting on what people tell you. You may find better ways to do things or hear creative new ideas by listening carefully. Leaders need to give all students a voice and be willing to change their minds.