Schools and university are under constant pressure. There are many different activities all going on under one roof – or even several roofs, if there are multiple campuses. It’s essential that the day to day activities of students and faculty run smoothly, that teaching is kept up to a high standard, that health and safety are priorities, and that the institution is reaching out both to the local community and on a national and international level. This is how to ensure that the institution has a great reputation, but it’s also what a leader needs to work on to make sure the institution succeeds. Read on to find out what it takes to be a leader in an educational institution.
Problem Solving
When you’re in a leadership position at an educational institution, there’s more to do than making sure everything ticks over smoothly. You will have to deal with all kinds of issues where something has gone wrong, from administrative slip-ups to an emergency taking place on your watch. Therefore, you need to know how to deal with all kinds of people and problems, and to always be prepared. Taking a higher education leadership Master’s degree will prepare you for the variety of potential issues, but it will also prepare you to be critical, and to actively search out problems which haven’t been solved, and to provide solutions proficiently.
Decision Making
There will always be multiple courses of action open to you, but a good leader will choose the right option. The policies you put in place will have an impact on every member of your institution, so you need to always see the bigger picture, research the proposals and potential outcomes, be decisive and have the confidence to do what you think is right. However, you also need to be flexible enough to recognize when you’ve made the wrong decision, and when you need to take action or be self-critical.
Communication
When you’re responsible for others, it’s essential that you have the skills to be clear and easily understood by those around you. You will need to explain the decisions you’ve made to students, parents and your fellow faculty members, and you will also have to persuade them that it’s the right course of action. To be a strong leader, you need to acknowledge that listening is just as important a part of communication as speaking, and when negotiations are required, then you need to be able to take a balanced point-of-view that takes all relevant factors into account.
Inspiring Others
Inspiration is key to education, and when you’re leading those responsible for teaching, then it’s your job to inspire and motivate those educators to pass it onto the students. Good leaders command respect because they understand that they are only one part of the team, but the part that keeps the rest of the team going. Sometimes that will mean enforcing your policies and sometimes that will mean developing the way you operate, but it will involve both creativity and endurance to keep the team inspired.
