To Lead or to Manage, That is the Question

Carly Davis
March 29, 2015
EDAD 633 School Administration and Leadership
Dr. Linda Brown

Introduction
As a principal, you have to teeter between being a courageous leader and
a tactful manager. Being a leader must be top priority because once you have
become a great leader, the management duties become easier. A manager can
make schedules and see that all staff members are making it to work on time and
following all rules, but a leader can make sure these rules and schedules flow
together and change over time according to the people they oversee. See first
that the design is wise and just; that ascertained, pursue it resolutely (Andersen,
2012). Changes need to be made overtime, but with these changes come a
watchful eye as to how the design of the change needs to be made. A manager
would keep the rules the same from year to year but a leader would change them
according to the people they reign over.
Alvy and Robbins (1998) give us a quote in chapter 10, Managers do
things right and leaders do the right thing (p. 99). It takes a great leader to see
what is right for a community, the school, and the classrooms. Of course,
managing these places is key to an effective school but showing the people you
can lead them to an educational success is an even greater quality to possess.
As a principal, I will have to find my balance between being a leader and a
manager. I want to show the community I can guide students to become
wonderful citizens among them, I want to show the staff at the school I am
behind them with whatever their needs might be to make the year a success, and
show the students leading starts in the classroom.

To be a Leader
Leadership and management exist on a fine line. It can be confusing to
differentiate the two and express when one is being emphasized more than the
other. James Tobin (2014) provides great explanations and definitions for each
concept:
Management is concerned primarily with getting the work of the
organization completed in an efficient and effective manner. Its focus is
typically on the day-to-day functioning of the organization giving primary
attention to getting the job done. Leadership, on the other hand focuses
attention on the future or what needs to be done. Its focus is on vision and
empowerment and reaching goals. (p. 2)
I will focus on leadership and the effect a good leader has on the
community, the school, and the classroom. A principal can make all the goals he
or she wants, if there are no plans created on how to achieve those goals, then
the goals mean nothing. A leader must look into the future and find what is best
for the community, school, and classroom.
Every community, every school in the community, and every classroom in
each school will have different atmospheres calling for different leaders. One
school might need a fearless leader that is outgoing and upfront, outwardly drives
teachers and students to do their best, and makes their presence known. Another
school might need a discrete leader who has staff upfront and center and plays
as the background music, giving emphasis when needed and silent when not
necessary. Some, like myself, will strive to be both types of leaders. At the

beginning of the school year I will make my presence known by going into
classrooms often, leading meaningful staff meetings, and going to as many
extracurricular activites as possible. Later in the year I will continue to go to these
events but allow staff to take the reigns on meetings and discuss what they find
important to be spoken about. I will always be there for support, but giving space
to those that like to try their own ideas as long as it guides us in the right direction
to meet all goals we have made.
Community
Kladifko explains It is a given that a principal must develop a collaborative
partnership with his/her parents and staff, but your external school environment
encompasses a much larger scope of diverse community entities (p. 54, 2013).
A leader needs to acknowledge the community they are sending the students off
into. The students will be the next generation of business owners, employees,
and parents. Students spend a lot of time at school and at school they need to be
molded into young adults that will do well for themselves in the real world. As
principal, it is their duty to instill good morals, set good examples, and show how
goals can be achieved by hard work. A leader helps guide these students to
success with the help of all the staff at the school.
Kladifko goes on to say Schools do not exist apart from the society to be
served (p. 54, 2013). Without a community to serve there is no school. Without a
functioning school, there is a non-functioning society. Schools need great leaders
to make them function properly.

I notice some schools isolating themselves from the communities they are
supposed to be serving. As a leader, the principal needs to include the
community as much as possible. Gaining their trust and incorporating them in
events will help get their support when support is needed. Schools are on a
budget and when a new football field or new seats in the auditorium are needed,
the money is usually not available. A supportive community will step in and lend a
hand when needed. This collaboration can only happen if we have leaders in
place to show our gratitude and reach out to the community.
School
From the beginning, a principal should do what he or she can to generate
excitement about teaching, the importance of the profession, and the
professional development of the faculty (Alvy, p. 169). A principal needs to lead
their staff to excel in any way possible. A great leader knows there is always work
to be done and new ideas to think up. The staff at the school needs to be excited
to be at work everyday and show enthusiasm in the classroom so students can
see how fun and exciting it is to learn. If you go to class everyday where the
teacher has a monotone voice and gives a lecture then homework everyday you
would be bored out of your mind and most likely not like the subject. I have
students who do not care for math at the beginning of the year but by the end
enjoy coming to class and learning along side their peers. They still might not be
that great at the subject, but they are at least eager to learn the material. As an
administrator, I will encourage this enthusiasm for all subjects so students dont
look at school as boring or a waste of their time.

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) place all the pressures of
student achievement and growth on the principal who then places more pressure
on the classroom teachers to ensure they keep their job (Cook, p. 2). A school
becomes extremely tense during second semester when fears of state
accountability assessments are nearing. A great leader in the school shows
encouragement and support, not desperation, during these times. My principal
does a great job of giving us as much support as possible and seeking out from
other schools what has helped their schools prosper during these times. Being a
leader at this tough time is key to success. We have to look at what is working
and what has not had success at our school and other schools and change the
teachers instruction to cater to these alternatives. As soon as we receive the
scores from the assessment, we need to start planning for the next year. Looking
at what we need to focus on more and what will help us achieve a better
success. Goals need to be made right away and steps drawn up to achieve these
goals. Only a leader can make these happen, making changes where needed.
Evidence is growing that successful school leaders influence
achievement through the support and development of effective teachers and the
implementation of effective organizational practice (Tobin, p.1). Keeping every
aspect of school seems more of a managerial duty than a leader duty. To be
organized, you must plan ahead, making the start of organization a leader
responsibility. Then, once every part is in place, a manager will continue the
organization. Setting up an organized year is tough. Several unexpected
situations will arise in the school. As a leader you need to be ready to take on

these surprises and apply what might work at that time. What works for a
classroom now might not work for it later, or might not work for a different
classroom.
Classroom
To some it might not seem that a principal needs to be a leader in the
classroom, and that it is solely the job of the teacher. I believe any great principal
should have experience in the classroom and should continue having
experiences in classrooms. James Tobin (2014) explains how a principal should
be today:
The job expectations for school principals are enormous and compel
principals to take on many roles, including the role of teacher,
psychologist, social worker, facilities manager, assessment expert,
educational visionary, diplomat, mentor, PR director coach, and
cheerleader. (p. 3)
The principal is no longer just a principal, wearing many hats in and out of
school. A leader needs to be diverse and be able to step in when ever need be. A
leader already knows the expectations of each classroom and understands how
to deal with issues in the classroom, not all circumstances call for students to be
sent to the office. Letting their presence be known outside of the principals office
and in the classrooms helps with disciplinary issues and also lets the teachers
know they are always available. The principal at my school walks through the
classrooms often and it really helps me feel more comfortable when he comes in
for an evaluation. It is also a great way to keep all of the teachers working at the

best of their abilities everyday. You never know when he might step in and take a
look.
Conclusion
Principals balance the duties of a manager and a leader everyday.
Showing the community, the school, and the classrooms they care and give
support to ensure a great education for all the students and a continued
education for the teachers. Leaders have to take on many hats and keep
everything running smoothly and in sync. Dictionary.com defines a leader as
A guiding or directing head, as of an army, movement, or political group (2015).
When a principal shows great leadership the students, staff, and community are
affected positively. Students will gain a wonderful education, staff will gain
abundant support, and the community will gain ideal citizens.

References
Alvy, H. B. & Robbins, P. (1998). If I only knewsuccess strategies for
navigating the principalship. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Anderson, E. (2012). Shakespeare: 10 quotes that will make you a better leader.
Forbes. From
http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikaandersen/2012/11/30/shakespeare-10quotes-that-will-make-you-a-better-leader/
Cook, J. W. (2014). Sustainable School Leadership: The Teachers Perspective.
NCPEA International Journal of Educational Leadership Preparation, Vol.
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(2015). Leader. Dictionary.com Retrieved from
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/leader?s=t
Kladifko, R. E. (2013). Practical School Community Partnerships Leading to
Successful Educational Leaders. Educational Leadership and
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from
http://files.eric.ed.gov.ezproxy.chadronstatelibrary.com/fulltext/EJ1013145.
pdf
Tobin, J. (2014). Management and Leadership Issues for School Building
Leaders. NCPEA International Journal of Educational Leadership
Preparation, Vol. 9 (1). Retrieved from

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