Anuja Vichare

EDUC 600
Educational Platform
November 24, 2012

Leadership spans a complex framework of theories and beliefs that when synthesized,
births a personal set of values that should ultimately be the core of a leader. Through researching
leadership theory, analyzing my experiences and those of others, and much inner reflection, I
have solidly developed my own set of core beliefs and practices that mold my leadership style.
My leadership foundation is soundly based on humility, passion, confidence, and risk, all of
which are attributes of a strong leader.
My educational platform is ultimately grounded in Kouzes and Posners five practices of
exemplary leadership as described in The Leadership Challenge: Model the Way, Inspire a
Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, and Encourage the Heart (2012).
These practices serve as the structure for my current behavior as a special education teacher and
will shape my future performance as a school principal or director of special education. The
following showcases how the five practices have become embedded in my experiences and
everyday life.

Model the Way

The first leadership practice requires that a person look within themselves and clarify
their inherent core beliefs that will guide one in all further steps in leading an organization of
people. In The Leadership Challenge (2012), Kouzes & Posner state that to become a credible
leader, you first have to comprehend fully the deeply held beliefs the values, standards, ethics,
and ideals that drive you (45). As a leader, my values and beliefs must be personal and close
to my heart, but yet still appeal readily to those I serve and lead. Kouzes & Posner allude to the

idea that a leaders core beliefs should also be a commitment for an entire organization and
therefore, leaders must not only be clear about their personal guiding principles but also make
sure that theres agreement on a set of shared values among everyone they lead (45). The
following constitutes my own core beliefs as an educational leader and beliefs I hope to share
with my future staff.

Core Belief Statement of Anuja A. Vichare

1. Children come first and foremost in an educational environment. All children have the
capability and desire to learn and achieve their potential. An instructional leader must do
all they can to foster the development and growth of the children in their care.
2. Student growth, achievement, and success are at the heart of an educators desire to labor
in this profession.
3. Instructional leaders have the ultimate responsibility to cultivate a positive, rigorous, and
engaging educational environment for both students and teachers so that all parties
involved are constantly challenged to achieve.
4. Strong and effective communication is a must within a successful school setting.
Communication must involve all stakeholders (parents, students, teachers, administration,
and community) so that positive relationships can be developed and maintained
throughout the school organization.
5. An instructional leader understands and recognizes differences in learning styles,
experiences, and perspectives amongst stakeholders. These differences are valued and
fostered as key elements of collaboration and ultimate development of a shared vision.
6. A leader is a constant role model whom others can look to for support and
encouragement. A leader always exhibits integrity, humility, honesty, and compassion
towards people.

7. Challenges will present themselves often. An effective leader can stand in the face of
adversity and still resolve to remain positive and lead their school forward. In times of
difficulty, a leader is not afraid to take risks and make decisions that are necessary and in
the best interest of students.
My core beliefs have stemmed from my personal experiences within the classroom and with my
own former instructional leaders. I truly value the collaborative aspects of my role as a special
education teacher. I am able to glean insight from general education teachers perspectives and
in turn, share my own thoughts and ideas. Together, we are able to foster positive educational
experiences for students with disabilities. In addition, I had the privilege of working under an
assistant principal who exemplified many attributes of a strong leader by the way she modeled
compassion, communication, and collaboration on a daily basis. Every day I witnessed her
passion for student growth and I readily believed her vision for achievement. I have learned
much from her willingness to give advice, how she challenged my instructional abilities, and her
ability to persevere in challenging times. She modeled the way for me and it is my hope to do
the same for my future staff and students.

Inspire a Shared Vision

A vision is an organizations heartbeat, because without it, there is no life for the
organization. A vision cannot be achieved if only one person believes it. It should be what keeps
the organization and its members moving forward. In What Leaders Really Do, John P. Kotter
(1999) describes vision as something that helps clarify the direction in which an organization
needs to move (81).

Inspiring a shared vision requires a leader to spread their passion and enthusiasm to
others in an effort to cultivate a group consensus towards achieving a goal. A leader must
communicate hopes and dreams so that others clearly understand and share them as their own
(Kouzes & Posner, 2012, p. 100). Being an active listener and having the willingness to value
others ideas are keys to getting constituents on-board with the shared vision. As a future
principal, it will be my responsibility to make sure the schools vision is embedded within the
very culture of the school. Inspiring a shared vision requires finding common ground among
those people who have to implement the vision (Kouzes & Posner, 2012, p. 116). This means
explicitly detailing the direction the school needs to go and ensuring that every staff member
understands that collectively, they own the vision and play a crucial role in the implementation
and eventual success of the vision.
When I reflect back on my career, a shared vision from two of my former principals
comes to mind. Both elementary schools I have taught in have been reconstituted which meant
that after a number of years of poor performance, the schools were gutted of their entire staffs
and restarted from the ground up. Both principals understood the gravity of the schools difficult
situations and were able to create a sense of urgency, put together a strong enough team to
direct the process, create an appropriate vision, communicate that new vision broadly, and
empower employees to act on the vision (Kotter, 1999, p. 7). The staffs at both these schools
owned the vision themselves and were intrinsically motivated to move the schools forward. We
knew and accepted that in order to help our students succeed, we had to work harder than we
ever imagined. It was in the face of adversity that our staff was united under our principal as one
body forging ahead.

Challenge the Process

School leaders are faced daily with challenges that involve tough decisions. Principals in
this day and age are required to manage an ever-increasing amount of responsibilities while
maintaining high expectations for students and staff. In the current high-stakes, data-driven
educational environment where constant improvement and growth is expected, it is essential to
be an innovative, risk-taking type of school leader. Out-of-the-box ideas and unique approaches
to instruction can spur change within a school. When school change is necessary, a school leader
must search for opportunities to innovate, grow, and improve (Kouzes & Posner, 2008, p. 28).
My job as a principal will be to encourage and push my teachers to do things in new ways to
bring about change and results. My staff must understand that I will look to them to challenge
the process alongside me and my major contribution will be to create a climate for
experimentation in which there is recognition of good ideas, support of those ideas, and the
willingness to challenge the system (Kouzes & Posner, 2012, p. 20).
Working in an urban school setting in a failing school has allowed me to experience
firsthand how challenging the process works. Clearly, the status quo was not working for my
school and the principal had to find ways to change the direction of the school. This required
many courageous conversations with teachers about their instructional practices and introducing
unconventional and innovative ways for teachers and students to become more data-driven. The
schools performance data, as blood-red as it was, was shared with the staff regularly in an effort
to build a sense of urgency about the work that needed to be done. The principal challenged the
whole school body to become active participants in the forward progress of the school and raised
the expectations for all. This school was able to move from an F to a C school and the grade
was directly impacted by the staff and students ability to strive towards a common goal.

Enable Others to Act

Being a leader implies there are others present who are willing to follow you. One
cannot do it all alone. John C. Maxwell (2007) believes the stronger the relationship you form
with followers, the greater the connection you forge and the more likely those followers will be
to want to help you (116). A leader must rely on the relationships with their supporters in order
to make the shared vision a reality. Kouzes & Posner (2012) believe leaders foster
collaboration by building trust and facilitating relationships (21). As a leader, I must be willing
to let go of sole control and enable others to act on behalf of the collective organization.
Leaders enable others to act not by hoarding the power they have but by giving it away
(Kouzes & Posner, 1998, p. 31). Collaboration and trust between school leaders and other
stakeholders is paramount to the overall success of the school. When a leader establishes a
collaborative climate, creativity, progressive thinking, and genuine community are fostered.
Currently as the lead special education teacher, I have challenged myself to enable my
team members to take on more responsibility and I have encouraged them to be confident in their
ideas and instructional abilities. Because of this experience, I now see the powerful impact I
have made on my colleagues. The more that people trust their leaders and each other, the more
they take risks, make changes, and keep organizations and movements alive (Kouzes & Pozner,
2012, p. 22). I believe my team trusts me as a leader because they realize I trust them.

Encourage the Heart

It is important for a leader to remember to encourage, nurture, and celebrate others.
People need to connect emotionally as well as intellectually in order to succeed (Cordiero &

Cunningham, 2013, p. 20). Staff members who are recognized and praised for their hard work
will be more likely to continue to put forth a high level of effort towards the shared vision. A
leader will stimulate their [staffs] efforts to reach for higher levels of performance and to aspire
to be true to the visions and values of the organization (Kouzes & Posner, 2012, p. 275).
Having worked in schools that have gone through tough times, I have experienced what low
morale feels like. I have experienced a lack of encouragement and support from my principal
and know that it reflected poorly on my performance. I have also experienced leaders who
supported their staff through difficult situations and exhibited real empathy. As a school leader, I
will strive to regularly show my staff genuine appreciation for all they bring to the school. The
climate and culture of my school will reflect and foster a sense of collegiality and respect among
all who walk through the doors.

Closing
Leadership is very much a living word. It implies much more than simply being in
charge and telling others what to do. It requires constant improvement. The ability to lead is
really a collection of skills, nearly all of which can be learned and improved. But that process
doesnt happen overnight (Maxwell, 2007, p. 24). True leadership is cultivated over time,
grown from within and it should permeate through other aspects of life. The five principles of
exemplary leaders are essentially virtues to live by. Leaders within families, churches, schools,
businesses, etc. are all guided by the five principles. Leaders understand that they never stand
alone but rather are supported by relationships rooted in trust and respect.
We cannot lead others if we do not know what we believe about learning and leading
(Cordiero & Cunningham, 2013, p. 197). This is why it is imperative for me as an upcoming

school leader to seek out and clarify my core beliefs. It is when I am secure in my own values
and beliefs that I can attempt to lead others. The process of leadership is always ongoing and a
leader must commit to being a lifelong learner. The principal must be the lead learner in the
school. This means that she or he is modeling what it means to be a good learner: relentlessly
asking questions, continuously seeking assistance in strategizing how to solve problems,
constantly examining his or her own practices, inviting and receiving feedback on his or her own
behavior and decisions (Cordiero & Cunningham, 2013, p. 197).
Most importantly, true effective leaders remain humble, compassionate, and honest.
With self-effacing humor, deep listening to those around them, and generous and sincere credit
to others, humble leaders realize higher and higher levels of performance (Kouzes & Posner,
2012, p. 341). It is essential that as a school leader I remain dedicated to the five practices. My
progression towards becoming an effective school leader will always find me reflecting back to
my core beliefs to ensure that I remain on track towards continued growth and improvement.

Bibliography
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Kouzes, J., & Posner, B. (2012). The leadership challenge. (5th ed.). San Francisco, CA: JosseyBass.
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