Today I took an online quiz on About.com psychology. This time I am more excited about my results. They really seem to go along with how much I have grown and learned as a professional. The quiz results state that I am a Participative leader. The site goes on to describe the traits of a participative leader as follows. Participative leaders accept input from one or more group members when making decisions and solving problems, but the leader retains the final say when choices are made. Group members tend to be encouraged and motivated by this style of leadership. This style of leadership often leads to more effective and accurate decisions, since no leader can be an expert in all areas. Input from group members with specialized knowledge and expertise creates a more complete basis for decision-making.
After rereading Chapter 3 of Practicing the Art of Leadership I concluded that I am a distributive leader. As I read about what qualities a distributive leader has I could relate more and more to what I was reading. Gone are the days when I felt that leaders were the ultimate authority. That especially doesn’t work in a school where everyone is highly educated and is capable of directing their own area of expertise. I especially enjoyed reading that this kind of leader allows for leadership teams to form and be in charge of decision-making, teacher monitoring, and data analysis. This type of leader makes their teachers feel empowered and in control of their own destiny. Teachers know better about what is required in the classroom. I will be aware of everything that is going on because I will ask teachers to report findings to me, or brag about findings, so that I can stay informed about what is going on at my school. I cannot wait to find out whether or not I am right about my leadership style and how will it will work in my capacity as leader.