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It is not as simple as it would seem to narrowly define key attributes of a leader in a digital learning environment. The context alone requires a breadth of technical, social, and organization skills. Therefore, I aimed to find one attribute that would encompass key values and roles within digital learning organizations. Understanding encompasses several traits required to fulfill the role of a leader.
Understanding, defined as comprehension (Oxford dictionary) is a broad enough quality to include the knowledge required to fulfill the role of a leader. This aligns with Group B’s first value, “competent” (2021, Beeby, Grymaloski, Koval, Norum, & Stoesz). To be a skilled leader, one requires an understanding of the overall processes, tools, resources, and roles. Having an understanding is considered necessary by Sheninger in order to make effective improvements to the culture and achievement (2014). I would include that demonstrating an understanding also makes a leader more effective in dealing with or supporting other employees. For example, if an employee is requesting more resources, a leader with an understanding of that employee’s role, tasks, and processes will make a more informed and therefore more effective decision.
Beyond having comprehension, being understanding also means being “sympathetically aware of other people’s feelings” (Oxford). Aside from having understanding, being understanding can inspire others to perform optimally. This then aligns with Team B’s (2021) second and third ranked values, supportive and caring. Being sympathetic allows a leader to anticipate changes or struggles and thereby address these sooner and with greater effectiveness (Sheninger, 2014). While, Sheninger claims trust is the foundational quality of current digital leaders, trust is developed through communication, openness and sympathy. Additionally, while being able to adapt to change is important, especially in this time of the pandemic, the pandemic has also shown us that we cannot plan for each possible scenario. In most scenarios, being understanding can be used to recognize where the problems lie and to outline careful and thoughtful solutions (Khan, 2017). Khan goes on to consider the importance of leaders to recognize their followers values, struggles and responsibilities when including them in processes.
Both definitions of understanding are relevant beyond the western perspective too. An understanding of previous experiences and ingrained behaviours towards minorities (Batliwala, 2010) allows an empathetic approach to leadership. By acknowledging the past we enable greater capacity for value-driven growth and justice. A leader with understanding will be better able to take on differing perspectives (Barton, T. as cited in in Batliwala, 2010). Raising other up also follows “transformational leadership” as described by Batliwala (2010). The idea of instilling leadership in others is also recognized by Huggins et al. (2017) through distributed leadership. These lawered levels of leadership are evident in my current environment within the formal titles of Superintendent of schools to the Instructional team leader to those informal leaders that spark change or growth. For a leader to lead successfully they must use understanding to encourage leadership from others.
Effective leaders are understanding of processes, tools and are empathetic to all members of the digital education environment. This image of a leader is best described by a metaphor of the unobservable current in water. The leader guides others through obstacles towards a common goal. A leader with thorough understanding will be better at using an effective amount of pressure to suite the people and the context.
References
Batliwala, S. (2010). Feminist leadership for social transformation: Clearing the conceptual cloud. Retrieved from https://justassociates.org/sites/justassociates.org/files/feminist-leadership-clearing-conceptual-cloud-srilatha-batliwala.pdf
Beeby, K., Grymaloski, W., Koval, D. Norum, S., & Stoesz, R. (2021, February 3). Team Forums [Discussion post]. Royal Roads University, Moodle. https://moodle.royalroads.ca/moodle/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=733512
Huggins, K., Klar, H., Hammonds, H., & Buskey, F. (2017). Developing leadership capacity in others: An examination of high school principals’ personal capacities for fostering leadership. International Journal of Education Policy & Leadership, 12(1). 1–15. https://doi.org/10.22230/ijepl.2017v12n1a670.
Khan, N. (2017). Adaptive or Transactional Leadership in Current Higher Education: A brief comparison. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 18(3). 178–182. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v18i3.3294
Oxford Dictionary. 2021. www.oed.com.
Sheninger, E. (2014). Pillars of digital leadership. International Center for Leadership in Education. 1–4.
February 7, 2021
Hi Kristin,
Your characterization of leadership as understanding – both comprehending knowledge and others – through the metaphor of “unobservable current in water” to guide “others through obstacles” made a lot of sense to me. A leader in this case would need to be competent (knowing their field and organization), supportive and adaptable – building on the strengths of teams to respond to challenges. You also focused on a need to understand the past, to embrace diversity and to instill leadership in others so they can “spark change or growth.” In your own setting – what strategies have you seen to provide this kind of leadership?
February 9, 2021
Hi Michelle,
My comment about a need to understand the past stems from the contrast of my current administrator to the one I had previously. With my previous leader, we would regularly discuss past practices and evaluated their effectiveness as a team. From that discussion, we could set common goals and work more effectively together to meet those goals. Under my current leadership we don’t have that dialogue or practice and so it feels as though the leadership is more reactive than proactive. This causes a lot of frustration. I see this as a direct response to the level of effort and time put into understanding the context.
February 8, 2021
Hello Kristin,
Thank you for your article and insight. I feel many of the people I work with would echo your results as they are used to dealing with people without the knowledge and skills to navigate the digital world. One thing you brought up, coincidently, was a topic of discussion I have had with many of the leaders/teachers in my division recently. It stems from your quote:
“…second and third ranked values, supportive and caring. Being sympathetic allows a leader to anticipate changes or struggles and thereby address these sooner and with greater effectiveness (Sheninger, 2014).”
Does being sympathetic (or caring or supportive) always mean that you are perceived as helping in the constituent’s eyes? To elaborate, I mean that sometimes to support someone, you need to encourage them to complete tasks they may be uncomfortable doing or that they perceive themselves as unprepared or unwilling to complete. Likewise, does removing all barriers and not allow a consistent (student in our case) to experience hardship mean that you are supportive/caring/sympathetic?
February 9, 2021
Great questions, Mike. In the field of education, that caring and supportiveness can also be directed to our greater goal of education. My best experiences with leaders are when they look for the solution that will best suit the student. As a constituent, if a leader is able to provide sound justification for a decision then I still find that supportive of our overall goal. Furthermore, as a leader, rather than just “encouraging them to complete tasks”, can still offer supports such as running through some scenarios or outlining processes to assist them with that task. If a consituent is unwilling to complete the task, I don’t think making them do it, will end well for anyone.
February 8, 2021
Great article, Kristin. Thank you. I appreciate your definition of “understanding” as it pertains to leadership in the digital domain. Most specifically, the line “to be a skilled leader, one requires an understanding of the overall processes, tools, resources, and roles” aligns well with my personal leadership philosophy. I believe it is essential, no matter the context, to devote adequate time to support and understand the processes and the individuals within an organization. How are we to be effective leaders without an understanding of the people we aspire to lead? Moreover, and as you put, “being understanding can be used to recognize where the problems lie and to outline careful and thoughtful solutions” is excellent support for what leadership is all about; creating change through an informed approach.
I will certainly take your perspective on “understanding” into consideration as I work through the remainder of this course. Great stuff!
Cheers,
Jonathan
February 10, 2021
Thanks, Jonathan. It’s reassuring to know that my experiences aren’t isolated to just one context.
February 10, 2021
Hi Kristin,
It was great reading your thoughts on leadership. I love how you connected the readings and tied it all back to the group activity. Really made for an insightful write-up.
What really resonated with me in this was the line, “By acknowledging the past we enable greater capacity for value-driven growth and justice.” You noted on my blog’s comments that you had started by reflecting on those leadership qualities that you had found ineffective, something that I did as well. This line, I think, is an important part for anyone in leadership or studying leadership to note because not only do we need to reflect on what we have experienced, but as leaders we need to reflect on what others might have experienced from us, to acknowledge the effective and the ineffective in order that the process and the relationship, the community, can grow and move forward in a way that benefits all as Julien et al. note. 🙂
February 12, 2021
Thanks for your thoughtful addition to my post. I think starting with what we don’t want a leader to be is an important first step as long as we follow that up with building the skills we do want to see in a leader.
February 10, 2021
This is a beautifully written article, Kristin. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
Your statement of “a leader with thorough understanding will be better at using an effective amount of pressure to suite the people and the context” was particularly impactful to me. As I reflect on the leaders who have successfully and effectively press on or ease off the pressure when needed are usually extremely observant, empathetic, and experienced. In your experience, what other qualities would contribute to “thorough understanding will be better at using an effective amount of pressure”?
Vanessa
February 12, 2021
Thanks for your comment, Vanessa. In order to adequate provide that pressure the leader will also have to be an effective communicator and have the other social skills with his or her constituents. What other qualities to you see as necessary?