A leader is commonly thought of as an inspiring individual who will rally their team, support the members, and move everyone towards progress. A leader can lead a team or group of people, such as a political figure or head of an organization, or a leader can be an individual in a field, such as healthcare or education. In education, multiple leadership theories have yet to define what creates a successful leader, or for that matter, what leadership is (Workman et al, 2012). Specifically for digital learning environments, characteristics of a leader are many, and we must first look at what leadership is defined as in this field. Workman et al (2012) argue that the definition of true leadership is defined by the outcomes rather than the inputs. If the measurement of leadership in digital learning environments is the outcome, one can assume a good leader must be able to achieve progress. To avoid a tangly mess of definitions, I will move forward with my own perspective on leadership in the field of education specifically in digital learning environments. To me, a leader in digital learning environments means a key player in the field of technological education.
Digital learning environments (DLE’s) are dynamic. Constant reflection, learning, and self development are required to simply remain current in the field. To be a leader you need to be the tip of the spear, innovating, developing, and providing a path for others to follow and expand upon. Reflective leadership can lead to new insights, improved organizational performance, and is often associated with good judgement and wisdom (Castelli, 2016). Reflective leaders trust their own intuition and are often good problem solvers and critical thinkers, internal qualities that are just as important in a leader as external qualities such as knowledge or experience (Castelli, 2016). In DLE’s, I believe a reflective leader will be more mindful of their thought process and able to see success or failure as a process not an isolated event. Reflecting on the developments or changes in the field of DLE’s allows the leader to move towards successful progress, and therefore, be more apt to create more successes in the future.
Not all qualities of a successful leader are as retroactive as reflection. A leader in DLE’s also needs to be innovative. Understanding the needs of the digital environment helps to develop innovative solutions, but sometimes success comes from left field. A visionary leader develops a new ‘story’ that can be conveyed to others, fostering inspiration and personal drive (Gardner, 2011, as cited in Workman et al, 2012). Innovation is required to see changes that need to happen in the field of education and DLE’s. “If there is no grand vision upon which to base change in education, little will happen (Workman et al, 2012, p.320). Innovation in a leader can lead to new perspectives on challenges within the field of education and possibly new solutions.
The most important characteristics for leadership in digital learning environments are reflection and innovation. Workman et al (2012) discuss the importance of innovation in leadership to facilitate and support change, the need for reflection to support personal transformation, without such, leadership is simply put, management (p321). If the goal is to remain constant, then management is required; if growth is required, leadership is required. DLE’s require leaders who are innovative, reflective, and visionary to drive change in education, especially digital learning education environments.
References:
Castelli, P. A. (2016). Reflective leadership review: A framework for improving organisational performance. The Journal of Management Development, 35(2), 217-236. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JMD-08-2015-0112
Workman, T., & Cleveland-Innes, M. (2012). Leadership, personal transformation, and management. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 13(4), 313-323. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v13i4.1383
Hi Emma, I really appreciate how you explained the concept of reflection in relation to different aspects of DLE leadership. I agree that reflection can be applied to self and to outcomes. I think it is also valuable to reflect on what your team brings to the table. How do their strengths contribute to the outcomes? Where are the gaps and how can we fill it with our pool of skills? I want to connect this to Julien et al.’s (2010) discussion of Aboriginal leadership style where the role of leaders and followers are dynamic and fluid. When we reflect on existing gaps, is there way to enable a follower with the relevant skills to become a leader to drive progress in that space?
I also think that even if our goals are constant, our environment is always changing and we are growing in various ways to maintain our goals amidst all of the dynamic variables. In this sense, leadership for growth is always needed in addition to management.
Julien, M., Wright, B., & Zinni, D. M. (2010). Stories from the circle: Leadership lessons learned from aboriginal leaders. The Leadership Quarterly, 21(1), 114–126. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.LEAQUA.2009.10.009
Hi Emma and Jolee,
You both talk about the importance of reflection in allowing for a leader to look for backward – to assess both the self and the team – to find both strengths and gaps to find new ways forward. You also highlight that our digital learning environments are constantly changing, which made me think about the careful assessment we need to do when thinking about what kinds of problems we are trying to solve and how we identify those. Technology is constantly evolving, and I think at times it is easy to be convinced that a new tool might fix a problem. Leaders often need to rely on their teams to be the experts on the policies, implications for implementation, training development, sustainability, and other technical requirements. As Jolee highlights, there is a need for a more fluid and dynamic approach to roles and I wonder how our organizations can best support a more holistic and inclusive model for leadership. I think this is where reflection on process and systems also helps – and leaders and their teams need to carefully examine what educational problem they might be trying to solve. As we will explore in the next few units – examining our evidence, consulting with stakeholders and other experts and assessing readiness is also an important step in moving forward with innovation.