INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT REFLECTIVE WRITING 1 CHAPTER 5: The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership YULIANA DEWI

The authors main point in this article is the five practices common to personal-best leadership experiences. Those are modeling the way, inspiring a shared vision, challenging the process, enabling others to act, encouraging the heart. Model the way In order to achieve the highest standards, leaders must be clear in clarifying their personal values and align the words and shared values. They need to open their heart and let people know what they really think and believe. Their words and actions must be consistent. Therefore, they set the example through daily actions to demonstrate that they are totally committed to their beliefs. For instance, Tony-Ann Lueddecke demonstrates this idea to her associates in her eight Gymboree Play and Music centers in New Jersey by sometimes scrubbing the floors in addition to teaching classes. The leaders are the ones who envision the future by imagining exciting possibilities. Yet vision seen only by the leaders is not enough to create a movement forward. They need to share the common vision with the constituents by communicating it through their language. People must see that the leaders understand their needs and have their interests at heart. Dave Praklet, who was chosen as captain of the soccer team in junior high school, inspired his teammates to always give 110% by getting personal with them and telling them how good it feels to win a league championship. Such a way ignited his teammates to work hard. The leaders are the ones oriented towards changing. That is why they search for opportunities to innovate, grow, and improve. The innovation and change involve experimentation, risk, and failure. They proceed anyway by constantly generating small victories and learning from the mistakes. Lindsay Levin, for example, found new innovative ways to transform her business when taking over her family business. The leaders must allow openness within their organization. It means that there is a space for everyone in the constituents to express their ideas which in the end will contribute to the improvement of the organization. The task of the leaders is to

Inspire the shared vision

Challenge the process

Enable others to act

enable the collaboration by promoting cooperative goals and building trust. As it allows discretion for everyone to speak up their ideas, the leaders also strengthen them. Cindy Giordano, a budget analyst for Catholic Healthcare West, would ask What do you think? and use the arising discussion to built up the capabilities of others (as well as educate and update her own information and perspective). She found out that when people are trusted, and have more discretion, more authority, and more information, they are much more likely to end with extraordinary results. Encourage the heart Another task of the leaders is to guide and encourage the people within the team. This task is performed by giving appreciation for individuals contributions. The leaders need to create contentment at work by advancing the values and victories based on the spirit of community. Terri Sarhatt, customer services manager Applied Biosystems, looked after her employees so well that at least one reported that the time she spent with them was more valuable than the rewards that she was able to give out.

In regards to the main points the authors have stated, I agree with their arguments. The arguments have informed me a type of leadership, which involves the participations of the whole members within the organization towards achieving the objectives. Even though in practice this kind of leadership includes all people to participate, there is still a personal authorized space for the leader. The leader is still the decision maker of the team. The discretion and authority given to the people result in many feedbacks that the leader needs in a decisionmaking process. Moreover, I think it is important that the leaders show that they are deeply committed to their beliefs demonstrated through daily actions. It would win respects from the individuals rather than just sitting behind the desk and tell the people to do something. When people follow the person, they would later follow the plan. Giving appreciation to individual contribution would also create a highly spirited community, which in return would contribute to the improvement of the organization and the leaders as well. Towards the contribution of the article to my understanding of educational leadership, I consider the article very practical and valuable. Working in the area of education means that we are engaged in a complex situation. There are many disciplines and various targets (in each area of discipline) that require appropriate management. Each area is typical, meaning that we need many people to cope with. Regarding these points, the five practices of exemplary leadership appear to be the ideal type of leadership that a school may need to apply. It allows the involvement of the whole members who are expertise in their own area of discipline. Such kind of practices might be useful to create a learning organization within the school.