There are many types of leadership that exists in schools. If leadership is less than desirable, how does it manifest itself?
In my 8th year of school leadership, I have much to learn, but I'd be a fool to admit that everything is perfect. It's not.
Sadly, in schools and in school leadership there are bullies, many egos and the occasional school leader who is just not up to doing the job required. Thankfully it is rare, but it does exist.
The chances are, they are probably not reading this.
8 thoughts on “10 Poor Leadership Attributes”
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Sometimes poor leadership can be something as simple as setting a bad example. My dad used to call it the ‘do as I say not as I do’ syndrome.
Over 40 years in the business I have experienced all of those above. The two worst heads I have worked with are from different extremes of the spectrum. One was a quick fix promotion candidate who wanted to be an HMI. Sadly that didn’t work out and so we were stuck with him. He just stuck in his office and left us alone. The second was “go ahead”, knew everything and was tick box dependant. The first one was better as at least the staff knew what they were doing and could get on with it. The second undermined the whole school and totally destroyed trust within the school and created an atmosphere of fear. Both were removed, the first after a very poor HMI inspection, the second after a 3 day strike by staff at the school. Interestingly the HMI’s spooted the failings of the first head, but OFSTED gave the second one a “Good” rating for management a month before the strikes.
The worst attribute for many teachers in education today in UK schools is the lack of support from SMT/Leadership – teachers need their back up and a united front must be transparent to students – for example, have any teachers had a behaviour management issue in a lesson and called for/reported this to the SMT to have absolutely NO response or heard the leadership staff talk to the student ‘C’mon now darling…stand there for ten minutes sweetie’?
A dinner lady in our school canteen was shot at by a year 7 pupil with an air gun (she was not hurt but not in a union so took it no further). The head teacher came into the canteen with the boy an hour later … and purchased a chocolate bar from the vending machine for him… no apology to the lady in there whatsoever. Rude?
What about this …. a Head ( refusing to use the term leader) who appoints without advertising positions and appoints without interview crownies from previous schools without interview. Blows I
The school budget on private enterprise companies then staff have to make up the shortfall by doing hours of cover short long and e am invigilation. If you dare to
Question this system of bully strategies you are summoned into his office for the most bizarre rant . This man is out of. Control and guess what no one cares! Staff are afraid .
Sorry to hear this Sarah. Do email me privately if you need any support.
At 43 I’m new to working in schools and have recently taken a position as site ,an aged at a primary school. The whole team are a really nice and friendly bunch, then there’s the head! Not one member of staff has a good word to say about her. I’m told last year alone 12 members of staff left. In my short few months there she talks to me like dirt and expects me to be a dogs body. You cannot do right from wrong and I genuinely think she enjoys being disliked, she is no more than a bully and I would of thought someone in her position would be aware of things like that. How I have bitten my lip and am still there I don’t know. I don’t think anyone knows how to do anything about it,
I’m sorry to hear this; sadly in education, some folk let their egos get the better of them. Find another school ASAP
Our school is led by the most corrupt and Selfish district known to man. Out district is hired purely through nepotism. The superintendent even hired her baby daddy to make decisions on technology for the district. He takes pay under the table and then brings 12 programs a year for teachers to learn and integrate into our lesson plans. Our married principal slept with the instructional coach and basically gave her unlimited power to run the school as she likes. Unfortunately, she is unprepared and ruthless. On top of all of this, the school constantly threatens teachers and basically says if we don’t do what they say, they will fire people for insubordination. It is a place of fear and blatant disregard for the children. Between the new technology and constant district mandated testing, we teach a total of 6 hours a week, I barely feel like I can call myself a teacher.