School Leadership in Challenging Times Emotional Resilience in Action NABMSE Conference John Foster Carecall

Do leaders in Education need Emotional Resilience? Understanding the nature of leadership Characteristics of effective leadership From Plato to Max Weber and Sigmund Freud “Leadership is like beauty, it is hard to define but you know it when you see it”. H. Levinson 1996, Harvard Business Review, Jan/Feb. pp 63 - 70

The Wisdom of Oz

What are the Core Constructs of an Emotionally Intelligent Leader? Articulate vision Self-awareness Resilience Empower Others Sensing Encouraging

Core Common Elements to being effective in the workplace Emotional Resilience: the ability to perform well and consistently in a range of situations and when under pressure Motivation: the drive to achieve results, balance short and long- term goals in the face of challenge and rejection Interpersonal Sensitivity: being aware of the needs and feelings of others and use this when interacting with them

What motivates each of these Cheetah Gazelle Motivation What motivates each of these every day?

Core Elements (Abridged: Dulewicz and Higgs,2002) Influence: ability to persuade others to change their viewpoint on a problem, issue or decision Intuitiveness: use insight to arrive at and implement decisions when faced with ambiguous or incomplete information Conscientiousness and Integrity: display commitment to a course of action in the face of challenge and in line with ethical beliefs

When Adversity Strikes Recognising how an individual manages the shift from the rational to the emotional aspects of leadership What is the relationship between Emotional Intelligence and the competencies to lead others? Moving from a “deficits” model to a “strengths” model

Deficit Model – A Time of Decline Dwindling staff resources Growing teacher anxiety – job security Complexity of local community needs Lessening share of school funding in Budget Decreasing public support of education sector “As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.” (1999) Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft

Strengths Model Searching for security (Dorothy) Searching for intellect/brain (Scarecrow) Searching for a heart (Tin Man) Searching for courage (Cowardly Lion) The role of the Wizard? “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” (2011) Steve Jobs, founder of Apple

Owning Our Leadership Styles

Leadership Styles Cognitive shifts as a basis for change Recognising messages beyond escapism Finding ways to harness inner strengths Team Ireland: Paralympics/Special Olympics Finding validation from internal/external sources Follow your own Yellow Brick Road

3 Dimensions of Emotional Resilience Interpretation of Adversity Past and Current Realities Future Possibilities Resilience Capacity (to tackle adversity) Personal values Personal efficacy Personal energy Actions Enact --- Employ --- Invest

The Wisdom of Oz