1. Developing your leadership potential
Specialist Leaders of Education training How to choose the right leadership style to support others and deal with resistance effectively

2. Developing your leadership potential
Aims
The aims of this session are to:
know as a specialist leader of education how to get your foot in
the door in new schools
understand the reasons for and types of resistance and how to
manage conflict
identify the right style of leadership in supporting others 2

3. Developing your leadership potential
Common issues
Arrogance - that won’t work with our pupils
Poor communication and misunderstanding about the support
Blame culture
Feel this is being done ‘to’ rather than done ‘with’-
no trust
Unprofessionalism
I’m more experienced and better qualified - no credibility
Disagree about the need for change
Disagree about roles 3

4. Developing your leadership potential
How to establish trust
Empathy
Intimacy 4

5. Developing your leadership potential
Top tips for gaining credibility
Do:
come across positively to others
present yourself well
lead by example
be a decision-maker
exercise objectivity
take stock
work with others
communicate
plan and organise
attend to the little details
Don't:
be afraid to fail
oversell and under-deliver
avoid challenges
pass accountability onto others
give people a reason not to trust you 5

6. Developing your leadership potential
Managing resistance: blocking
Detail
Timing
Practicality
Illusion of control
Aggression
Confusion
Silence
Intellectualising
Blaming
Agreement
Dissipating problems
Solutions 6

7. Naming the resistance Being quiet Picking up on cues
Developing your leadership potential
Peter Block: managing resistance
Naming the resistance
Being quiet
Picking up on cues
Block, P., 2011, Flawless Consulting,
3rd edition, Pfeiffer 7

8. Developing your leadership potential
Which leadership style? 8

9. Developing your leadership potential
What type of leader am I?
The leadership questionnaire focuses on the following 12 areas:
Decision-making Response to mistakes and errors
Sharing information Attitude to risk-taking
Delegation Approach to conflict
Autonomy Developing people
Standards of work Communication
Management of change Availability
Consider the implications of what the results are telling you. In what ways can you change or enhance your leadership style? 9

10. Developing your leadership potential
Four leadership styles 10

11. Developing your leadership potential
Leadership styles
Tell
Manager makes decision and announces it.
Tell is an autocratic style in which the leader gives specific instructions and monitors staff closely. It is most useful when the team cannot tackle the task unaided, is unwilling, new or has suffered a previous leader who allowed standards to deteriorate. It is the style most people accept in a crisis.
Sell
Manager makes decision and then sells the decision to the team.
Sell is a persuasive style, in which the leader gives clear direction and supervises closely but also explains decisions, encourages suggestions and supports progress. It is most useful when motivation is lacking. It is also the best style where a task is non-negotiable but where the team's motivation is vital to achieve the results required. 11

12. Developing your leadership potential
Leadership styles
Consult
Manager presents ideas and invites questions. Manager presents tentative decision subject to change. Manager presents problem, gets suggestions and makes decision.
Consult is a collaborative style in which the leader discusses the task and listens to the team's ideas, taking them into account as he or she makes the key decisions. It is most useful when the team has sufficient skills and competence to make a contribution but where the leader feels a need to retain control. That need can result from an imbalance between the team's competence and the risk involved in the task.
Empower
Manager defines limits and asks group to make decision. Manager permits subordinate to function within limits defined by superior.
Empower is a facilitating style in which the leader allows the team maximum responsibility. It is most useful when the team is competent and has a positive attitude towards the task. You can let the team get on with it and use this style as an important part of the team’s development. 12

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The apprentice 2011 13

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Leadership tips
Be authentic.
Be flexible.
Be aware of different approaches
Use your emotional intelligence.
Strike a balance.
Don't be scared to experiment.
Seek feedback.
Ask for formal support. 14

15. Developing your leadership potential
The blob tree 15

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References
David Brent video clip; Catherine Tate and David Tennant video clip
Available on YouTube
Peter Block – Managing resistance
Block, P., 2011, Flawless Consulting, 3rd edition, Pfeiffer
Leadership styles introduction and questionnaire
Good Practice for Leaders resources, accessed through National College website
Tannenbaum & Schmidt – continuum of leadership behaviours
Tannenbaum, R., and Schmidt, WH., 1958/1973, How to choose a leadership pattern, Harvard Business review
The Apprentice
BBC, 2011
The Blob Tree
Ian Long and Pip Wilson, 2005 16 16

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Further reading
‘Good Practice for Leaders’ resources available through National College website (login required):
on Peter Block and resistance:
on leadership styles:
on credibility and trust:
on resolving conflict: 17

18. Developing your leadership potential
Evaluation
www
ebi 18 18