Strategic leadership - Davies and Davies

I like the way this article paints a picture of the strategic leader. The following factors are outlined:

• the ability to be strategically oriented

This is about considering both the long term future and the current contextual setting of the organisation/school. It is linking visions with daily work. It is about creating the strategy with others and not merely communicating it to others - this is of the utmost importance (in my opinion).

• the ability to translate strategy into action

Converting strategy into operational terms. This requires maintaining current features and leading others in defining the future of the school.

• the ability to align people and organisations

This involves encouraging a commitment to shared values. The leader's personal ideas and values are highly important here. A connection between thinking and action needs to be built. Leaders need to inlfuence through creating meanings and setting goals. This is also about altering attitudes, values and beliefs.

• the ability to determine effective intervention points

This is about not only knowing what to do but when to intervene and change direction.

• the ability to develop strategic capabilities

Rather than testing to measure short term goals, the emphasis should be on understanding teaching and learning, problem solving, assessment for learning.
* fundamental understanding of teaching and learning rather than delivering the latest curriculum innovation
* problem solving culture rather than a blame culture
* assessment for learning rather than assessment of learning

• leaders having dissatisfaction/restlesness with the present

Senge 'restlesness = creative tension'. This is acting as advocates for change.

• leaders having absorptive capacity

Essentially this is absorbing new information, learning from it and applying it. Leaders need to hav eth ability to learn.

• leaders having adaptive capavity

Having the ability to change.

• leaders having leadership wisdom

Taking action at the right time. Sternberg identifies wisdom as 'balancing interests/time frames/responses to the environment, applying knowledge for common good, infusing values. This is about all levels of intelligence - practical, analytical, emotional and social.

Strategic leaders and strategic capabilities

Reading through this article has meant that Assignment 2 is starting to make sense. Phew!

With NAPLAN happening the next week, I was struck by the section about leaders having the ability to develop strategic capabilities. This discussed the focus on testing and the short term targets it achieves.

This has become a bit of a sticking point with me since commencing this course and becoming acquainted with the concept of information literacy. NAPLAN is not allowing teachers to develop students because, let's face it, most schools are 'teaching to the test'. One of the Year 5 teachers at my school was saying that she can't wait for NAPLAN to be over so that she can start doing some 'meaty' tasks.

In the staffroom only yesterday we were discussing how rather than following the education systems of countries such as the US and the UK, Australia should be looking towards Finland, Korea (at least I think that was the one mentioned!) - those countries where the standard of education is recognised for it excellence.

We need strategic leadership to start with the government - it's hard to be a visionary, strategic leader when we are 'teaching to the test'. A test, might I add, that anyone and everyone uses as a basis for judging individual schools. To me it all seems to be the polar opposite of what tls are working towards with information literacy.