Best Practices in Educational Leadership

Educational Leadership discuss various concepts, theories, functions, typology, style and model or approach to leadership. The most important of all is what is the best practices in educational leadership? How to boost our leadership skill?

Now, we will discuss about the field of education and educational institutions, including the characteristics and abilities necessary for leaders in education. And then, concentrate on regard to the role and functions of the principal as a leader, manager, and education supervisor.

Learning activities include the provision of information, discussions, assignments, presentations, and practice (simulation) educational leadership, such as briefing, chaired the meeting, running role in seminars, discussions, and practice decision-making.

And is also equipped with outbound activity, if the location allows, to develop an attitude of leadership and creativity. Evaluation of the results of learning is done through written tests, assignments, presentations, and performance in practice.

Happy learning se may enjoy, with the motto:

The power of the dream team:

" ‘Coming together is a beginning’,
‘Keeping together is a progress,
And ‘working together is a success’ ".

Then, what is the Educational Leadership? And why it is necessary? Each institution definitely need a leader, let alone education. Education superior beings who are able to renew the social structure of society to be more open, participatory, and take the initiative forward.

To be able to answer the questions above, we need to know and understand the sense of leadership from some of the figures:

1. John C. Max Well: Leadership is influence.
2. Waren G. Benis: Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.
3. Admiral Nimitz: Qualities generate sufficient confidence in themselves subordinates to be willing to accept his views and execute his orders
4. John R. Mott (a world leader among the students): A leader is someone who knows the way, you can continue to precede, and that attracts others to follow him.
5. Harry S. Truman (President): A leader is someone who has the ability to make others do what they do not want to do, and loved it.

So what is the real leadership? The answer ‘Leadership is influence, the ability of a person to influence others to follow his leadership’.

The leader is the ‘motor or the driving force of all the resources and tools available to an organization’. Hence, it can be said that the success of an organization achieve a goal is highly dependent on the ability of the leader and all its members to mobilize all of the devices. The purpose, the user can run effectively, efficiently and economically.

What is meant by the leader's ability is not limited to the level of technical skills (technical skills) has, but is determined more by his skill how to handle or control people. Because that leadership is influence, how does it affect a follower leader to want to work without feeling forced.

The higher the person's position within the organization, must increasingly become a 'generalist'. While the lower position in the organization he should be 'specialist'. The reason is that if a person occupying the lower leadership positions.

He should face the executors of operations, so that its main task is to provide direct assistance to the executive officer. Therefore he must master in activities that are operative.

Read also: Business Leadership Skill Every Businessman Must Have

A person who managed to occupy leadership positions higher, especially in large organizations. He increasingly separated from operational activities and the nature of its work, shifted from giving direct assistance to officers operative becomes of objective setting, formulation of policy, mobilizing the leadership group at the level of lower and think about things all over.

In every organization, there are three (3) levels of the leadership group, namely: Top - Middle - Operations; every leader at any level it work always requires two kinds of skills (skills), the technical skills and managerial skills.

Axiom that applies in this field is that the higher the person's position in the organization, he is getting less require more technical skills and managerial skills. If so, then every person who called the leader must always strive to have as many properties as possible leadership.

Because a person's leaders should not have and had never operated in a vacuum atmosphere. That is leadership in an organization is only effective if it is accepted by the leadership of the other leader.

While interpreted as 'influences', the ability of a leader to influence his followers the necessary competence possessed by a leader and needs to be developed always. A leader has a task to lead people and lead the execution of the work and moving of material resources.

To do its job well, a leader must have the following characteristics:

1# Having a healthy physical condition in accordance with its duties. Certain leadership tasks require certain health properties, such as someone in a classical sound, but the bespectacled, can not be a leader in a other.

2# Knowledgeable. Knowledgeable can not always be identified with a tertiary education. There is a group of people who in spite of high education, his eyes still limited. That is limited to the areas of expertise only.

Rather, many people are not educated, but because of his experience and willingness to "selfdevelopment" has a broad knowledge of many things

3# Have confidence that the organization will succeed in achieving the goal for a leader. Without that confidence in his actions he will appear often doubtful.

4# Knowing clearly the true nature and complexity of the objectives to be achieved. Generally, the greater the more complex an organization as well the nature and scope of the objectives to be achieved and the more complex the activities that should be implemented to achieve the objectives

5# Intelligent and eager to make strategic decisions for the task demands and circumstances. He must have the courage (take a risk) but full consideration.

6# Objective in the sense of mastering emotions and more use ratio. An emotional leader will lose its objectivity because his actions were based more on common sense, but more often based on considerations of "personal likes and dislikes", either against a person or against the use of tools that needed.

7# Being able to be fair and wise to treat others as he would like to be treated. What is meant by "justice" here is the ability to treat the staff on the basis of the staff working capacity, regardless of the views of regional / tribal, party / class, family ties, etc

8# Mastering the principles of human relations. Because human relations is the core of leadership, it is a good leader must be able to focus, action and wisdom to fostering teamwork synergis and harmonis.

9# Mastering the techniques of communication. Communicate with others, both internally and externally, verbally or in writing. This capability is necessary in continuous sharpening and if possible developed both through formal and non formal.

10# Able and will act as an adviser, teacher and head of the people he leads according to the situation and problems, he also must be able to minimize friction and love peace.

11# Have a comprehensive picture of all aspects of the organization's activities. A good leader should not favors one class or section and vice versa menganaktirikan others in an organization he leads.

He must act as a good leader and also wise in all its actions. Good leader is a proven leader composure in times of adversity, even when faced with injustice even; while the wise leader is a leader who is not buried in distress, and not arrogant.

In spite of good and wise, that should not be overlooked is the character. Diploma or educational background is certainly important, but not the most important. Skills and experience are more important, but still not the most important!

Character were most responsible for what and how the more ability it is utilized for the purposes of constructive or destructive. "When wealth is lost, nothing is lost, When health is lost, something is lost, When character is lost, all is lost"

So, the conclution of some characteristics of a leader can be identified by (1) a clear vision, (2) honest, (3) a positive mental attitude, (4) dare to try, (4) able to communicate, (5) enthusiastically and energetically, (6) establishing cooperation, (7) are ready to fight, full totality, (8) maintain the value of the trust, (9) are not easily satisfied, (10) ready to learn continuously !!!.

That are best practices in educational leadership.