The work of educational leaders depends on relationships with people--faculty
and staff members, students, other administrators, parents, and community members. This book
presents a new way of viewing leadership: how to become person-centered leaders. Rather than
relying on outdated ways of managing schools, principals and other leaders must take up the
challenge of paying attention to the people issues of the school.
Through many examples, the authors show how school leaders must
- consciously seek the appropriate type of data to respond to;
- increase their capacity for empathy;
- develop healthy personal self-concepts; and
- learn how to develop healthy self-concepts in others, both students and teachers.
School leaders also should be committed to a broad purpose for schooling, should be informed
about how their beliefs and behavior influence the organization of the school, and should be able
to participate in interactions with authenticity. They also must be able to help create authenticity
in their school organizations.
In these ways, school leaders will create schools that are learning organizations for everyone.
Universities that prepare future school leaders should spend more time developing leaders who
are person centered in their approach to leading schools. This new way of thinking will require
leader preparation programs to change their priorities for curriculum, academic activities, and
field experiences.
