This is a synopsis of some of my views with regard to leadership

1. Mary E. Ramos
Cohort-MED 5304
05-01-2008
Personal Leadership Style
Garland ISD/Richardson Cohort Class
Topic: Final Essay on The Personal Leadership Style of Mary Ramos
In our times of innovation and change, my personal leadership style involves a great deal
of flexibility in order to lead in messy times. I have strived to create an environment that is warm
and inviting as well as nurturing. As Michael Fullen states in his book, Leading in a Culture of
Change, I want to “foster leadership in others, thereby making themselves dispensable in the long
run”. I want to be a leader of leaders or a leader producer.
In the chaos field of education, we will be tackled with many daily problems. I agree
with the Heifetz (1994, p15 from Fullan p.3) in that we need to learn as leaders how to mobilize
people to tackle “…tough problems”. Leadership is not so much in the solutions but in getting
people to identify problems and mobilize them to address those problems. The book goes on to
discuss convergence of many ideas and skills to be effective. The one type of leader is no longer
effective in addressing many types of problems. I have added convergence as a descriptor of my
leadership styles and will revisit that later.
One component of this convergent style includes Moral Purpose. As a leader in
education, I want to create an inviting learning environment in my school community where
school is a positive place of many levels of environments coming together in a positive way. I
want to create an environment where the teachers are open to discuss ideas and to see me as part
of the team to facilitate positive change in the school environment.
Another component that is an important part of my leadership style is the ability to
understand change. In my observation, change is a given. We are in a fast changing
environment so therefore to manage it more effectively, as a leader, I must accept it. My style in
order to blend well the positiveness of moral purpose is to embrace a more Affiliative approach. I
like the idea of us as teachers and administrators working together; being on the same page. The
book coins a term of “reculturing”. To me, this falls under analyzing the changes that are
occurring within a school, assessing those changes, having the knowledge to tweak as needed and
seeking help from expert instructors for implementation.
Relationships are another area that I would develop and constantly work on. There are
cynics and negative personalities in all aspects of education. It is important to move beyond these
people and to learn to kill them with kindness, as my grandmother used to say. Schools can have
a soul. What kind of soul would my school have? A happy soul. One that was peaceful and
open for all who enter there. If my school had a mind? Its mind would be one that is as varied as
the learners that enter there with instruction and management as open minded as well. As a
leader, I could impact the school in a transformative way/paradigm shift and seek to help people
expand themselves. Ultimately, the Fullen book really touches on an idea that is transformative
that I must learn to do more of and that is Heifetz’s “respect those that you wish to silence.” I
must learn to respect the resistors and naysayers better.
In terms of knowledge, administrators cannot be stagnating. Learning is ongoing and just
as volatile as the environments that we teach in. I see myself as a knowledge sharer, not a

2. dictator. Every teacher has something of value to contribute that can aide in all students
obtaining academic success. I believe in board talks where we sit around and problem solve
together and discuss some ways to achieve certain goals. Every teacher can buy ownership into
group goals and group leading because all are involved in the process. Concerns and
troubleshooting can then be more easily addressed through the convergence of these micro-
communities within the school environment and lead to healthier problem solving dialogue.
Schools should function on the “edge of chaos” where improvement is not seen as a bad
thing but a good thing. Through letting go a little and not micro managing, I believe that I can
see the natural ebb and flow within the school and better address areas of concern or areas of
benefit. By letting teachers practice their expertise on these fringes, I can then gain knowledge
and respect in terms of letting them do their jobs. Through observation and data, I can then start
building a picture of windows of learning that are occurring and gaps that need to be filled. I
become more of a data manager to relay to teachers to facilitate improved instruction by
improved focus on specific areas.
In summary, a convergence of all of these components of leadership is a part of my
ongoing struggle to improve my interactions with my students, faculty, and the educational
community. I embrace the ideas of schools as leadership and knowledge societies that encourage
micro communities within the school culture to provide ongoing input. Small steps can lead to
great change. So, let us run towards change and embrace it as our formative reality that can be
shaped into areas of greatness and become stewards of others so that they may claim ownership
of the positive changes that are “careening” into our collective future.