There are many people who are leaders, some are good, some are not. I think all leaders have one trait in common – confidence. It is not a trait I readily apply as I am sometimes very shy, especially in new situations. I prefer to sit back and observe people first but I find when working in groups there is always one person who wants to be the boss, wants to take control. This is what I have observed about leaders so far. A leader is somebody who can get people to do things, to apply to their wants and desires.
A good leader:
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gets the best out of people.
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is somebody who can create a harmonious interaction where people feel that they can voice their opinions/ideas without worry of being ridiculed.
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encourages new ideas
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encourages more efficient methods of doing things
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ensures people are trained to the best of their capabilities
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listens to others
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Provides sincere, specific praise
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thanks people in the team for their effort
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is able to make decisions and takes accountability of the decisions.
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are polite
A bad leader:
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is sarcastic and belittling
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gets work done through fear/threats
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doesn’t listen to ideas – cuts people off, talks over the top of them
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uses other people’s ideas as their own
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doesn’t praise effort/work
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blames other people if things don’t work out
In my last appointment as a relieving teacher librarian (TL) I was definitely not a leader – very few people communicated with me about the library, I was not invited to any strategic planning meetings (such as literacy) and had very little influence. I think this was affected by ‘being an outsider’ – not known at that school before or knew any of the teachers, temporary appointment and past perceptions of the TL’s role and importance. I did find that towards the end of the year as I developed deeper relationships staff began to use the library more by requesting resources, however, by then my appointment was finishing. I think if I was permanent I could have built on these relationships more and encouraged greater use of the library and the TL. I am hoping through this course I will become more confident in leadership and be able to apply leadership skills more readily.
How do you feel about your leadership skills?