Leadership and Management in Early Years Education.

Through addressing obstacles to effective leadership, the authors show why traditional leadership theories do not work in early childhood. They make the point that discussions about leadership have been too restricted by the traditional tendency to align leadership to the position of the manager of a setting. Waniganayake proposes a new model for distributive leadership – in her model she proposes that several people can simultaneously fulfil a leadership role in the same early childhood pre-school setting. In proposing a distributed leadership model for early childhood these researchers are exploring new ways of defining leadership in early childhood: their work reflects changing views of such leadership.

Kagan, S L, and Hallmark, L G (2001), ‘Cultivating leadership in early care and education’, Child Care Information Exchange, 140: 7–10

Community aspects of leadership are emphasised by Kagan and Hallmark, who suggest that leadership in the early years can take the following forms:

• Pedagogical leadership, forming a bridge between research and practice through disseminating new information and shaping agendas
• Administrative leadership, which includes financial and personnel management
• Advocacy leadership, creating a long-term vision of the future of early childhood education. This involves developing a good understanding of the field, legislative processes and the media, as well as being a skilled communicator
• Conceptual leadership, which conceptualises early childhood leadership within the broader framework of social movements and change.

The authors stress that these different elements may require contrasting styles of leadership, and different types of leaders. They show that more training in these areas is needed. They see a strong political role for leaders in the early childhood sector, and envisage community leadership as a core competency.

Larkin E (1999), ‘The Transition from Direct Caregiver to Administrator in Early Childhood Education’, Child and Youth Care Forum, 28(1), February 1999, pp 21-32(12)

The most challenging aspects of leadership were to do with professional isolation from a peer group. The separateness of their role caused them tension, especially as they were working to be responsive and nurturing at the same time as having to be an authority figure. The author concludes by recommending ways to improve the preparation of ‘child care administrators’. Someone to act as a sounding board and someone to act as a mentor would have been valuable assets as they learned their new roles. A combination of theoretical knowledge and practical experience was perceived to be helpful.

Muijs, D, Aubrey, C, Harris, A, and Briggs, M (2004), ‘How do they manage? A review of the research on leadership in early childhood’, Journal of Early Childhood Research, 2(2), 157–160

This article reviews the research on leadership in early childhood, highlighting the ‘paucity of research’ in a context where there is a heightened potential for leadership development. Reporting that effective leadership is widely held to influence outcomes for children, the authors find that research on leadership in the early childhood sector is limited. The authors attribute this lack of research in part to the context of early childhood itself, where role definitions even for those in leadership positions reinforce the need to be good practitioners, educators and ‘child developers’ first.

Muijs et al find that theorising about leadership in early childhood is limited and does not naturally connect to leadership theory from other educational sectors, nor to a market or business model. A distinctive early childhood approach to leadership is called for by the literature they have reviewed. Further they find that the complexity of the early childhood sector and recent developments in this field call strongly for effective leadership strategies, not least because of the evidence that children attending early childhood settings show better long-term outcomes. They report that a number of studies show that organisational climate is strongly related to leadership.

Osgood J (2004), ‘Time to get down to business? The Responses of Early Years Practitioners to Entrepreneurial Approaches to Professionalism’, Journal of Early Childhood Research, 2(1), 5–24

Implications of policies introduced in the early childcare and education sector by the New Labour Government after its election in 1997. Included in the Government’s agenda are guidelines to embrace more commercial approaches to childcare management to ensure childcare services remain financially viable and sustainable. It is shown that the (almost entirely female) sample of childcare professionals in Osgood’s two studies are opposed to ‘these masculinised’, ‘new managerialised’ policies and that this commercial approach is deemed to be inappropriate in the early childhood sector. It is argued that the quality of childcare provision would suffer if business principles of profit making and competitiveness were applied. It is suggested that the top-down application of business approaches to the management of early childhood care and education settings does not do justice to the community-oriented, collaborative and caring nature of this sector.

The author articulates that recent government policies promote individualism and competitiveness and that these are in conflict with the non-competitive, collaborative community-orientated approach adopted by early childhood practitioners. It was found that early childhood practitioners are highly dedicated to their profession and are willing to make sacrifices when it comes to pay and benefits. They are devoted to enhancing their professional skills and knowledge and are keen to attend training. An emphasis on care, enhancing child development and supporting local communities as opposed to developing business skills and making profit is paramount. Practitioners feel they play a significant role in the local community and adopting business approaches in the field would be detrimental to encouraging community-orientated practice. Although they contest the entrepreneurial policies favoured by the Government, practitioners feel powerless and think they are unable to resist adoption of commercial approaches in the long run.

Rogoff, B, Turkanis, C D, Bartlett, L (2001), ‘Community of learners; Adults provide leadership and encourage leadership in children as well, in Learning Together: Children and Adults in a School Community, New York: Oxford University Press

• Sharing a philosophy of practice: to establish what a leader and his or her team believe is important
• Considering the trade-offs between efficiency and the time and energy needed for collaborative learning and decision making
• Finding ways to use conflicting views and change as learning opportunities.

Scrivens, C (2001), Leadership in early childhood: National reflections. Paper presented at the New Zealand Association for Research in Education Annual Conference, Christchurch, NZ, 5–8 December, 2001

Scrivens reports on a research study undertaken in New Zealand as part of the International Leadership Project which is being administered in 18 countries worldwide.

The author states that views documented in this report can be linked to other studies in early childhood leadership research; the early childhood leader is found to be supportive, collaborative and professional. In addition, early childhood professionals work in concert with an ethics of care; for children, staff, families and the community. This paper specifically documents on the responses of New Zealand early childcare leaders in relation to the following questions:

Many managers/leaders emphasise the importance of supporting staff, teamwork and working with parents. These aspects were manifest in the responses of supervisors in this study as value enhancing and developing their knowledge and skills. They deem their own and their staff’s personal and professional development to be of crucial importance to improving the quality of the service they provide. Working collaboratively is also referred to as being essential. Finally, advocacy for the centre’s children, families and staff is seen as imperative.

Scrivens, C, and Duncan, J (2003) What decisions? Whose decisions? Issues for team leaders in decision-making in New Zealand childcare centres. Paper presented at Our Child, The Future, Adelaide, Australia, 5–8 May 2003

Scrivens and Duncan report on their project which looks at the process and issues of decision-making by team leaders in New Zealand childcare centres. Early childhood leaders were asked two main questions:

• Describe the decision-making that you are responsible for in your own centre.

Siraj-Blatchford, I, Sylva, K, Muttock, S, Gilden, R, and Bell, D (2002), Researching Effective Pedagogy in the Early Years, London: DfES

This report looks at the features which make for effective pedagogy in the early years, as found in the effective Provision of Pre-school Education Project (EPPE) (Sylva et al). All of the case study settings in this study were found to have sound leadership, good communications, and shared and consistent ways of working amongst the staff. Where parents became involved in educational leadership and worked with children’s learning at home, child outcomes were strong. The EPPE Project found a strong relationship between the qualifications of the centre manager and quality of service provision in early childhood settings.

Whalley, M (2002), Early years leaders involving parents in their children’s learning, Creative Waves. Discussion Paper on Future Schools, National College for School Leadership, presented at BERA, 2002

It is crucial for leaders and staff to be reflective and willing to develop their own practice. Improved co-operation of early childhood professionals with parents as part of that will mean a big step forward for children’s learning and development.

Whalley, M, Whitaker, P, Wyles, G, and Harris, P (2005), An Enquiry into the Impact of a Leadership Development Programme on Leaders of Integrated Early Years Centres, Derby: Pen Green

Pen Green Research Centre, under the leadership of Margy Whalley, developed a Leadership Programme. This study investigates the effects that the programme had on those integrated centre leaders who took part. Further, the study sought to establish the impact of their learning on the centres they lead.

Good partnership working creates an experience for families that feels seamless, with tailored support based around their needs. Children’s centres adopt different approaches to ensure that every part of the community, regardless of ethnicity or faith feels that they can really help them. Consultation with local communities is an essential ongoing activity to ensure that services reflect the needs of all fathers and mothers, and are improving continuously. Centres should involve parents actively in the design and delivery of services as an effective way to:

  Build stronger partnerships with the local community

  Develop their confidence and skills

  Increase the community’s capacity to improve local outcomes and quality of life.

Sure Start was one of the Labour government’s most ambitious attempts at tackling extreme deprivation and the cycle of social exclusion in the UK.

Sure Start has focussed on the health and welfare of children under the age of four (and their families) in areas of high socioeconomic deprivation.  The aim has been to give children the best start in life through service provision to support them and their parents (Barnes et al 2005).  

Sure Start Local Programmes (SSLPs) were locally defined, but every Sure Start had to contribute to the following set of objectives:  

• To improve children’s health;

• To improve children’s ability to learn;  

• To improve children’s social and emotional development;

• To strengthen families and communities (Eidenstadt 2002).

To meet these goals, every Sure Start Local Programmes (SSLPs) had to offer a core set of services to parents that lived within their catchment area.  

• Outreach and Home Visiting

• Support for Families and Parents

• Support for good-quality play, learning and childcare experiences for children

• Primary and community health care, including advice about family health and child development

• Support for children and parents with special needs

However, the precise activities and services provided by each SSLP was not defined centrally, but by context-specific parental demand for local services

As Sure Start was a long-term investment in child health and in tackling social exclusion, the government recognised from the outset that its effectiveness would only be known in the medium- to long-term, and that evidence of ‘what works’ would, in time, feedback into the design and implementation of SSLPs (Eidenstadt 2002).

Sure Start has certainly had its fair share of problems (Glass 2005). Arguably, there have been shortcomings.  First, whilst Sure Start focuses on the most deprived areas of the country, not all children living in poverty reside in these areas. What about children living in poverty in relatively affluent areas? The tight geographical targeting caused problems and conflicts within local authorities and between different stakeholders. Moreover, in some cases these conflicts were exacerbated by the high levels of parental participation and involvement in governance of centres, opportunities that were not available to parents in non Sure Start areas.  Second, that the multiple stakeholder approach to service provision was problematic at the national level, despite working well at the local level. The initial partnership between health and education ministries was abolished, and control switched to the Department for Education and Skills. This change reflected a shift in thinking from a resolutely child-centred perspective, to a approach which emphasises training, work and childcare – what Glass (2005) refers to as the ‘employability agenda’.  Many Sure Start programmes have suffered from a lack of male staff in programmes (Meadows et al 2006).  Overall, this was reflected by a lack of involvement/ engagement by fathers (Lloyd et al, 2003).  

The Childcare Act 2006 imposed duties on local authorities to improve the well-being of young children in their area and to secure early years services for families.

Bennis (1989:17) argues that ‘leaders learn by leading and learn best by leading in the face of obstacles’

Different types of leadership

•  Consultative: In this style the leader confers  with  the group members  before taking decisions and, in fact, considers their advice and their feelings when framing decisions. He or she may, of course, not always accept the staff advice but they are likely to feel that they can have some influence. Under this leadership style the decision and the full responsibility for it remain with the leader but the degree of involvement by staff  in decision taking is very much greater than telling or selling styles

•  Democratic: Using this style the leader would characteristically lay the problem before his or her subordinates and invite discussion. The leader's role is that of conference leader, or chair, rather than that of decision taker. He or she will allow the decision to emerge out of the process of group discussion, instead of imposing it on the group as its boss (the Joining style).  

What distinguishes this approach from previous discussions of leadership  style is that there will be some situations in which each of the above styles is likely to be more appropriate than the others.  

•  Selling: The selling  style would tend to fit situations in which the group leader, and he or she alone, possesses all the information on which the decision must be based and which at the same time calls for a very high level of commitment and enthusiasm on the part of group members if the task is to be carried through successfully.

•  Consulting: The consulting style is likely to be most appropriate when there is time in which to reach a considered decision and when the information on which the decision needs to be based lies among the members of the group.

•  Joining: The joining style is appropriate under similar conditions, with the important exception that this is likely  to be appropriate only in  those  instances  where the nature  of the responsibility  associated with the decision is such that group members are willing to share it with their leader, or  alternatively the leader is willing to accept responsibility for decisions  which  he or  she has not made personally.

 Bass & Avolio ( ) suggested that transformational leadership is closer to the prototype of leadership that people have in mind when they describe their ideal leader, and it is more likely to provide a role model with which staff want to identify.  

Transactional leadership has been the traditional model  of leadership  with its roots  from an

organisational or business perspective in the ‘bottom line’.

Covey suggests that transformational leadership “… focuses on the ‘top line’” and offers contrast between the two (a selection being):

Transactional Leadership builds on man’s need to get a job done and make a living however it Is preoccupied with power and position, politics and perks  

•  Follows and fulfils role expectations by striving  to work effectively  within current systems  

transformational  Builds on a man’s need for meaning   Is preoccupied  with purposes and  values, morals, and ethics    

•  Is orientated toward long-term goals  without compromising human values and principles  

•  Focuses more on missions and strategies  

•  Releases human potential – identifying and developing new talent  

•   Designs and redesigns jobs to make them meaningful and challenging  

• Aligns internal structures and systems to reinforce overarching values and goals  Comparison of Transactional and Transformational Leadership (Covey, 1992)

Both kinds of leadership are necessary. Transactional leadership has remained the organisational model for many people and organisations who have not moved into or encouraged the transformational role needed to meet the challenges of our changing times.  

Bolden, R., Gosling, J., Marturano, A. &  Dennison, P.(2003) A Review of

Leadership Theory and Competency Frameworks.  Exeter: University of Exeter.

Goleman, D. (2000) Leadership That Gets Results. Harvard Business Review. MarchApril 2000, 78-9

Henderson-Kelly and Pamphilon (2000, p. 9) believe there is a need for “further research in order to determine what supports and underpins effective leadership in this family-focused, female dominated,  and often under-resourced field”. Muijs et al. (2004, p. 160) also highlight the consequences of the lack of engagement with the concept of leadership, suggesting “the relative lack of research activity on leadership in the field and by association the lack of leadership development programmes would seem to be a major oversight given the growth and importance of the EC sector”.

EYS  has a non-hierarchical structure and is dominated by women (Ebbeck & Waniganayake, 2003).

The high proportion of women in leadership roles in the sector may be one explanation for the “potential aversion to leadership often found in the sector” (Muijs et al., 2004, p. 159). The importance of developing models of leadership that maximize the leadership strengths of females who numerically dominate the sector has been stressed by Henderson-Kelly and Pamphilon (2000) who suggest that these strengths include wisdoms related to people, emotions, roles and resources.

there appears to be no  clearly accepted definition of leadership in ECE (Ebbeck & Waniganayake, 2003; Hard,  2004). This lack of understanding and consensus on what leadership involves has been attributed to the “complexity of the field and the wide variety of programme types” (Schomburg, 1999, p. 215). Rodd (2001, p. 10) argues that “leadership is a contextual phenomenon, that is, it means different things to different people in different contexts”. Scrivens (2003, p. 30), drawing on Southworth’s (2002) work, agrees, contending that “there is not just one way to be a leader” and that “leadership will vary from culture to culture and situation to situation”.

Transformational leadership: leadership with a motivational and change orientated focus.

 Skills perspectives: thinking about knowledge and skills needed to get the job done.

(Northhouse (5th Ed), 2010)

Applying leadership paradigms

Transactional leadership: focus on clear structures, rewards and punishments, obedience: bureaucratic.

(Weber, 1947)

Transformational (charismatic, focus on goals) (Weber, 1947)

Situational / Contingency model: ‘situational contingency’ identifies task or relationship focused leaders and suggests ‘no ideal leader’ but situation fit is key (Fiedler, 1967

Participatory leadership (focus on respect, engagement, interaction makes meaning, involves ‘bridging’ social capital, importance of stories)

(Yukl, 2002; Ladkin, 2007)

Authentic leadership focus on leader life story and inner world (self knowledge, concept, regulation); authentic interactions, people ‘buy in’; moral purpose (Shamir & Eilam, 2005)

Leader as personality traits and characteristics?

‘great man’ theories,  skills for relationships, role of charisma and vision, personality traits, social intelligence (Northouse (5th Ed), 2010 :19)

“This Framework is designed to help…by providing a clear set of leadership attributes, skills and knowledge drawn from the experiences of those charged with developing integrated working practices and informed by the most recent leadership and service delivery developments within the children’s services sector, as well as the new challenges presented by the changed financial agenda within the public sector.” (CWDC, 2010, p5)

Effective Leadership and Management Evaluation Scheme (Moyles and Yates, 2004)

Leadership Skills

• visionary
• responsible
• accountable
• charismatic
• integrity
• engage and involve others in ideas, innovations, goals and visions.
• command and offer respect
• motivate staff
• flexibility
• knowledgeable

Management Skills

• ensure effective human resource management
• ensure effective curriculum management
• ensure effective interaction, involvement and intervention at micro (setting) meso (local) and macro (national) levels.
• ensure that all relevant people are empowered
• ensure effective decision making
• ensure effective planning and strategy making
• ensure effective implementation and monitoring of ideas
• ensure effective operation of basic procedures
• ensure effective physical resource management

Professional Skills

• encourage the formalisation of qualifications
• be an effective problem solver
• understand the importance of shared values
• have effective time management skills
• have good communication and discourse skills
• have good diplomatic and conflict resolution skills
• understand how to manage change

Personal Characteristics

• have knowledge and a natural enthusiasm for children, teaching and learning
• have a strong commitment to the pre school to school transition of the child
• have an attraction to the profession for intrinsic rather than extrinsic reasons
• have status and rank as a culture setter
• have a continued commitment to and vested interest in ongoing child development
• have a strong sense of ambition and a strong desire for improvement
• have an approach advocating creative intelligence
• have an approach advocating emotional intelligence
• have infectious self awareness
• have a good sense of humour and understand the importance of fun and play

Leadership styles

Nupponen (2006a,b) finds that transformational leadership and distributed leadership are concepts suited to early childhood contexts; transformational leaders recognise that people are motivated less by intellectual factors and more by affective factors (Crawford, 2003). Their approach is empowering as it motivates people to make their own decisions and take responsibility.

By contrast, shared leadership embeds leadership within the social system of the setting; here teamwork and the group predominates rather than the individual (Locke, 2003). Both seem to be valid concepts for leadership in the early years.

Transformational leadership

This involves nurturing a shared vision through motivating, inspiring, influencing, challenging and supporting all members of the school community to develop their own and their pupils' aspirations and expectations. Leadership can only be effective if it goes hand in hand with good management. This implies robust, sustainable, consensual systems that are well communicated and easily understood by the relevant stakeholders. It requires fair and appropriately allocated funding and resources. In addition, it implies good order in relation to individual behaviour, as well as good order in terms of facilities and resources. However, efficient systems support effective leadership only if they can also accommodate the individual.

This process is likely to be most effective when it draws on the expertise of all staff and when senior leaders adopt a participative style.

Participative leadership

Be prepared to delegate. Underpinning effective delegation is a raft of personal and professional qualities that help to generate positive and supportive professional relationships. These include integrity, trust and respect. In addition to this, the most effective leaders will model the behaviour expected of other members of the school community: courtesy, consideration for others and self-control.

Distributed leadership

Distributed leadership is a term often used loosely to describe the traditional management structure redesigned to involve more people in decision-making and leadership roles. It generally refers to a formal organisational structure with a tendency to emphasise line-management.

'Leadership is the process of influencing the activities of an individual or group towards goal achievement in a given situation.' Marilyn (1996)

Transactional leadership: focus on clear structures, rewards and punishments, obedience: bureaucratic. (Weber, 1947)

Transformational (charismatic, focus on goals) (Weber, 1947) Key features of transformational leadership (Avolio, 1999; Bass & Avolio, 1990a) Charisma / Idealized influence (e.g. Nelson Mandella) Inspirational motivation (high expectations, encourage commitment to vision) Intellectual stimulation (stimulates to be creative, innovative and challenge norms) Individualised consideration (supportive, tailored, delegation)

Situational / Contingency model: ‘situational contingency’ identifies task or relationship focused leaders and suggests ‘no ideal leader’ but situation fit is key (Fiedler, 1967).

Participatory leadership (focus on respect, engagement, interaction makes meaning, involves ‘bridging’ social capital, importance of stories) (Yukl, 2002; Ladkin, 2007)

Authentic leadership focus on leader life story and inner world (self knowledge, concept, regulation); authentic interactions, people ‘buy in’; moral purpose (Shamir & Eilam, 2005)

Northouse (2009) suggests that to become effective leaders we understand our philosophy of leadership and how it forms the foundation of our style of leadership. This understanding is the first step to becoming a more informed and competent leader.

■ the group expects to be told what to do.

A good leader uses all three styles, depending on what forces are involved between the followers, the leader, and the situation

The free reign style can be good or bad, depending on whether the followers are high performers or not. Good performers need free reign to perform best, but for beginners and marginal performers this style is completely ineffective.

More recently “task” and “relationship” behaviour have become two important components of leadership styles, particularly in community and volunteer organizations (Sharpe 2000). Task behaviour is oriented toward goals, accomplishments, and organization processes. Leaders believe they get results by consistently keeping people busy and urging them to work. Relationship behaviour is oriented toward creating the social climate of emotional and psychological support in the relationship with group members. These leaders build teamwork, help members with their problems, and provide psychological support. There is evidence that leaders who are considerate and build strong relationships with their team members are higher performers and are more satisfied with their jobs. Championing Children (2006) suggests we set goals which are aspirational and inspirational. This cannot be done if we do not have an understanding of pedagogy (O’Sullivan, 2009).

sufficiently knowledgeable and skilled to effectively fulfil this role (Rodd,

The idea that women might have different perceptions about and definitions of leadership to men, and that this may entail different styles, therefore requiring different attributes and skills, only recently has been acknowledged by some researchers. (Rodd,

Effective leaders were perceived to need characteristics and skills which were related to team work, motivation, support, role definition and goal setting. Being an effective communicator, acting as a good role model or leader and managing time effectively were considered to be the major ways leaders could fulfil such responsibilities. (Rodd,

leadership roles in early childhood services to be diverse

 

Having a relationship orientation to leadership appeared to include the following characteristics and behaviours:

In relation to the task aspect of leadership, the following qualities and skills were perceived to be important:

Rodd, J (1997) 'Learning to be Leaders: Perceptions of Early Childhood Professionals about Leadership Roles and Responsibilities', Early Years, 18: 1, 40 — 44

Within leadership Mabey and Thomson (2000) picked out motivation and teamwork followed by strategic vision and delivering results. It is unclear which of all these skills have been shown to link with performance, and which just seem sensible ideas. 

Mabey, C and Thomson, A (2000). Achieving Management Excellence: A survey of UK Management Development at the Millennium. Institute of Management.

Keep E and Westwood A (2003). Can the UK learn to manage? The Work Foundation.

Boyatzis R (1993). Beyond Competence: the choice to be a leader. Human Resource Management Review. Vol 3, No 1, pp 1-14.

Stogdill, R.M. (1974) Handbook of leadership: A survey of theory and research New York, Free Press

Bentz, V.J (1990). Contextual issues in predicting high-level leadership performance in K.E. Clark and M.B. Clark (eds) Measure of Leadership pp 131 –143 West Orange, NJ, Leadership Library of America.

Drath, W.H. and Palus, C.J. (1994). Making common sense: Leadership as meaning-making in a community of practice Greensboro, NC, Centre for Creative Leadership.

Horner, M. (1997). Leadership theory: past, present and future. Team Performance Management 3(4): 270

Burgoyne,J., Hirsh, W.& Williams, S. (2004) The Development of Management and Leadership Capability and its Contribution to Performance:The evidence, the prospects and the research need, DfES.  All above refs taken from Burgoyne

There is widespread belief that training will help to develop and improve leadership within early years. Trait theories show that there are significant connections between personality traits and successful leadership (Stogdill 1974, Bentz 1990). As personality traits are stable over long periods of time, this suggests that innate personality traits are an important part of leadership capability.

References

Further Bibliography

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Ashman, C, and Green, S (2004), Planning, Doing and Reviewing, London: David Fulton Publishers

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Bennis, W G (2004), ‘The seven ages of the leader’, Harvard Business Review, 82(1), pp 46–53, 112

Bishop, A, and Lunn, P (2002), ‘Nursery teachers as leaders and managers: A pedagogical and subsidiary model of leadership’, Research in Education, 67, pp 13–22

Bloom, P J, and Bella, J (2005), ‘Investment in leadership training: The payoff for early childhood education’, Young Children, 60(1), pp 32–40

Carter, M (2000), ‘What do teachers need from their directors?’, Child Care Information Exchange, 136, pp 98–101

Cohen-Vogel, L, and Herrington, C D (2005), ‘Introduction: Teacher and Leadership Preparation and Development: No Strangers to Politics’, Educational Policy, 19(5), pp 5–17

Daly, M, Byers, E, and Taylor, W (2004), Early Years Management in Practice: a Handbook for Early Years Managers, London: Heinemann

Dubois Davey, L (2000), ‘Teaching for leadership and advocacy in early childhood: Exploring messages in a college classroom’, Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 21, pp 179–184

Dunlop A-W (2006), ‘A focus on leadership in the pre-school sector’, Presentation based on A Literature Review of Leadership in the Early Years, Glasgow: Learning and Teaching Scotland, HMIE Pre-school Conference, Lauder College, 22 August 2006

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Harris, A (2003), ‘Teacher leadership: A new orthodoxy’, in B Davies and J West-Burnham (eds), Handbook of educational leadership and management, London: Pearson Education, pp 44–50

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Moss, P, and Petrie, P (2002), From children's services to children's spaces: Public policy, children and childhood, London: RoutledgeFalmer

Muijs, D, and Harris, A (2006), ‘Teacher Led School Improvement: Teacher Leadership in the UK’, Teaching and Teacher Education: An International Journal of Research and Studies, 22, 8, pp 961–972

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Smith, M (2005), ‘Strategies for successful fellowships: Nurturing early childhood leaders’, Young Children, 60 (1), pp 12–18

Sotolongo, J (2004), Intensive Technical Assistance Assessment Tool, Community Systems Edition, Raleigh, NC: Smart Starts National Technical Assistance Center, 2004

Spillane, J, Halverson, R, and Diamond, J (2004), ‘Towards a theory of leadership practice: A distributed perspective’, Journal of Curriculum Studies, 2004, 36 (1), pp 3–34

Teddlie, C, and Reynolds, D (2000), ‘The processes of school effectiveness’, in Teddlie, C, and Reynolds, D (eds), The International Handbook of School Effectiveness Research, pp 134–159, London: Falmer Press

Van Tassel Baska, J, and Stambaugh, T (eds) (2007), Overlooked Gems: A National Perspective on Low-Income Promising Learners, Conference Proceedings, Washington: National Association for Gifted Children

Waniganayake, M, Morda, R, and Kapsalakis, A (2000), ‘Leadership in child care centres: Is it just another job?’, Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 25 (1) pp 13–19

Rodd, J. (2006) Leadership in Early Childhood (3rd Ed) Berkshire: Open University Press.

In transformational leadership, not only is team achievement important, but also collective vision and shared meaning; because along with individual motivation, they are what drive achievement, build resonance, and increase work satisfaction.

Goleman pioneered research in the field of emotional intelligence (EI) and ways leaders in organizations use it (Goldman, 1995)

 

Goleman, D. Emotional Intelligence:  Why It Can Matter More Than IQ.  

Bantam Books,1995.

 

The competencies Goleman describes that comprise emotional intelligence – mainly, the ability of a leader (or worker) to effectively handle oneself (one’s emotions which are the catalysts for action), and handle one’s relationships with others – in my view are also fundaments of holistic, transformative leadership.

Behavioral theorists generally group leadership theory into four categories, though with overlaps, and theories that don’t necessarily fit into neat categories.  The four generally recognized categories are trait, behavioural, situational and transformational. (Robbins,1991; Doyle & Smith (2001)

 Robbins, S.P. (Edit.)  Organizational Behavior: Concepts, Controversies, and

Applications. Simon & Schuster, 1991, pp.355-380.

 Doyle, M. E. and Smith, M. K. “Classical leadership.”  The Encyclopedia of

Informal Education,  

http://www.infed.org/leadership/traditional_leadership.htm, 2001.

The categories have gone by other names too, for example, transformational leadership is sometimes also called charismatic; and prior to these four was the “great man theory.” (Capra,1994)

 

Capra, F. The Turning Point: Science, Society, and the Rising Culture.

Bantam Books, 1984.

Characteristics of an effective team

•The vision and objectives of the team are clear and well understood by all.

•Everyone is clear about their roles and responsibilities.

•Good communication strategies ensure information is shared by all.

•Simple ground rules regarding behaviour and confidentiality are established and adhered to.

•Aspirations are high and everyone understands that they are expected to fulfil their role.

•Everyone takes shared responsibility for achieving the objectives of the team.

•Team members trust one another and make an effort to understand one another.

team members might have different individual qualifications, skills and objectives, but those qualities contribute to the overall objectives of the team.

Team leaders must also realise that there are different types of human traits that can be exhibited among team members. These traits rarely have advantage over others as they are complementary  (Belbin, 2004). Ref below

Oyedele, Olufemi (2011, September 5). Team Management: Lessons from the Leadership Styles of Successful Team Managers. SciTopics. Retrieved January 30, 2012, from

While some teams contain members who work harmoniously together, in other teams, conflict develops.

An effective, well-organised childcare team needs a balance of team members who possess a variety of skills, attitudes, and personal qualities. The qualification level and experience of each individual is clearly important, not least because of the need to comply with statutory requirements, but the personal characteristics of the members of staff team are also critical. A team made up of too many members with the same attitudes and personal approaches will create an imbalance which could prevent the team from working effectively.

The reason it is important to take a “holistic” approach to team-building is that when interpersonal stressors are reduced, greater levels of teamwork can become reality. National Professional Qualification in Integrated Centre Leadership

Dahl and Aubrey (2004) found that in Sure Start Local Programmes with split sites the team was not seen as one, for example, the early years team which was located together were seen as one team and the rest of the team who were located elsewhere were seen as a separate entity. However, Marsh (2006) states that there is more to working together than simply working side by side and Frost (2005) makes the point that simply being co-located is not a solution within itself and does not guarantee effective working. it was recognised

that different professionals need to understand each others roles and

responsibilities. A lack of knowledge concerning each others roles can

lead to misunderstanding and negative stereotypes. This, in turn can lead

to distrust between organisations and professionals. What is needed is trust

and respect between partners within an interagency team and this is

linked to understanding each other’s roles, philosophies and ideologies

(Cameron and Lart, 2003).

Team working requires professionals to be open and flexible to different

ways of working. They need to have trust and a willingness to look beyond

professional boundaries

Dahl, S and Aubrey, C. (2004) Multiagency working in Sure Start projects:

successes and challenges. Coventry: The University of Warwick, Childhood

Research Unit

Marsh, P. (2006) Promoting Children’s Welfare by Inter-professional

Practice and Learning in Social Work and Primary Care. Social Work

Education Vol.25, No.2, March, pp.148-160

Frost, N. (2005) Professionalism, partnership and joined-up thinking. A

research review of front-line working with children and families.

 

Cameron, A and Lart, R. (2003) Factors Promoting and Obstacles

Hindering Joint Working: A Systematic Review of the Research Evidence.

Journal of Integrated Care, Vol. 11, Issue 2, April

Benefits to integrated centre leaders

• builds on participants' own experiences to deepen their understanding

of learning about leadership  

• Increases their awareness of practical challenges faced in leading an

integrated setting  

• creates an opportunity to relate theories about leadership to their own

practice  

• enables lifelong learning skills for integrated centre leaders  

• builds greater self-awareness, personal and professional integration in

a setting which requires complex management of conflicting roles and

responsibilities

Benefits to the centre

• increases self confidence of all staff and builds on effective leadership

roles within the centre  

• provides a deeper understanding of the skills needed to lead and

manage a children's centre  

• develops the ability to engage and apply the values, principles and

vision of the centre in order to enhance professional practice  

• builds an effective leadership environment in order to share and

support a professional learning community within the centre

www.ncsl.org.uk/programmes/npqicl/npqicl-benefits.cfm