A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

The Role of Leadership in Sustaining School Reform: Voices From the Field - July 1996

Personal Qualities

Participants often talked about the role of personal qualities, such as charisma or a sense of humor, in leadership effectiveness. They expressed the conviction that some important qualities could not be acquired, but were inborn. Usually, pressing the point resulted in the insight that some traits made the job a lot easier, although every leader did not necessarily have the same personality profile. However, real debate surrounded this issue in most regional forums. Said one high school principal from California, for example, "I think you can teach some aspects of being a change agent, but it's a thousand times more art than science. We must start to identify people with these [desirable] qualities." His colleague replied without missing a beat, "I have worked with . . . administrators and staff that I am pushing to develop these qualities. I take an active role and push and push and push. . . ." Without resolving the nature/nurture aspect of this dimension of leadership, participants did mention an array of personal qualities that make leadership more effective or leaders easier to follow.

Passion, humor, and empathy came up the most often. "Passion motivates 95 percent of what I do," explained a Missouri high school administrator. "There's no growth without fire," contributed an ESL teacher from Oregon. Strength of character and general maturity were also characterized as essential. Patience is key. As one Georgian said, "You have to be patient; if you try to move too fast, you will leave the rest behind." Good leaders have both wisdom and common sense, and they are viewed as trustworthy and reliable. Many credit their success to creativity, although others credit the creativity of their faculties. Furthermore, "If you're not sensitive," as one Missourian put it, "you're going to be lost in dealing with children." And, as a principal from Georgia said, "To summarize, you need courage and competence."

The obvious variation in the personalities and temperaments of the forum participants suggests that one can become a notably successful school leader given any of a considerable array of gifts and tendencies. It was apparent that these leaders understood the value of their own resources and made good use of them in sustaining reform.
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