The Role of Leadership in Management of Educational Institutions

This present paper discusses the importance of leadership in educational management with specific reference to schools. Educational leadership has a critical role in the transformation of society, and for change to happen, effective leaders are key. Along with the widespread belief that the quality of leadership makes a significant difference to school and student outcomes. There is also increasing recognition that if effective school leaders and managers are developed they are most likely going to provide the best possible education for their learners. Effective leadership and management are essential if schools and colleges are to achieve the wide-ranging objectives set for them by their many stakeholders, notably the government which provide most of the funding for public educational institutions. Teachers and their leaders and managers are the people who are required to deliver higher educational standards. Management and leadership are important for the delivery of good educational services. Although the two are similar in some respects, they may involve different types of outlook, skills and behaviours. Good managers should strive to be good leaders and good leaders need management skills to be effective. Leaders will have a vision of what can be achieved and then communicate this to others and evolve strategies for realising the vision. They motivate people and are able to negotiate for resources and other support to achieve their goals. Managers ensure that the available resources are well organised and applied to produce the best results. In the resource constrained and difficult environments of many developing countries, a manager must also be a leader to achieve optimum results.