Asserting that an effective school administrator understands the significance of needed change and the consequences of what it means to be a change-driven school administrator, discusses various aspects of knowing when it is time to leave one paradigm and embrace a new one. (EV)

Introduces "shtick" leadership (effective leadership characterized by profound ideas that have an enormous impact on the educational world) and illustrates this leadership style by exploring the contributions of four exemplary educational leaders. Asserts that "shtick" (defined as utilizing a special talent) leadership is needed to ensure that…

In an effort to gather insights that will help prepare future community college leaders, this article presents six community college CEOs' perspectives on leadership. Consists of questions and brief responses regarding such topics as leadership legacies, words of wisdom for the next generation of leaders, and painful leadership lessons. (RC)

Offers a model of leadership for Catholic schools that views the educational leader as mentor, facilitator or enabler, and visionary. Discusses the qualities of effective leadership inherent in these images and their relationship to the specific mission of the Catholic school. (DMM)

An effective leadership model places the target clientele--undereducated adults--at the top of a pyramid of influence. The leader's role is to convince others of the importance of the mission and assist them in achieving it. (SK)

Through interviews with 78 vocational instructors, a classification system for leadership effectiveness criteria was developed. The criteria measure the extent to which the leader's behavior (1) improves the quality of the group process; (2) has a personal impact on followers (teachers); and (3) helps the group perform its tasks and achieve its…

Describes an ecological expedition documenting the development of African American community leaders in Chicago, showing how a collaborative research process between a university and the Developing Communities Project enhanced the quality of the documentation. Discusses the role of metaphors, which elaborated shared meanings of expressed…

The suit. The paper-pusher. The gatekeeper. Few people go into administrative work to become one of these, nonetheless many end up living up to these management stereotypes. Sometimes this is the result of a deliberate effort to maintain a sense of control and prestige. More often than not it appears to be the belief that it is better to play it…

Much of the work of colleges and universities gets done at the academic department level. Yet, most institutions of higher learning pay little attention to either the preparation of academic department leaders or their succession into the position. This paper examines the first step taken at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (U.S.A.) to address…

In an era of unprecedented challenges and rapid change, community colleges need effective leadership that brings out the best in people, organizations, and communities. This qualitative study was based on interpretive research using appreciative inquiry (AI). AI is based on social constructivist theory and is a collaborative and highly…

A growing number of colleges and boards of trustees are looking to the future by embracing succession planning as the key to assuring college sustainability in an environment that requires global thinking, strategic planning and political savvy. Once confined to the corporate world or to family businesses, and limited to the CEO, succession…

More than ever there are both leadership shortages and the temptation to cut training budgets. Senior administrators and faculty are retiring at an alarming rate, and the trend is expected to continue. For a decade, prominent business journals have focused on a crisis of leadership in the corporate sector. This article describes executive…

School principals have complex jobs. To better understand the work lives of principals, this study uses observational time-use data for all high school principals in Miami-Dade County Public Schools. This paper examines the relationship between the time principals spent on different types of activities and school outcomes including student…

Much has been written about the importance of school leadership, but there is surprisingly little systematic evidence on this topic. This paper presents preliminary estimates of key elements of the market for school principals, employing rich panel data on principals from Texas State. The consideration of teacher movements across schools suggests…

While the importance of effective principals is undisputed, few studies have addressed what specific skills principals need to promote school success. This study draws on unique data combining survey responses from principals, assistant principals, teachers and parents with rich administrative data to identify which principal skills matter most…