By answering one fundamental question--"What will success look like?"--an educational institution has begun a process of defining its vision. It is undeniable that an institution will ever be greater than its dream; therefore, what is needed first and foremost is an articulated vision to propel an educational institution into a preferred future.…

The digest is based on a full length report (with the same title) on leadership in higher education. The full report provides a definitive review of the literature and institutional practice on the topic. Recent scholars have new ideas challenging traditional notions that organizations are driven by leadership or that the quality of leadership…

Effective leadership by school principals requires the ability to plan, organize, motivate, control, anticipate, orient, coordinate, implement, staff, make decisions, and program, all effectively. These abilities can be exercised in different ways, however, and several different directions, purposes, and attitudes can be emphasized by the leader.…

Over the past 15 years, most colleges and universities have engaged in institution-wide long-range planning efforts to examine missions and future expectations. More recently, higher education institutions are adopting strategic planning approaches that move beyond setting goals and objectives to creating specific strategies to accomplish them. To…

This second of a two-part article on leadership development offers some practical advice on the applications of leadership concepts to the principalship. Provides examples of common leadership myths and selection of an appropriate leadership style. (CJH)

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has been holding a series of stakeholder meetings focused on better understanding and planning for schools to be transformative environments for mental health, positive youth development, and academic achievement. This issue of the quarterly newsletter of the Center for Mental…

This manual is designed to help educational administrators move beyond the performance of routine management activities and function as true leaders. It offers prospective and practicing administrators alike practical lessons on how to think, act, plan, set priorities, manage time, and make decisions as an effective leader. The text focuses on…

The authors link the educational research by Rosenthal and Jacobson ("Pygmalion in the Classroom") with Livingston's ("Pygmalion in Management") from the business arena in looking through concept of Executive Professional Leadership advanced by Gross and Herriott. The position is taken that the "Principal can really be…

Describes an effective administrator as one who acts as a catalyst, consultant, or group resource but who nevertheless accepts risks and expects on occasion to be misunderstood. (Author/JM)

Findings from three studies show that effective leaders have greater behavioral complexity and fill multiple roles better than ineffective leaders; listening skills are key to effective leadership; there are no gender differences in emerged leadership; and although task-relevant communication is important to leadership, other research indicates…

A participant-observer at management and other meetings at a large urban school district attributes the district's successes to systemic governance, the district as an instructional leader, and the superintendent as a teacher on special assignment. (MLF)

Discusses four key elements that comprise content for leadership development: strategic planning, shaping change, effective communication, and timely decision-making. These elements should be recurring themes in leadership institutes, along with material on needs assessment, outcomes-based schooling, evaluation, and followup activities. Includes…

Discusses leadership behavior of managers and presents a model for leadership choice that dichotomizes bureaucratic and non-bureaucratic leadership behaviors. The power of managers is described in terms of both position status and personal influence, and the relationship between the manager's role and the needs of employees is discussed. (LRW)

The everyday demands of the principalship compromise secondary principals' ability to fulfill their instructional leadership role. One solution is sharing instructional leadership with teachers. Some effective strategies include assigning teachers staff development responsibility, creating an instructional council and an instructional dean…

Interviews with five community education directors and five elementary/middle school principals elicited three themes related to effective leadership: staff empowerment, shared vision, and ownership through consensus. "Followers" should be actively engaged catalysts who have a crucial role in organizational success. (SK)