Who, Me, a Leader?

06/16/2008

Life’s challenges will continue to test your strength. As a result your strength will grow and your skills will improve.
Ralph Marston

In the latest addition to the Exchange Bookstore, Learning to Lead: Effective Leadership Skills for Teachers of Young Children, Debra Sullivan explores the leadership potential of all who work with young children. Her point of view is that people who work directly with children "...share in the leadership process every day, spotting problems at whatever level they occupy and working toward solutions." In helping teachers identify their leadership potential, she reflects on how leadership is developed through family experiences. She directs teachers to ask themselves:

What was the leadership style used in your family when you were growing up? What was the impact of this on your own leadership development? What leadership style do you use in your current family? What is the impact of this on each family member?
How did your family's theory of child development and how kids should be raised affect your leadership development?
Think about the family of a childhood friend. In what ways were your two families different? In what ways were they alike? What leadership skills and abilities were developing in your friend's family?
Think for a minute about how each of these leadership styles (hands-off, participative, authoritarian) might look in the ECE workplace. What might be the positive aspects of each style? What might be the negative aspects of each style?

Learning To Lead Now Available

You can now order Debra Sullivan's Learning to Lead online in the Exchange Bookstore. The book addresses leadership in early childhood, being an effective leader, and the roles of empowerment, followership, and advocacy.

Professional Development with University Credit: Looking for summer professional development opportunities on key issues in early childhood? Consider the University of Dayton's Early Childhood Summer Institute- a week of engaging topics and active learning with early childhood professionals from across the country with an option to earn affordable undergraduate and graduate university credit.

For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.