Who, Me, a Leader?

Debra Sullivan is a cheerleader for teachers as leaders in her book, Learning to Lead: Effective Leadership Skills for Teachers of Young Children.  She points out that good teachers make good leaders:

"Faced with a situation that demands leadership, a good teacher will often display the characteristics and skills of a good leader.  Like any other leader, the teacher understands that change is inevitable and that there will always be challenges.  Both teacher and leader see the opportunities and benefits in taking risks and learning from past mistakes.  Both constantly reflect on their actions and beliefs and think about the results and consequences of each.  Both teacher and leader understand the importance of teaching, learning, and achieving as part of a community.  These basic dispositions add to the creation of an environment in which learning and leading happen naturally, developmentally.  As you develop as a leader, pay attention to the characteristics, skills, and behaviors you use as a teacher and think about how this impacts your effectiveness."

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