Educational Leadership Essay by Master Researcher

Educational Leadership historically depended upon Educational Psychology for assessing the individual's personality traits in determining "who" would make a good school leader. The problem with personality and trait-based measurements, however, emerged in the difference between pencil-and-paper test performances, and interactive social behaviors, which often contradicted each other. As the ideas of school culture emerged with the introduction of Anthropology's understanding of "culture," school leadership was re-conceptualized towards a cultural and social-based understanding of inter-active participants with values and interests that required inclusivity in the school's community. As personality was regarded less and less relevant to educational leadership, sociality and communicative skills were regarded as more valuable, as were abilities in negotiation, compassion and patience. This has produced a multi-dimensional approach to educational leadership, where all levels of school activity, including the school's relation with its community, are included in understanding what it required of an educational leader.