Reflections on digital leadership

“Leadership is a process of social influence, which maximizes the efforts of others, towards the achievement of a goal” (Kevin Kruse). A clear definition of what leadership is makes an appropriate opening to a culminating reflection of the Digital Leadership 10-Day Challenge.

The DL10DC has allowed a natural connection of the ISTE Standards for Administrators, which outlines the role of the leader with regards to technology in schools and in professional leadership practice, with the Ontario Catholic Leadership Framework. This OCLF framework has also been the foundation for this first principal’s qualification course as a whole. In fact, the five items on each list align quite seamlessly together, and also fit with the Seven Pillars of Digital Leadership in Education, proposed by Sheninger. I have listed them in mixed groups (in the order: OCLF, ISTE, and 7PDLE) as appropriate reference when addressing the question:

What do I want leaders to do with technology?

I became particularly excited when I read Simon Breakspear’s online article, Bottoms Up, about how change starts with frontline educators. Breakspear’s focus on the innovative mind-set and environment fits well with my own ICI positioning. Creative, artful, innovative leaders, and how they use technology are particularly relevant to my leadership perspective.

Setting Directions; Visionary Leadership; branding and communication: Leaders must embrace and engage in emerging digital technologies to foster transparent, relevant, meaningful, engaging, inspiring school culture. Leaders, like George Couros, that blog about leadership and education are communicating their brand and strategies of leadership. Tolisano’s idea of branding and communicating the “critical thinker’s collection” through online curating is another option. New leaders must shift their professional practice around digital leadership (Sheninger). “Learning innovation is not an outcome; it is a problem-solving process –a creative process” (Breakspear). Truly visionary leaders will set new directions by understanding this and making room for this process in their own practice and learning community.

Building Relationships and Developing People; Digital Age Learning Culture; student engagement/learning: Social media is a tool to engage in conversation (Sheninger). We are able to expand our learning communities, connecting with a wider net to learn more and pass on more. Twitter, and Google drive and apps, like form, slides, docs and blogger are all accessible ways to allow students, staff and parents to connect and collaborate more easily.

Developing Organization to Support Desired Practices; Excellence in Professional Practice; professional growth/development, opportunity: A digital leader or administrator allows students and staff to soar. This can begin with establishing an open culture of learning and sharing, like instructional rounds, learning walks and peer teaching. Teachers and students learn from one another, given the opportunity.

Improving the Instructional Program; Systemic Improvement; re-envisioning learning spaces and environments: “Leaders need to be catalysts for change” (Sheninger). The creative aspects of teaching and the creative capacity of teachers are largely untapped resources for innovation and change in education. All too often any innovation that is happening in schools is happening outside of and underneath the regulatory processes in place. Instead of harnessing creativity, many school systems repress it. (Breakspear) Educators are innovators, given the opportunity and the conducive spaces and environments to flourish. Strong digital leaders can give permission through establishing conditions of the human learning process and innovative mindset and context. This means a system that allows the process of creating new ideas, experimenting, failing, and trying again, is an improvement. Leaders can establish protection from doubt by saying and welcoming “Yes, and…” rather than “Yes, but…”. Digital leaders can also establish protection from fear by allowing teachers to work off the record and set a culture of experimentation. I think it is important for strong leaders to cultivating change by systematically empowering educators to learn and try new things, and much of this comes from innovative types of digital usage in schools.

Securing Accountability; Digital Citizenship; public relations: Finally, strong school leaders are accountable, and can model by example to be strong, effective digital citizens. Using digital curating sites, like Storify, and website building and blog creating sites, like Wix, and communication sites like Facebook or Twitter or Instagram are some ways they can do this. They can build a strong digital school presence in the community to positively influence the brand of the school and promote good public relations. The best leaders promote citizenship, digital and otherwise, through modeling, expecting and supporting ethical behavior from all members of the school community. This ethical behavior is that of trust, caring, integrity and respect.

Sheninger, E. (2014). Pillars of Digital Leadership. International Centre for Leadership in Education, 1-4.

Breakspear, S. (2015) Bottom’s Up…change starts with frontline educators. Education Canada. http://www.cea-ace.ca/education-canada/article/bottoms