Leading to make change
I have been amazed at the depth of issues that have been addressed during the presentations. What is very clear to me, is that each of us holds something very dear to us and we are passionate about. Yet, each of the presentations seemed to also resonate a spark in us as well as was evident in the forums.
There were two main take aways that each presentation held. First, that education is the key was to disseminate knowledge and understanding, and second, strong leadership is the most effective means of advancing innovative means of change to help find solutions. I completely agree that mental health issues are on the rise at all levels of education. I concur with the notion that a relational leadership style would be effective in both raising awareness and advancing education on these very debilitating issues. What is vitally important for the relational leader is his or her ability to build relationships with those they lead. Nunavut experiences some of the highest mental health issues in all of Canada. My students are dealing with depression, anxiety and mental health issues which are leading them to self-harm, cutting and even suicidal ideations and attempts. It is not just those that cry out for help that the relational leader needs to build relations with, but with all. As leaders, we need to be aware of signs of depression, signs of anxiety and stress which can look like perfectionism and overachieving within our staff. As a leader in my Nunavut school, my goal is to build relations within the school community and the community as a whole, thus building goals that meet needs.
The second social issue that is very dear to my heart deals with gender disparity. Two presentations looked at gender roles in two very different contexts. As a mother of a very vocal young lady who herself is studying in a typically male orientated field, agriculture, this discussion was important to me. While I appreciate both leadership styles suggested within the two approaches, I feel I lean more to an integrative leadership style. This is not that I do not believe in value-based leadership. I have difficulty with this leadership style as I am not sure whose values will prevail within the leadership and what the leader’s underlying values are? “If the leadership is accepted as an influence processes, the relationship between values and leadership is emerging with leader’s impact on followers’ values” (Baloglu, 2012, p. 1376).
An integrative approach will blend the strength of both the men and the women in the task of creating gender equality within the workplace and work to one day dispel gender roles. “Integrative leadership is the capacity to awaken collective wisdom to attain the full potential of individuals and systems” (Knutson, 2015. p. 408). For gender equity to truly exist, the two groups must see the potential in each other.
The resounding message that needs to be conveyed is that there needs to be a strong leadership approach to solicit change. I believe with all of the case studies we looked at, the leader needs to approach the situation with passion, understanding, commitment and an overarching desire to make effective, lasting change.
Baloglu, N. (2012). Relations between Value-Based Leadership and Distributed Leadership: A Casual Research on School Principles’ Behaviors. Educational Sciences:Theory and Practice,12(2),1375–137.Retrievd from http://0search.ebscohost.com.aupac.lib.athabascau.ca/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ987850&site=eds-live
Knutson, L. (2015). Integrative Leadership: An Embodied Practice. The Journal of Science and Healing, 11, 407–409. https://0-doi-org.aupac.lib.athabascau.ca/10.1016/j.explore.2015.07.009