Emotional Intelligence for School Administrators: A Priority for School Reform?
2009; Volume: 37; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
2326-9618
Autores Tópico(s)Emotional Intelligence and Performance
ResumoABSTRACT order to cultivate a culture that challenges the status quo and expects excellence, school leaders need to learn, develop, and demonstrate high levels of emotional intelligence. Studying emotional intelligence provides leaders with the awareness necessary to meet the needs of a staff that is engaged in developing a common vision for their school, maintaining a focus on high achievement for all students, and creating school cultures of trust and respect. Leadership continues to be a focal point for school reform, so policy makers and institutions of higher education need to act on the research that shows the relationship between emotional intelligence and effective leadership. The role of the principal is more challenging than ever. School reform in the 21st Century requires leaders to transform schools into autonomous, systems-thinking organizations, revolving around professional learning communities that can embrace change and create a high performing learn- ing environment for students and teachers (Moore, 2009). Leithwood, Sea- shore Lewis, Anderson, and Wahlstrom (2004) concluded that leadership is second only to classroom instruction among school-related factors for improving student learning. Marzano, Waters, and McNulty (2005) also reported that leadership is vital to school effectiveness. Although leadership continues to be one of the focal points for implementing school reform, the funding and initiatives for professional development, feedback and coaching for school leaders are limited and scarce. Much of the literature on restructuring and redesigning schools is very descriptive about the turmoil, resistance, stress, anger, frustration and other emotions experienced during the process (Blankstein, 2004; Dufour, Dufour, & Eaker, 2008; Evans, 1996; Moore, 2009). Restructuring and reorganizing a school requires a leader skilled in emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence (El) can be defined as an ability to monitor one's own and others' feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use this information to guide one's thinking and action (Salovey & Mayer, 1 990, p.1 89). Fullan (2001, pg.74) stated, In a culture of change, emotions frequently run high/' and added that emotional intelligence, creating successful relationships and leading change will be the responsibility of all future principals. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN THE LITERATURE Although considered a fad by some, emotional intelligence and the importance of successfully dealing with emotions have received the attention of some popular leadership books (Goleman, Boyatzis, & McKee, 2002; Heifetz & Linsky, 2002). George (2000) indicated that emotional intelligence is important to the process of leading and should be considered an essential component of effective leadership. Emotional intelligence has received serious justification by empirical research, unpublished studies and dissertations (Barling, Slater, & Kelloway, 2000; Gardner & Stough, 2002; Higgs & Aitken, 2003; Law, Song, & Wong, 2004; Sy, Tram & O'Hara, 2006). Van Rooy and Viswesvaran (2004) conducted a meta-analysis of 69 emotional intelligence studies and concluded that emotional intelligence could be considered a valuable predictor of job performance. There is enough research to suggest that leaders high in emotional intelligence may be more skillful in influencing, inspiring, intellectually stimulating, and growing their staff. A COMMON THREAD IN LEADERSHIP: DEALING WITH EMOTIONS A common theme in the literature of school reform is the wide array of emotions experienced during the change process (Blankstein, 2004; Bredeson, 1993; Evans, 1996; FuI Ian, 2001). Leaders must learn to address emotional as well as conceptual work (Heifetz & Linsky, 2002, p.116). Emotions can be intense, disruptive, de-motivating, motivating, exhilarating, positive, and negative, and they can challenge the leadership abilities of any person. …
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