Week 15 - Time to think

The lack of time to think about how your new learning relates to your practice and how it can be incorporated in your lessons is often a major challenge in teaching PLD.  One of the wonderful aspects of being a participant teacher with the STLP is that we have the time to stop, think about and reflect on the material we have covered. I have been giving some thought recently to various theoretical, philosophical and observational views of leadership, from Machiavelli to Jung and how these are displayed in various cultures.

The Otago leadership course was clearly influenced by Jungian philosophy/ psychology, with an emphasis of self-awareness, authenticity and the integration of different parts of our personality, and of course through the use of MBTI testing. The idea of trustworthy, honest leaders with a clear sense of purpose and direction, and a vision for the future is very appealing - the leaders we want. The considerably less rosy view of Machiavelli is that there is a tendency for less noble or capable leaders to gain power - the leaders that we get - and to surround themselves with even less capable people. A scenario that can be seen playing out in various democracies around the world at the moment. A key way societies can guard against this is an effective universal education system where critical thinking skills are developed in the population. Developing Science Capabilities in students, rather than just focusing on 'learning facts', or even actively undermining or dismantling access to universal education, is a potentially powerful way to support a generally more capable citizenry and to protect against some of the darker potentials of human nature.

I recently took part in a Post Primary Teachers' Association (secondary teachers' union) one day Professional Development course for 'middle leaders'. It was interesting how the content compared to the Otago course. It should probably not be surprising that the PPTA course was far more focused on employment relationships, the need to 'act in good faith',  legal considerations and the implementation of effective leadership strategies. There was also a strong focus on problem solving/ dealing with difficult scenarios. Otago seemed to have a stronger emphasis on how to lead effectively so that problems and difficult conversations do not arise.

Both courses were clear how important positive relationships are for optimising leadership outcomes. They also both featured a Simon Sinek video. Having seen Sinek videos in numerous PLD sessions, I can attest that he is a very persuasive speaker. He speaks clearly and confidently, offering advice that resonates strongly with many 'common sense' views. As such I am always doubly cautious of my own biases and the temptation to immediately accept his suggestions when they align with my preconceptions.

It is interesting, and mildly disheartening, to observe how often the far darker, more cynical views of Machiavelli seem to be reflected in the realities of leaders within organisations (particularly as they grow larger) and governments, rather than the more aspirational views of Jung.