In my last article (Exchange, March/April 2009), I explained that I would be writing a series of articles addressing the leadership themes that emerged from our Exchange Panel of 300 Reception in Dallas, Texas, last November. The first article was about mentoring and how you can grow more leadership — even as you continue to develop your own. Another theme closely related to this is the need to encourage all of our staff and help them to see their individual roles in the leadership process, regardless of their position. This article will focus on leadership at all levels within our programs.

I've said it often: To children, all grown-ups are leaders and all grown-ups are teachers. Young children do not make such fine distinctions between the various positions individuals hold in our programs. The lead teacher, the assistant, the custodian, the cook, the director — whatever your role, young children see all grown-ups as 'the people in charge.' It is up to us to 'spread the wealth' and pay attention to how all leadership is expected, supported, experienced, accessible, and noticed at every level and in every position.

Emerging questions about leadership

Eight questions emerged during our discussion:

• Must leaders be administrators?
• How do we delegate leadership in a way that communicates that everyone is a leader, organizational leadership is broad and deep, and people can have time away without worry?
• What characterizes a leader who can form an effective team that functions well in his/her absence?
• How do we cultivate leadership skills in our teachers who aspire to a director position?
• How do we motivate staff to grow
professionally?
• How do we help teachers shift their perspective so that leadership occurs almost naturally or they come to it with guidance, but through their own realization?
• How do we provide effective training that brings out responsibility and leadership potential in each person?
• What are some 'Next Steps' for encouraging leadership at all levels in our organizations?

Question 1: Must leaders be administrators?

My first reaction to this question is, "Absolutely not!!" To serve as a visionary and team leader, to hold responsibility for a program's long-term mission and strategic direction, a leader needs strong leadership ability at the moment administrative leadership is appointed. And most administrators develop leadership skills over time. When staff can demonstrate leadership at any level within our programs, they have opportunities to hone their special skills and abilities so that 'tried and true' leadership can emerge when they assume an administrative position. If we wait until people take on administrative positions to begin practicing leadership, we may well be setting them up for failure. Pay attention to leadership wherever it shows up and you will be surprised at how much leadership you already have available for your use.

Question 2: How do we delegate leadership in a way that communicates that everyone is a leader, organizational leadership is broad and deep, and people can have time away without worry?

When we consider delegating leadership, we must revisit the concept of abundance thinking shared in my last article on mentoring. Delegating leadership means sharing leadership — stepping aside or stepping back to leave room for someone else to step up. At what point do 'leaders' decide that leadership can be demonstrated by anyone 'up and down the line'? Delegating leadership means moving to the position of follower so that another can lead. Spreading leadership broad and deep results in a more inclusive process that represents everyone and provides the leader with the opportunity to:

1) Not worry,
2) Not have to be in charge of everything,
3) Not have to work alone, and (very important)
4) Begin to recognize, appreciate, support, and make use of the leadership potential of those who surround us.

Question 3: What characterizes a leader who can form an effective team that functions well in his/her absence?

Actually, the answer to this question is quite easy. A leader who can form an effective team is very intentional about creating replacement leadership. If I want my program to function well in my absence, I put people in place who can do whatever I can do and who can also do whatever I can't do. This is similar to what I have said about mentoring: We have to be willing to grow our own replacements, whether they be temporary replacements to cover our absences or permanent replacements when we move on or retire.

Question 4: How do we cultivate leadership skills in our teachers who aspire to a director position?

It is true that different skills and traits are required of teachers and directors, but that does not mean that one person cannot possess both. A popular question that arises in the leadership literature is whether leaders are born or made — and my answer is, "Both." All of us have leadership ability that combines innate characteristics and skills we have honed over time.

In our programs, we may well have great teachers who possess the skills needed to serve as director. Those skills and abilities may be apparent early on or they may be in an incubational stage that requires your attention, care, and support. In either event, you can best develop the skills of your great teachers by recognizing their unique and individual potential and providing opportunities for that potential to flourish, mature, and expand.

Question 5: How do we motivate staff to grow professionally?

In our discussion, one participant quoted Piaget as having said, "You don't learn something until you see a need to know it." The concept of motivation — extrinsic and intrinsic — fits in here. Extrinsic motivation is when individuals are motivated by the need to receive rewards or punishments to alter their behavior. Intrinsic motivation is when individual's behavior arises from his or her own needs, not how others will respond. To motivate staff extrinsically, you need only to know what reward or punishment will make them do as you wish.

To motivate staff to grow intrinsically, as with mentoring, you must first know what individuals want for themselves and for their future. Motivation occurs when a staff member sees a future possibility and wants to get there. We work really hard to get what we want.

If you want to grow more leadership by helping teachers see themselves as directors, then you have to let teachers know that you support the development of their leadership skills. Your cook may want to move into a teaching position. He or she will be motivated to learn more about teaching methods and child development. Lead teachers may want to closely examine their teaching skill and develop their abilities to manage the responsibilities of a master teacher. He or she will be motivated to learn more about curriculum development and implementation. Whenever you want to motivate your staff, help them get where they really want to go. You will find that motivating them to grow professionally will be surprisingly easy.

Question 6: How do we help teachers shift their perspective so that leadership occurs almost naturally or they come to it with guidance, but through their own realization?

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