I shadowed the principal of a nearby high school, Ms. Tabitha Peterson, for this project. I have known Ms. Peterson for a long time. As a result, setting up an interview with her was not difficult for me. On the basis of our conversation, I plan to write a reflection paper.
My interviewee’s leadership philosophy was the subject of the first question I asked her. A good role model is important to her, she said. According to her, followers are more likely to imitate what they see in their leaders than what their leaders say. According to her leadership style, this means distributing as many tasks as possible to her subordinates. Instead than micromanaging, she prefers to sit back and watch her subordinates fulfill their jobs and manage new obstacles, and only intervene when absolutely required. The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the world hard, and I wanted to know how she has demonstrated her leadership qualities in these trying times. As a result of the epidemic, her school has lost a large number of teachers and non-teachers. The coronavirus has been ravaging her team, so she used Skype to keep in touch with them and encourage them to keep fighting. For the record, Ms. Peterson appears to be an advocate of teaching leadership styles. She aims to improve the lives of those who follow her by illuminating the path. The coaching leadership style emphasizes the importance of empathetic leadership. Coaching leadership style requires good communication and feedback at the same time (Eden Project, n. d.). Coaches must produce and communicate knowledge that will aid their followers in completing their assigned duties. By fostering a climate that encourages the growth of feedback, leaders can discover what their followers need in order to grow into their best selves.
Ms. Peterson explained to me that her ideal conflict management method entails being objective and listening to others before taking action. Conflict management is just as crucial as communication in her job, she said. Teachers and students alike frequently seek her advice on a wide range of issues. When it comes to dealing with these disagreements, she encourages all parties involved to come to an agreement that works for them all. It appears that Ms. Peterson uses mediation to resolve issues in her workplace. Here, the mediators listen carefully to all sides of an argument and make suggestions for how the parties can come to a compromise (Nolo, n. d.). Both sides must work together to find a compromise they can live with. There are times when the opposing parties fail to come to an agreement, according to her. A couple of these disagreements have gone to court. If the parties are unable to resolve their differences through mediation, it may be necessary to resort to litigation, which may be both time consuming and costly (Nolo, n. d.). According to Ms. Peterson’s remarks, mediation does have some value for resolving disputes, but there are some limitations to it.
To learn about Ms. Peterson, I also wanted to know what she had in store. Ms. Peterson’s school has been a model of excellence in terms of discipline and academic and co-curriculum achievement since she was a child. As a result, I was curious as to her vision for the school’s future growth. A leadership training program for her students and staff has been implemented, she informed me. Every part of her existence has become dependent on her ability to lead. As well, she want to see technology interwoven into the way learning takes place in the company she works for. Because of the present pandemic, she says, she’s had to reevaluate her ideas on technology’s place in society. Until recently, she had always believed that technology, particularly social media, was a harmful force. However, the pandemic has made her realize that digital technology is a crucial tool for education. She plans to expand the use of digital technology in her school and church in the future. She hopes that the two institutions will soon be able to take advantage of modern technology. Ms. Peterson appears to be an excellent and visionary manager.
The second thing I wanted to know about from my subject was how she goes about gaining trust. This was the most interesting section of the interview for me. In the beginning, she explained to me how being honest had helped her develop and build trust in her school and in her family. In addition, she told me that she has built trust with her followers and children by cultivating a sense of accountability in her business, community, and family. When it comes to her children, for example, she guarantees that she tells them the truth about her personal life. This encompasses her professional life as well as the relationships she has or has had. A lot of her children are more open when their mother takes responsibility for her behavior.
As a student, I was keen to learn more about how she empowers others. The moment I asked her about her theory of how people actually learn, she said, “I believe it happens when people are given enough opportunities to do tough jobs.” As a result, she prefers to delegate difficult tasks to her deputy and other teachers. Furthermore, she said she constantly aims to empower others by providing them with sufficient training. If you are interested in educating her students and teaching and non-teaching staff on a variety of topics like leadership development, personal development, or emerging technology, she said she would be happy to work with both for-profit and nonprofit groups. Ms. Peterson, a Baptist church leader, told me that she enjoys organizing retreats and seminars in order to strengthen other Christians.
The conversation with Ms. Peterson made me realize that strong leadership is built on the capacity to set goals, prepare ahead, and accomplish tasks. For her group, Ms. Peterson has a clear vision of how she wants to empower her followers and expand the use of digital technologies. In addition, she empowers her followers by delegating as many work as possible and taking advantage of training opportunities.
In conclusion, speaking with principal Peterson was a very fruitful experience for me. For the first time in my career, I had the opportunity to observe and learn from a leader in action, and I gained invaluable insight into how she sets the direction of her business, resolves conflict, and empowers her team members. Going forward, I intend to use the lessons learned from Ms. Peterson and the class lessons to strengthen my leadership qualities.
References
Eden Project. (n. d.). What is coaching leadership? Retrieved from https://www.edenproject.com/learn/for-organisations/creative-leadership/what-is- coaching-eadership#:~:text=Coaching%20leadership%20is%20a%20style,their %20specific%20and%20individual%20motivations.
Nolo (n. d.). What Are Mediation and Arbitration? https://www.alllaw.com/articles/legal/article9.asp#:~:text=The%20advantage%20to%20mediation%20is,end%20up%20in%20court%20anyway.
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