Carolyn Crippen

Enhancing authentic leadership−followership Strengthening school relationships

Much has been written about leadership in schools, but little mention has been made of followership. The article provides an awareness and foundation for future discussions about school followership. In 1992, Robert Kelly wrote The Power of Followership, which explains and analyses the world of followers and their relationship to leaders. Kelly’s framework provides the groundwork for this article and the important authentic leader−follower relationships that drives the life of a school, with particular attention to the teacher. We move back and forth along this leadership and followership continuum during our lives. Research questions include: Why do people choose to follow? Are there different types of followers? How can the leadership−followership relationship be nurtured in a school? The development of relationships that contribute to leadership−followership will be examined through the application of practical in-school activities with students and staff. Recent teacher feedback from over 400 Canadian teachers suggests that an effective school has established a balanced authentic leadership−followership dynamic that provides opportunities for all members of the school community, regardless of role, to participate.

Learning and Teaching in the 21st Century: An Education Plan for the New Millennium Developed in British Columbia, Canada

This article describes how a ministry of education in Canada is responding to new developments in educational thinking related to 21st century learning and teaching. The authors identify challenges with 21st learning aspirations and explore opportunities for reconfiguring schools and education systems. The key competencies identified by the Education Plan of the British Columbia Ministry of Education may serve as a framework for a global paradigm shift in learning, with the potential to transform and personalize learning for all. Based on the foundational elements of 21st century core subjects, themes, and skills, the Education Plan proposes the need for personalized learning for every student, quality teaching and learning, flexibility and choice, high standards, and learning empowered by technology.

Maintaining Your Stance: History Reveals the Cost to Servant-Leaders

What can we learn from an analysis of the life journey of historical servant-leaders? Those who aspire to this leadership philosophy embrace the belief that their goal is to build a caring, collaborative, and just society (Greenleaf, The servant as leader. The Robert K. Greenleaf Center 1991/1970) that provides the opportunity for all to develop to the best of their potential. Simply, the nature of such positive and powerful aspirations will be challenged by a variety of obstacles during a lifetime. The chapter will present readers with stories of five recognized servant-leaders from the past. Today’s aspiring servant-leaders can appreciate the triumphs and costs and courage exemplified by these earlier men and women, and hopefully, are encouraged to maintain their own stance now and in the future.