TOPIC 5: LEADERSHIP IN EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION

MEANING OF LEADERSHIP
Leadership is a force in the sense that it initiates action towards common goals among people.
Leadership involves accomplishing goals with and through people.
That is in a certain situation and at a certain time; an individual may attempt to influence the
behaviour of someone else: this individual is considered the potential leader. The person being
influenced is the potential follower, no matter whether that person is the boss, a friend, relative
or subordinate.
What then is the difference between leadership and management in an organization? Are the two
the same since they deal with people?
Management is ‘working with and through individuals and groups to accomplish organizational
goals’’, leadership is working with and through people to accomplish goals.
The difference is in the phrase organizational goals. While management involves exclusively
fulfilling the goals of the organization, leadership does not confine itself to organizational goals.
It involves the fulfillment of both organizational and personal goals and may even include a
friend’s goals.
The head teacher, for instance, may encourage his teachers to work hard not necessarily to have
many students pass the examination. His sole purpose may be to be considered as an efficient
administrator in order to keep his job, feed his family and send his children to high cost
secondary schools.
THEORIES OF LEADERSHIP
There are five theories of leadership, these are:
1. The Trait theory: Traits are physical and mental characteristics of a leader. The theory
therefore postulates that leaders are born not made. They have a great facility to
communicate, they are more intelligent than ordinary people; they have a commanding
voice and an imposing personality. Finally they can easily influence and control decision-
making. In other words, you can tell a leader by his appearance and personality impact.
2. The Situation theory: This theory denies the claims made by the trait theory. It advances
that traits alone do not make or cause a person to be a leader. It affirms that leaders are
made not born. A particular situation or environment will dictate the kind of leadership
suited to it. Therefore, a person may be an effective leader in one situation, or
 environment, but an ineffective one in another. It is the needs and demands of people in
certain environment that dictate the kind of leadership. Beginning teachers for instance,
need forceful leaders are task- oriented. Old teachers are indeed different.
3. The Functional theory: This kind of theory holds that leadership is a shared process.
That is, teachers have needs which they want fulfilled or satisfied. On the other hand, the
organization has expectations which it wants performed in a satisfactory way. If the
teachers are to do a good job, their needs must be well met. Similarly, teachers must
perform their given tasks very well if the organizational needs are be satisfied.
4. The Contingency theory: This theory holds traits, situations and the tasks to be
performed all combine to determine leadership- that is to say leadership is a combination
of those three elements. For example, in a school situation (environment) the head
teacher may make the most stubborn students a prefect. He is also expected to give the
work of teaching music to teacher who has specialized in music.
5. The Group Dynamics theory: This theory holds that leaders a rise out of the
compatibilities of group and task. That is people in a given group will be given tasks
according to their ability to do those tasks.
Some tasks to be done may demand people of great experience; others may require strength and
endurance. The latter tasks may not require people with experience at all. Younger people will be
needed. Each type of work and each group of people will require different leadership.
STYLES OF LEADERSHIP
There are about seven styles of leadership. These are:
1) The Nomothetic style: This kind of leadership emphasizes the role of the work and
the organizational goals. It is tasks oriented. Its workers are expected to be solely
concerned with accomplishing the goals, objectives and tasks of the organization. It
ignores the needs of the workers. It does not hesitate to use compulsion and close
supervision to achieve the goals of the institution. This style has one advantage. Task
is accomplished on time. It also has its own disadvantages:
i. The human relationship between the superior and the workers is minimal.
ii. The morale of the workers is low.
iii. The productivity is low.
2) The Idiographic style: This style considers the needs and personalities of the
workers. Authority is delegated to workers according to their personal capability to
perform the job. Individual workers are expected to be self- directed and to be free in
their participation in organizational goals. The advantage of this style is that individual
workers are enthusiastic and motivated to work. Its disadvantage is that organizational
requirements are not always fulfilled.
3) The Transactional style: This style combines the two styles above: the Nomothetic
and the idiographic. In other words, it balances, personal needs with organizational
demands within a given situations. It does this by matching the task of the institution
with the needs and personality of the individual. Its advantages are that both tasks
accomplishment and human welfare are recognized. Its disadvantage is that there is
also task of direction since the organization is leaderless.
4) The Autocratic style: This style is similar to the nomothetic style.
It centralizes power and authority in the management.
Its purpose is to achieve high productivity in the organization
It does not involve individual workers in decision making or policies.
Being task-oriented, the management uses workers as machine to effect productivity.
It dictates in order to attain the determined goals and get the workers to perform the
roles they are given.
The advantages of an Autocratic style are that:
 It does not initiate to use rewards in order to motivate the workers.
 It impels the workers to work quickly for high production.
Its disadvantages are:
 Since the leadership is authoritarian and power is centralized, the work to be
done is strictly structured.
 close supervision is exercised and resented by the workers
 Workers are frustrated and, therefore their morale is low.
 Conflicts between the administrators and workers arise constantly.
5) The democratic style: This style considers first the needs, interest’s rights and
freedom of workers or subordinates. These subordinate are given a substantial amount
of freedom and are involved in decision-making. The management influences the
 subordinates, but it does not dominate their thinking. It offers suggestion rather than
issue orders. The management acts as facilitator and provider of information rather
than being authoritarian. It praises workers instead of criticizing them.
Its advantages are:
 High morale among workers;
 They have freedom to exercise their responsibilities
 They have high job motivation.
Its disadvantages are:
 It may take long to involve workers in decision making.
 They may get lazy.
 Workers may start taking things easy.
6) The laissez-faire style: This style implies the attitude that everybody may do what he
wants. There is no real leader in an organization which adopts this style. This kind of
organization avoids the use of power and the management’s role is limited. Besides, it
binds itself to no code of regulations. It makes extensive use of unnecessary
committees. These committee set goals which no one feels bound to adhere to since
there is no hierarchy of authority, the leader is merely a symbol. There are three
advantages to this type of style:
 Mature people feel to do what they want to do.
 The conscientious employees provide their own motivation.
 Decisions are easily accepted.
On the other hand, lesser faire has its disadvantages:
 It has no clear leadership.
 There is no control and chaos/conflicts often arise due to unguided freedom.
 There is a high rate of unhealthy competition among its members.
7) Charismatic style: This style of leadership is based, on the leaders’ magnetic
personality and influence on his subordinate. The leader commands love, faith, respect
and devotion because of his personal attributes, such as attractiveness, good posture,
eloquent speeches and warm personality. The advantage of this style is that the leader
exert an unchallengeable influence; he is loved and respected and his leadership easily
accepted by its followers. It has its disadvantages as well:
  The subordinates tend to be devoted to the charismatic leader rather than to the
organization.
 If the status quo is disrupted the successor finds it hard to be accepted.
FACTORS HAMPERING THE EFFICIENCY IN LEADERSHIP
There are at least ten factors which hampering efficiency in leadership. These are:
1. Lack of devotion in leaders.
2. Task or position center policies.
3. Unpopular programmes administered.
4. Conflict between style (need) and expectation.
5. Failure to get feedback.
6. Failure to satisfy the need-disposition of the followers.
7. Reliance on fear in opposition to inspiring enthusiasms.
8. Inflexibility in decision making.
9. Job incompetence on the part of the leaders
10. Unwillingness to accept criticism
SUGGESTION FOR REMEDY
The following are suggested remedies against leadership inefficiency
Leaders should have a sense of humour.
1) Leaders should be responsible
2) Leaders should be competent
3) Leaders should be willing to listen to others
4) Leaders should be receptive to criticism.
AUTHORITY AND POWER
Meaning of Authority
Authority connotes the rights conferred onto an administrator in a given position. For example,
the head teacher is given authority to command and to enforce obedience among his staff and
students. Authority also connotes power in decision –making and coordinating activities towards
the achievement of the goals of organization. Authority, therefore, involves two people the super
ordinate (superior) and the subordinate. In a school setting, this means the head teacher and the
teacher. The former makes decision (of course with the help of the teacher). The latter carries out
those decisions.
Authority is, therefore, power.
Bases of authority
Authority is derived from bases: position and personal. An administrator utilizes both bases
(dimensions) to effect the achievement of the organizations goals.
Position
This is authority that comes from above. That is, it is an authority that is given by the senior
administrator to the junior administrator for example; the TSC County Director gives authority to
the Principal of a given secondary school. What is being suggested here is that authority is
delegated downward in an organization.
In an organization, the flow of authority, therefore, is downwards. The process of delegating
authority downwards is not irreversible; the boss can take it back. The best example of this last
point is when a head teacher‘s job is suddenly taken away from him by the TSC County Director.
The amount of authority one has depends on one’s place in this hierarchy. This means, therefore,
that the basis of authority in a formal school organization is the relationship between line and
staff authority.
Line authority
In line authority, the flow of authority is channeled directly from the top administration. This is
to say that line officials can issue direct commands to their subordinates. This line authority must
relate to the performance of the organization. In other words the subordinates being given a
responsibility is expected to fill the position adequately.
Line authority is not therefore absolute, and delegation of it must be done with discretion.
It is not because someone is put in authority that he acquires abilities.
Abilities should be present already in the person to be endowed with authority
Staff Authority
Staff authority is mainly concerned with assisting as well as advising. It is used where line
authority becomes inadequate. For example, specialized skills are used in directing these
activities which the line administrators cannot effectively perform.
While line authority contributes directly to the organization, staff authority contributes indirectly
to the achievement of establish policies.
There are two basic categories of staff position these are:
a) Specialist. specialist staff include :
 1. Advisors
2. Technician’s services
3. Controllers and
4. Facilitators
b) Personal: personal staff usually serves in a general non-supervisory administrative role.
Here, the authority is derived from the position of the person the staff reports to. That is,
he acts by and through the authority delegated to him by the supervisor.
Power
As mentioned above, a person who induces another individual to do a certain job because of his
positioning the organization is considered to have position power on the other hand, when he
derives power from his followers the power may be used to effectively control another person.
Power is the force behind authority in administration. Without power there is a little authority
and no possibility of getting things done. Power is, therefore, the ability/energy to influence a
person to act. Power is control. It may include the right to impose sanctions on an individual.
Source of power
There are five source types of power that may be used in any administration. These sources are:
1. Reward power: This is the type of positive power which the manager or the school head
uses to withhold, grant or increases rewards. Among the positive rewards which the
executive can withhold or increase, we can include money, protection, praise and fringe
benefits. The head teacher, for instance can help a teacher to be promoted by
recommending him to the TSC. In the same way, he can withhold his teacher’s promotion
by refusing to give him a positive recommendation.
2. Coercive power: This source of power include visa vis his subordinates negative
responses of the leader. These negative responses may include: dismissal, reprimands and
interdiction. The workers will obey for fear that the leader will impose punishment on
them if they disobey- his orders or frustrate his aims. The school head, for instance, can
recommend the dismissal of an indiscipline teacher from his school. A head teacher can
cane a disobedient student or suspend him temporarily.
3. Legitimate power: This kind of power is perceived by the subordinates as essential to
the potential leader. It is a value internalized in the leader. The leader is acceptable
because he has legitimate right to influence others. The subordinates perceive themselves
 as having an obligation to accept his influence and to follow him because of the position
of the leader in the organization, the subordinate may, for example, agree to work beyond
the normal working hours. A teacher may accept to teach extra hours in response to the
head teacher’s request to help with examinations candidates.
4. Association power: This source of power is based on the identification of people with
their proposed or actual leader. What the leader stands for or symbolizes influences the
subordinates and they want to be like him. Charismatic leaders, for instance, draw many
followers because of what they are good speakers, very influential and commanding
personalities such leaders have power which is admired by their followers because of
those attractive qualities subordinates show respect and admiration to their leader. They
may agree to contribute hard-cash money for a bereaved colleague in order to comply
with request from their boss.
5. Expert power: Any leader who acquires a substantial amount of experience and
knowledge has a chance to be respected by his subordinates. They perceive him as being
competent and knowledgeable in the area in which he influences them and respect his
opinion on many subjects. They accept that he is more experienced than they are: for
example, a head teacher who has served in that position for many years may have his
requests or demands fulfilled unquestioningly because he is considered an expert in
administrative matters.
Self-Assessment Questions.
Using examples from your local school, discuss how the head teacher can exercise leadership
without necessarily being a manager
One of the factors affecting effective leadership in school organization is the head teacher’s
unwillingness to accept criticism. Discuss this statement suggesting some, Remedies.
Identify the most appropriate style of leadership to be applied in your local school. Give specific
example for answer.
List your local leaders, school administration, Member of Parliament, Co-operative etc and
decide in which leadership group you would place each.