Transformational Leadership: Crafting an Effective Vision Statement

School Leadership, Theory and Practice 1 School Leadership, Theory and Practice Creating a Vision Statement Wilmington University

School Leadership, Theory and Practice 2 School Leadership, Theory and Practice Taking on the role of a Principal of a school is one of the most important decisions an educator can make. Not only will you be the leader of your staff and students but you will be a leader in the community. When things go well, you will receive praise but when things go bad, you will be at fault and criticized. The type of leader you are will determine the atmosphere that is radiated throughout your school. While all types of leaders can be successful, a transformational leader can take their school to a greater level of success. A transformational leader is able to understand people, identify each team members goals and aspirations and bring everyone together to make a difference in their environment (Joubert, 2019). According to Joubert, Les Stein states that, “Transformational leaders are unique individuals with real, honest and personal skill and that allows them to get the job done far better than anyone else.” The skills of a transformational leader will guide them into creating the most important state of a school: The Vision Statement. A vision statement is a very precise statement that provides direction through a description of a preferred future of excellence. A mission statement goes along with the vision statement, is much longer, and describes how that future will be achieved. Development of a Vision Statement I have had the opportunity to work in positive and negative school cultures and the difference that can be seen is incredible. As a Principal, my ideal culture in a school would be one of positivity that could be felt throughout the building and amongst staff and students. This type of feeling allows for an energy that is contagious and supports the eagerness for everyone to grow.

School Leadership, Theory and Practice 3 My professional norms would be the following:  Trust and Collaboration  Respect of diversity amongst teachers and students  Celebrate success  Encourage and set a goal of high expectation  When taking over the role of a school Principal, one of the first things you do is look at the current vision and mission statement of the school and evaluate the school atmosphere and current learning status. When creating my vision for a school, the first thing I would do is observe the current culture and take notes as to what the staff and students currently do that supports my vision and what areas may need improvement. I would look at current achievement data to determine if they are meeting the goals set forth in the current vision statement. Asking staff, students and community members to take a survey and get their feedback on the current status of the school both educational and culturally will also give me data to help guide the new vision statement. After that I would create a team of current staff members that appear to be leaders in the school along with parents, students and community members to help me create the final vision for the school. Swain states in her article “A shared vision cannot be developed overnight. It takes time and considerable discussion to build a strong and enduring vision.” This statement is very accurate and must be remembered. The important thing is for everyone to feel like they are part of the vision and it was made to create success for everyone. Articulation of the Vision Statement A vision statement is the foundation of a school and the ultimate goal. Once a team has created a new vision for the school, it then needs to be shared with the staff, students and community in a way that encourages buy in. A unique way to do this is by having a celebratory

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School Leadership, Theory and Practice 4 unveiling ( Gabriel & Farmer, 2009). All stakeholders need to realize that the new vision was a collaboration of many people and an abundance of hard work went into creating it. If you unveil it in a momentous way, not only will it reach more people but it will excite everyone and make them feel important. A great way to do this is publish it in the paper and on social media. It is also important to remember you have a large diversity of people within your building and not everyone speaks English. The new vision and plans to celebrate it need to be announced in multiple languages so all people feel connected to it. Invite everyone to come to the unveiling of a sign that will be displayed in the school. Hang posters up in the hallways for all to see and be sure to have them in multiple languages. Have the vision statement put on school letterhead. This is your motto and if you want everyone else to be just as proud of it as you are, then you need to show your pride it in and shout it from the roof top. Implementation of the Vision Statement The best vision statement will prove to be worthless if it is not implemented with passion. Now that it has been shared with everyone, it is time to follow your mission statement that has been created to help you reach the goal of your vision statement. These statements need to become a part of everyday life in school. Use the vision statement when making announcements in school to students or phone calls to parents. When having meetings with staff or community members, start the meeting with the vision statement so all involved will remember what the ultimate goal is. When the vision statement is used on a regular basis, then students, staff and the community will believe in its importance and want to achieve that goal. Closure As a Principal of a school you are looked at by all for the leadership needed to make changes and improvements. It is important to remember that a good leader does not tackle these

School Leadership, Theory and Practice 5 objectives on their own but instead surrounds themselves with people that are just as eager to improve and succeed. A good leader will explain their Why and delegate to people to make it happen. A great leader will explain their why, listen to the feedback from their team and then collaborate to create a plan that enhances their why addresses the needs and desires of everyone involved. A great leader will be able to guide their staff, students and the community on the path to reaching the vision statement. Be a great leader and Principal of your school.

School Leadership, Theory and Practice 6 References Gabriel, J. G., & Farmer, P. C. (2009). Chapter 2. In How to help your school thrive without breaking the bank . essay, ASCD. Joubert, S. (2023, August 31). Transformational leadership: How to inspire innovation in the Workplace . Graduate Blog. https://graduate.northeastern.edu/resources/transformational- leadership/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CYou%20hear%20a%20lot%20of,far%20better%20than %20anyone%20else.%E2%80%9D Swaim, S. (1996). Developing and implementing a “shared vision.” Middle School Journal , 28 (1), 54–57. https://doi.org/10.1080/00940771.1996.11496193

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