Effectiveness of

Different Leadership
Styles
FRANCIS KENNETH D. HERNANDEZ
Discussant
Definition of Leadership
Leadership reflects the success and
failures of schools as it is the glue that
binds all the systems and sub-systems of
a school organization. It also integrate
the human, material, and financial
resources of schools on how these
factors can contribute to improved
teaching which would result to the
attainment of higher learning outcomes
among the learners (Tabotabo, 2016).
As school principals mirror the
successful or failed management of
schools, commitment is seen as the
greatest influencer why they perform
below the expectations or based on what
is just expected of them or more than
the expectations. Thus, principals as
school leaders and managers at the
same time are expected to have a level
of organizational commitment necessary
to deliver educational services
excellently.
Leadership style is the manner and
approach of providing direction,
implementing plans, and motivating
people. As seen by the employees, it
includes the total pattern of explicit and
implicit actions performed by their
leader (Newstrom, Davis, 1993)
"A good leader should always … "
• How you finish that sentence could reveal a lot
about your leadership style.
• Leadership is a fluid practice. We're always
changing and improving the way in which we help
our direct reports and the company grow. And the
longer we lead, the more likely we'll change the
way we choose to complete the sentence above.
• But in order to become better leaders tomorrow,
we need to know where we stand today. To help
you understand the impact each type of leader
has on a company, I'll explain eight of the most
common types of leadership styles in play today
and how effective they are.
Spiritual Leadership

Fry’s Spiritual leadership theory (SLT) is a new

leadership principle aligned with the spiritual basis
and survival through calling and membership of all
the members in an organization which eventually
could result to an empowered organization
(Sanders, 2007). This new framework of
organizational transformation begins by pointing out
two unaddressed challenges such as the growing
critique of the origin, nature, methods, and limits of
human knowledge in organizational spirituality and
the need for a more robust and sophisticated
understanding of the “spiritual” aspect of “spiritual
leadership” including those of educational leaders
(Benefiel, 2005).
Luckcok (2010) studied SL based on a
conceptual map derived from personality
type theory which seeks to articulate
several distinct facets of spirited leadership
intended to denote what engages, enlivens
and enlightens personal approaches to
leadership. It also engages positively with
the struggle for the soul of school heads.
The exploratory study implied that
development of leadership needs to be re-
balanced by other equally important
qualities of personhood.
Spirituality is understood as a complex and controversial
human phenomenon, the meaning of which may be shaped and
re-shaped by diverse perspectives and experiences. It includes
personal, social-cultural and transcendent connectedness,
meaning-making about life and living, and a desire for greater
authenticity, resulting to consistency between people’s beliefs,
moral-values, attitudes, and their actions. The three principal
participants believed their personal meanings of spirituality
were intentionally and yet appropriately interwoven into a
range of professional tasks, linked to characteristics of
servant, transformational, moral and relational leadership
styles, and contributed to their sense of resilience in the job.
Most teacher participants perceived SL as influential to their
professional character, competence, and conduct and they
attributed positive effects on their professional attitudes and
practice.

This is based on religiousness, interconnectedness of self to

others, sense of mission, and wholeness or holistic mindset.
Fry’s (2003) Spiritual Leadership Theory (SLT) is “a causal
leadership theory for organizational transformation
designed to create a motivated learning organization. This
leadership comprises the values, attitudes, and behaviors
required to motivate one's self and others in order to have
a sense of spiritual survival through calling and
membership,” that is, they experience meaning in their
lives, have a sense of making a difference, and feel
understood and appreciated. The effect of spiritual
leadership in establishing this sense of leader and
follower spiritual survival is to create value congruence
across the strategic, empowered team, and individual
levels to, ultimately, foster higher levels of organizational
commitment, productivity, and employee well-being. In the
school setting, this is how the principal’s practice the
dimension of spirituality in leading as it positively lays the
platforms for teachers’ performance, commitment to the
vision, belongingness, practices and beliefs which they
manifest in their daily teaching interactions to their
principals and pupils.
Ethical Leadership
According to Rubin, Dierdorff, and Brown (2010),
ethical leadership (EL) is the demonstration of
normatively appropriate conduct through personal
actions and interpersonal relationships, and the
promotion of such conduct to followers through two-
way communication, reinforcement and decision-
making. Brown, Trevino, and Harrison (2005) added
that it is leading by knowing and doing what is right
although right in this context is relative since it is
perceived differently. However, Northhouse (2004)
said that they respect, value, tolerate opposing
views hence making subordinates feel they are
competent and empowered towards team building.
They are visionaries, never play favorites, honest,
just, and fair.
Strike’s (2006) Ethical Leadership Theory (ELT) is leading by knowing
and doing what is right. The leader must act and make decisions
ethically. The leader must also lead ethically in the ways he or she
treats people in everyday interaction, in the attitudes, in the ways he or
she encourages them, and in the directions in which he or she directs
the organizations or institutions. Effective leader influences process,
stimulate change in subordinate’s attitudes and values, augment
followers’ self-efficacy beliefs, and fosters the internalization of the
leaders’ vision by utilizing strategies of empowerment. It is believed that
the nurturing aspect of a leader can raise organizational cultures and
employee values to high levels of ethical concern. If the leader is
ethical, he or she can ensure that ethical practices are carried out
throughout the organization. According to Strike (2007), principals are
held responsible for every aspect of school leadership, from test scores
to school finances, and the like. Because of this increased
accountability, school leaders must regularly confront difficult ethical
dilemmas in varying school contexts and these can be done through
the proper practice of ethical leadership.
The visible and invisible dimension of EL is briefly given
by Reilly (2006). According to him, the visible part is in
the way the leader works with and treats others, in his or
her behavior in public, in his or her statements and in his
or her actions while the invisible aspects of ethical
leadership lie in the leader’s character, in his or her
decision-making process, in his or her mindset, in the set
of values and principles on which he or she draws, and in
his or her courage to make ethical decisions in tough
situations. As a whole, Stansbury (2009) said that EL is
the combination of the two dimensions for leaders to be
ethical at all times.

This covers the personal-moral-ethical, social ethical,

work-institutional-ethical, and glocal-ethical.
The role of the School Head
1. Make sure that everything is in order.
2. Practice purposive leadership which
is anchored on spiritual voice and on
doing what is ought to be to reduce
conflict.
3. Avoid having dilemma in decision-
making.
4. Lead without impartiality and
injustice.
In essence, Balderas(2014) believed that a
school runs smoothly when there is no
friction and when there are understanding,
community, sense of calling, and social
connection or membership to the
organization. If teachers felt that their
school heads are interested in them or
would listen to them as a parent would do,
they would feel a sense of comfort and they
would be more open to find ways that even
when they are suffering things, they can be
motivated well.
Woods (2012) shared that the spiritual and
ethical orientation of a school leader is the
motivation that drives energies positively
against seemingly impossible odds to achieve
extraordinary results. They are the
determination to complete tasks with fervor
and to always strive hard to achieve excellent
and sustained results. They also serve as the
reinvigorating energy to face all tough
challenges by staying focused, with a “can-do”
spirit, and an attitude of “never-say-die.”
Summing up the given premises, it means going
that extra mile and maintaining a steady course
to reach the goal, which individuals set
themselves to do which strengthen the goal to
attain excellent results within a work group as
they associate with each other.
BRIDGING LEADERSHIP
FRAMEWORK –for social objectives
and outcomes
• The bridging leader whose values and principles compel him to make a personal
response to address inequities and societal divides recognizes that the complexity of
the problem can only be solved by convening the stakeholders to the
divide. (Ownership)
• Through a process of dialogue and engagement, the stakeholders arrive at a
common vision and collective response to the situation. (Co-ownership)
• The stakeholders then adopt a social innovation that leads to the societal outcome,
and carries it out through new institutional arrangements. The bridging leader and the
coalition of stakeholders ensure that these institutional arrangements have clear and
measurable goals with the required capability and resources to demonstrate results.
They regularly review their progress vis-à-vis the desired societal outcome and
assess the individual and collective roles and accountabilities in the process. (Co-
creation)
• Over time, these arrangements become formal processes that lead to a reform-
conducive policy environment and responsive programs and services. Other
stakeholders are invited to the coalition regularly, and new bridging leaders are
developed to sustain the transformation process toward societal equity.
The Concept of Bridging Leadership

Bridging Leadership is the type of

leadership that is appropriate in
promoting multi-stakeholder processes
to address societal inequities. It is about
leading collaborative action to bring
about social change. The leadership acts
involves three main segments: Building
Ownership of the response, Developing
Co-Ownership with other stakeholders
and together engaging in the Co-Creation
of a new reality
Summing Up!
• “Enlightened leadership is
spiritual if we understand
spirituality not as some
kind of religious dogma or
ideology but as the domain
of awareness where we
experience values like
truth, goodness, beauty,
love and compassion, and
also intuition, creativity,
insight and focused
attention.”

- Deepak Chopra
The leaders consistent behaviors, belief,
and actions in contradiction,
consistency, and balance develop
positive climate and good working
conditions to the lifeblood of the school
organization