Q/ To what extent are the personal characteristics and abilities of a leader important in educational leadership today? In relation to these Questions 1- How does educational leadership influence...

Q/ To what extent are the personal characteristics and abilities of a leader important in educational leadership today?
In relation to these Questions

1- How does educational leadership influence schools and student outcomes?
2-What kind of work needs to be done in the future in terms of describing educational leadership in Harris’ view?
Educational leadership
•    Access the executive summary of the report by Bush and Glover at the link below.
http://www.nationalcollege.org.uk/download?id=17370&filename=school-leadership-concepts-evidence-summary.pdf
•    You can also access the full report at this link.
http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/5119/14/dok217-eng-School_Leadership_Concepts_and_Evidence_Redacted.pdf
 Leadership in the vocational education and training (VET) sector

In recognition of the changing roles of leaders and managers within the Australian VET system, Mulcahy (2003) sought to identify what these roles were; the expertise that managers required to lead; how expertise was developed, and appropriate approaches for management and leadership development within the VET sector. Mulcahy’s research was undertaken via surveys, telephone interviews and case studies, from which she identified seven powerful forces at play:
1.    Changing work environments
2.    Changing policy environments
3.    Increased administrative responsibilities
4.    Reduced government funding
5.    Increased expectations regarding corporate/industry links
6.    Increasing use of technology and e-commerce, and
7.    Increasing expectation in relation to links with other sectors, agencies and organisations (e.g. universities, schools, community education providers) (Mulcahy, 2003, pp. 6-7).
Mulcahy (2003) concluded that "there is a clear need for greater leadership and management support" (p. 9) and that attention could be given to increasing opportunities for development at senior management level and for pathways for prospective managers and leaders (principally currently frontline managers).
Consider the following quotation from Mulcahy:


"Strong leadership in vocational education and training requires acknowledging a sense of the 'high tension zone' – the complexity of the relationships involved in simultaneous membership of different cultures (for example, business, occupational, professional)" (Mulcahy, 2003, p. 9).