Product reviews for Understanding Leadership

Teachers are all leaders. It might not seem like it as you get entwined in the politics which each school offers, but close the classroom door, and you are the leader of the students looking at you for inspiration, challenge and creativity in your teaching. And that's what leadership is but, to some people, taking the next step up and leading your teaching colleagues is another matter entirely. Many lack confidence, but we all have ideas on how we could improve certain aspects of school life, the curriculum, or teaching in a certain way, and taking on the next level in your career can be a rewarding experience if managed professionally.

The book description from the publishers above is quite comprehensive, and that is certainly a word that describes this book - comprehensive. Following on from his recent publication, Leadership Dialogues: Conversations & Activities for Leadership Teams, John West-Burnham has teamed up with Libby Nicholas to explore on of the most challenging roles within education. The reasons why people choose leadership are many and varied, but the authors are clear in defining leadership roles, providing clear signs to the reader of the actions, behaviours and expectations which behold such responsibility. This is demonstrated from the table below, which is printed early on in the book:

Leadership; Management; Administration

Doing the right things; Doing things right; Doing things

Path making; Path following; Path tidying

Engaging with complexity; Creating clarity; Securing consistency



Backed up with theory, further reading, and questioning throughout, this book is valuable reading for those thinking of a leadership position in education, and really should be made available in staff rooms, for those considering this next step in their career. Or not. The book is also an interesting read on understanding leadership, being easily digestible, encouraging and relevant to many -˜non-managerial' tasks required in daily school life.

Click here to view the review in full on the UKEdChat website.