Whether they work in the classroom or in administration, educators are leaders. For classroom teachers, responsibilities such as managing student behavior and mentoring other teachers call on their ability to lead. For administrators, job requirements such as teacher evaluations and community outreach demand a firm grasp of how to guide others in supporting student success. 

Not all education leaders fulfill their duties in the same way. Some lead others by focusing on collaboration and instruction, while others emphasize setting their own example to inspire outstanding performance. Educators can learn how to forge their own type of leadership style in education through graduate programs, including master’s degree or specialist degree programs in educational leadership or a master’s degree program in teacher leadership. 

What Is Educational Leadership?

Educational leadership refers to actions that motivate and inspire students, teachers, administrators and the broader community to create a strong environment for learning and student growth. Depending on their jobs, educators show leadership through responsibilities such as: 

• Setting instructional goals 

• Assessing educational needs 

• Enforcing school policies 

• Resolving conflicts 

• Communicating with teachers, students and families 

• Monitoring budgets 

• Managing behavior 

• Mentoring new educators 

• Evaluating student and teacher performance 

The activities that represent educational leadership are so varied that they fall into multiple categories. In Missouri, for example, the state education department describes five aspects of educational leadership: 

• Visionary: Developing and carrying out a common goal or ideal 

• Instructional: Focusing on effective curriculum, teaching and assessments 

• Managerial: Leading personnel, operations and the use of resources 

• Relational: Interacting with faculty, staff, students, parents and the community 

• Innovative: Recognizing areas for improvement and leading changes to address them 

Educational Leadership Skills

The skill set required for educational leaders emphasizes innovation and flexibility. Some of the skills that are critical for strong educational leadership are: 

• Problem-solving: To find new ways of enhancing school performance 

• Empathy: To create a sense of belonging among faculty, staff and students 

• Analysis: To use data to determine which policies and processes are effective 

• Communication: To provide clear direction regarding instruction and performance 

• Collaboration: To bring all stakeholders to the table to solve problems 

• Patience: To address conflicts and concerns among teachers, students and families 

• Perseverance: To stay focused on long-term solutions amid pushback and adversity  

• Motivation: To encourage others to perform their best 

5 Leadership Style Types in Education

Educators follow different styles of leadership, based on their personal preferences and the needs of those whose work they guide. Adopting a leadership style can help educators determine their best course of action for different on-the-job scenarios. It also can help set the tone for the actions and culture of an entire school building or district. 

Five leadership style types in education include: 

1. Instructional

The instructional leadership style is common among both teachers and administrators. To encourage outstanding outcomes, these leaders provide the guidance that teachers, other staff and students need — and then give them the autonomy to implement those lessons. 

Administrators with an instructional leadership style focus on ensuring that teachers have completed the professional development steps required for providing effective instruction that leads to student success. Classroom teachers closely monitor students’ performance to identify areas where they need additional support. These teachers then provide the tutoring or other assistance that students need to address any learning gaps. 

2. Transformational

Transformational leaders emphasize change and innovation. This type of educational leadership style requires a strong vision for the future of the school and its students and the ability to inspire others to pursue that vision. 

This leadership style also focuses on autonomy among students and teachers, building their enthusiasm for achieving a shared set of transformative goals and then allowing them the freedom to find ways to achieve them. 

3. Coaching

Mentoring plays a key role in the coaching leadership style. Education leaders with a coaching style prioritize finding areas of improvement for students and teachers and then working with them to address those issues.  

This approach to leading others calls on empathy, as it requires taking into account others’ needs and abilities, but it also commands an unwavering commitment to achieving academic and performance goals. 

4. Pacesetting

Pacesetting leaders emphasize leading by example. Unlike leaders whose style focuses on helping others find successful approaches to achieving goals, pacesetting leaders start by establishing and accomplishing their own goals. 

Often most effective when working with those who already are motivated, pacesetting leadership sets the standard for others by emphasizing the leader’s personal development and productivity. 

5. Collaborative

Collaborative leaders guide others’ work by gathering input from those they work with, including teachers and staff, students, families and the community. These leaders place a premium on establishing goals that provide the greatest benefit to stakeholders inside the school and beyond. 

Education leaders who adopt this style must be comfortable with frequently communicating with others about what approaches to take to succeed and be willing to encourage regular feedback on those approaches. 

How to Develop Educational Leadership Skills

Educators who want to find the type of leadership style that works for them — and develop the skills to become that type of leader — can take actions ranging from identifying their strengths and weaknesses to looking to other leaders for inspiration.  

Continuing education, such as leadership-focused graduate programs, provides focused, in-depth training that can prepare professionals to guide others’ work and build their own careers in education or another field. Additionally, educational leadership graduate degrees are often required for educators pursuing administrative roles and for teachers seeking advancement.   

Teachers could pursue a specialist or master’s degree in educational leadership, for example, or earn a master’s degree in teacher leadership. These programs emphasize the different areas of educational leadership and explore the types of leadership styles in education. Students typically learn the skills that are vital to effective educational leadership and how they can guide school improvement. 

Find Your Educational Leadership Style

Educational leaders are on the front lines of the challenges facing modern educational systems. With the proper skills and expertise, they can help shape the future of education and create an environment that promotes student and teacher excellence.  

If you’re looking to level up your educational leadership skills and develop your own leadership style, SEMO Online has graduate programs that can help. Its online Master of Arts in Educational Leadership, Specialist Degree in Educational Leadership and Master of Arts in Teacher Leadership programs provide you with the flexibility to further your education while meeting work and other commitments. Southeast Missouri State University also offers on-campus programs for those in the Cape Girardeau area. 

Whether you’re interested in becoming a principal or superintendent, an instructional coach or a curriculum specialist, among other career paths, explore how SEMO Online can help you achieve your goals.