Week 7

ESSENTIAL QUESTION:
​Why are all five components of leadership necessary for success in leading through change?

There are five components of leadership that author Michael Fullan said are necessary for success in leading through change.  These components are interwoven and together create a framework for leadership.  If you remove any of the components you will have a less stable structure for positive change.  In my life I can clearly see how all 5 components of leadership work together.

According to Fullan every effective leader has a moral purpose (2014).  My mighty purpose as a teacher is to create the spark for further knowledge.  As a technology leader my moral purpose is the same.  I want to get teachers excited about new possibilities for their students. When I am sharing with others about new technology it is my moral purpose that drives me.

The other four components of leadership are also necessary for successful leadership.  I understand change and I am flexible to change. I use relationships to foster collaborative learning.  I realize that as a tech leader its not enough to just share information technology, I have to create the context for sharing and creating knowledge. I also know that I need to encourage change but with a clear sense of direction diminishing stress that often accompanies change.  In addition to the five key components I also understand the importance of commitment and the 3 personality characteristics: enthusiasm, hope and energy.

Fullen said that “Change is a double-edged sword.  Its relentless pace these days runs us off our feet.  Yet when things are unsettled, we find new ways to move ahead and to create breakthroughs not possible in stagnant societies” (2014).  The very nature of change means that it can be a very hard thing to lead others through. 

The component that I am probably the most comfortable with is “knowledge creation & sharing”.  However it all ties back to commitment and the other components. I need to believe I am trying to make a positive difference.  I need to be real and balance creativity with common sense. 
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The area that I need to work on the most is “Coherence Making”.  When I share with others my enthusiasm sometimes gets the best of me and I go too fast or skip a step or two.  This is where relationships help because good relationships can help make up for weaknesses in other areas. Unfortunately it goes both ways; without good relationships the whole frame work is weakened.  I am sure when we think about success leaders in our lives who have helped us navigate change we can find all 5 framework components. 
 
 

Resources

Fullan, M. (2014). Leading in a Culture of Change. Somerset, NJ, USA: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com

McCluskey, Alan. "Leading in Complex Situations." Leadership. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2015. <http://www.connected.org/learn/leadership.html>.

"Michael Fullan - Motion Leadership Author and Systems Change Expert." Michael Fullan, OC. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2015. <http://www.michaelfullan.ca/>.

Webster, Martin. "Models for Leading Change." Leadership Thoughts. N.p., 23 Jan. 2013. Web. 15 Oct. 2015. <http://www.leadershipthoughts.com/models-for-leading-change/>.