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Critical Personal and Professional Dilemmas Facing School Leaders

Dr. Frank Calzi
Associate Professor
Niagara University
Niagara University, New York 14109
U.S.A.

Presentation: Second Annual International Leadership Conference
University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany 10/07/08


On the "horns of dilemmas"one of the most difficult issues facing today's school leaders is their ability to lead and manage conflicting often contradictory strategies for resolving problems. This presentation given at the second annual International Leadership Conference held at the University of Muenster, Muenster Germany highlights 10 dilemmas that most often erect personal and interpersonal barriers for leadership survival.

The 10 dilemmas addressed as questions are as follows: ( SEE PDF FILE FOR FULL TRANSCRIPT OF THIS PRESENTATION UNDER " REFERENCE MATERIAL" ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PAGE ).

1. Is it best to centralize and control the process or is it best to decentralize and empower others to assume responsibility?

2. Is the personal cost too high in terms of the dilemma of dealing with one's family issues while trying to meet the time and stress demands of leadership?

3. Is it sometimes better and more humane to tell a half - truth to protect faculty interests and school building leadership as well as the school organization one represents?

4. Is it possible to provide greater latitude of freedom for some school building leaders yet maintain structure for others who need it within the climate of change?

5. Does implementing even the smallest of change frequently result in suspicion of your motive as a leader?

6. Is it critical to understand the difference between leadership amd management and be able to put into practice one or the other when necessary?

7. Is it critical for school leader job security to focus on short term improvements in areas like student achievement test scores rather than implementing comprehensive quality student - centered programs?

8. As a future/current school leader are you authentically motivating your teams to accomplish school goals or are you really manipulating people to get results you deem most appropriate for your own survival?

9. Do you readily and too often accept the role of school problem - solver and decision maker or do you facilitate others to solve their own problems so as to foster less dependence on you as the building decider?

10. Is it best for the school leader to promote consensus decision - making on the part of building teams or is it best to support dynamic tension that results in conflict but perhaps more meaningful resolutions?

IF YOU WISH TO PARTICIPATE IN A DISCUSSION OF ONE OF THESE DILEMMAS, FIRST READ THE FULL TRANSCRIPT OF THIS PRESENTATION THAT CAN BE FOUND IN THE PDF FILE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS "LESSON" ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PAGE. IF YOU WISH, THEN RESPOND TO ANY OF THE SEVERAL GUIDING QUESTIONS POSTED FOR THE ONE DILEMMA SELECTED FOR DISCUSSION (FOUND IN THE DISCUSSION SECTION). THE PLAN IS TO PERIODICALLY POST ONE DILEMMA FOR DISCUSSION AT A TIME. TO BEGIN THE DISCUSSION I HAVE SELECTED DILEMMA 3-- TRUTH VS. VARNISHED TRUTH: " Is it somtimes better and more humane to tell a half-truth rather than the whole truth to protect faculty interests and school building leadership as well as the school organization one represents? SEE GUIDING QUESTIONS IN THE DISCUSSION SECTION.