Chapter 10: Leading Schools While Managing the Influence of Individuals and Agencies

From time to time, principals, especially novice principals, interact with several individuals and agencies whose actions can hinder or aid the operations of the school and, by extension, the effectiveness of the principal. This chapter explores those relationships and proposes that in many instances there are specific responses that the school leader employs that are closely linked to their style of leadership. Of note is the reality that the responses are critical to the effectiveness of the school leader’s practice. Leaning on the literature associated with moral, transformational, and instructional leadership styles, the chapter posits that these styles are important. However, the school leader should also be cognizant of how micropolitical activities influence interactions and should be equipped with the skills associated with micropolitics to aid in navigating the relationships. The chapter explores the concepts of being fearless, fair, friendly, and firm and argues that these are dispositions that school leaders should employ during their interactions.