Leadership Styles

All the participants, but especially the Teacher Leaders in MMSTLC, had the opportunity to work with a professional consultant who led a full day session on “Managing Your Personal Work Style”. Participants took the DiSC assessment to determine their individual work and leadership styles. Armed with a description of their personal work style, they participated in a full day session to understand their work style needs and those of their coworkers.

As a result of attending the session, participants were able to:

• Understand their work behavioral tendencies, and develop a beginning understanding of how these styles affect other.
• Understand, respect, appreciate, and value individual differences.
• Enhance their effectiveness in accomplishing tasks by improving relationship with others.
• Develop strategies for working together to increase productivity.

Impact

When these objectives are met, participants are more effective at coaching, motivating, and communicating with teachers, principals, parents, and students in order to build collaborative partnerships and better prepare students in the areas of mathematics and science for the 21st century.
Teachers rated this session as one of the best and most insightful of the leadership sessions of MMSTLC. The PIs witnessed time and again how teachers, because they understood their work style, adapted it to better coincide with that of their coworkers and teammates to improve their working relationship with others.
There are many systems available for work style analysis. We urge anyone providing leadership training for teachers to include one in their program. However, be sure that the trainer/presenter can adapt the presentation to teachers and school situations because it adds credibility and real-life experiences to the session.

*Adapted from materials present by the Center for Coaching and Leadership Development. 401 East Front Street, Suite A, Traverse City, MI 49686