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Name : Arshad Ashiq

Class : B.Ed (1½ Year)

Roll No. : CE

Code : 8618

Allama Iqbal Open University Islamabad

Assignment No. 2

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP

SEMESTER AUT 2021

Q.1 What do you understand by the term conflict management in your

opinion? What are the essential skills for managing conflict

effectively elaborate it?

Answer

Conflict Management

What is Conflict? Conflict manifests itself as a difference between two or more persons or groups characterized by tension, disagreement, emotion or polarization, where bonding is broken or lacking. The most important conflicts – the ones that, when managed well, lead to positive results in teams – are the ones in which people feel personally invested in their positions or are bringing something of themselves as human beings into the interaction. Conflicts are caused by a number of aspects that create tensions between people. Corvette (2007) contends that conflict exists wherever, and whenever there is an incompatibility of cognitions or emotions within individuals or between individuals. Moreover, this author avers that conflict arises in personal relationships, in business and professional relationships in organizations, between groups and organizations, and between nations. Many schools have broken down relationships because of the existence of this incompatibility. School managers in “conflict schools” will face mammoth task as they try to be effective. It is also important to note that the leader’s philosophy will influence how they react to conflict; some perceive it as something to be avoided at all costs while others see it as an aspect that is necessary to propel change and foster organizational regeneration. Corvette (2007: 34) posits: It is the perception or belief that opposing needs, wishes, ideas, interests, and goals exist that create what we commonly call conflict. Conflict is everywhere, and it is inevitable. It arises from many sources. In addition to being the antecedent for negotiation, conflict may also arise during negotiation. The subject of conflict is large and complex. Conflict if misdiagnosed, can lead to a spiral of antagonistic interaction and aggravated, destructive behavior. School managers and leaders need to understand what is entailed in conflict management and need high conflict competence to be able to be effective in their schools. When conflict managers have determined and defined the nature of the conflict in a conflict situation, they try and find ways of resolving it. Various conflict writers have highlighted various ways of resolving these conflict situations. Many of these are relevant in school situation. Effective school principals will have the qualities highlighted in conflict literature. Blake and Mouton (1964) identified five conflict solving strategies; smoothing, compromising, forcing, withdrawal and problem solving. Furthermore, Dana (2001) avers that leaders need to comprehend structure to be able analyze conflicts well. There are six parts of conflict structure that people can pay attention to:

• Interdependency – How much do parties need one another?
• Number of interested parties- How many distinct parties, individuals or groups have an interest in how the conflict is resolved?

a) Create and maintain a bond, even with your ‘adversary’ The key to defusing conflict is to form a bond, or to re-bond, with the other party. We do not have to like someone to form a bond with him or her. We only need a common goal. Treat the person as a friend, not an enemy, and base the relationship on mutual respect, positive regard and co-operation. Leaders must learn to separate the person from the problem, genuinely want to help the other party and avoid negative responses to attacks or intense emotions. b) Establish a dialogue and negotiate At all times it’s important to keep the conversation relevant, stay focused on a positive outcome and remain aware of the common goal. It is imperative. “Many leaders in conflict situations are ‘hostages’ to their inner fears and other negative emotions and fail to see the opportunities in resolving them.” to avoid being hostile or aggressive. The next stage is negotiation, in which we add bargaining to the dialogue. Talking, dialogue and negotiation create genuine, engaging and productive two way transactions. We need to use energy from the body, emotions, intellect and the spirit. c) “Put the fish on the table” This expression means, simply, raising a difficult issue without being aggressive or hostile. The analogy comes from Sicily where the fishermen, who are strongly bonded, put their bloody catch on a large table to clean it together. They work through the messy job and are rewarded by a great fish dinner at the end of the day. If you leave a fish under the table it starts to rot and smell. On the other hand, once an issue is raised, we can work through the mess of sorting it out and find a mutually beneficial outcome. The important thing to remember is that we should not slap the other party in the face with the fish! We should be direct, engaging and respectful, always helping the other person to ‘save face. In addition, timing is important. It would not be beneficial to raise a difficult topic just as a senior colleague is leaving to the airport. We can decide not to put the fish on the table as a tactic, but not because we wish to avoid the conflict. Choosing the right time and the right circumstances are part of an effective conflict management strategy. d) Understand what causes conflict To be able to create a dialogue aimed at resolving the conflict, we need to understand the root of the disagreement. Among the common causes of disagreement are differences over goals, interests or values. There could be different perceptions of the problem, such as ‘It’s a quality control problem’ or ‘it’s a production problem’, and there may also be different communication styles. Power, status, rivalry, insecurity, resistance to change and confusion about roles can also create conflicts. Egotistical people, for example, leaders who manipulate others to build their own identities and self-importance often generate conflicts. It is crucial to determine whether a conflict relates to interests or needs. Interests are more transitory and superficial, such as land, money, or a job; needs are more basic and not for bargaining, such as identity, security and respect. Many conflicts appear to be about interests, when they are really about needs. The most conflict provoking losses have to do with needs, and those needs may connect to the deeper

Wounds people have suffered in their life. Someone passed over for promotion, for example, may seem to be upset about the loss of extra money, when the real pain is caused by a loss of respect or loss of identity. e) Use the law of reciprocity The law of reciprocity is the foundation of cooperation and collaboration. What you give out is likely to be what you get back. Humans have a deeply hardwired pattern of reciprocity. Researchers have recently discovered mirror neurons in the brain, suggesting that our limbic system (emotional brain) that establishes empathy re-creates the experience of others’ intentions and feelings within ourselves. Mutual exchange and internal adaptation allows two individuals to become attuned and empathetic to each other’s inner states. Hence a powerful technique to master in any kind of dispute is to empathize with the feelings and views of the other individual by managing what we express – both verbally and non-verbally. This social awareness allows you to make the right concessions at the right time. Once you have made a concession, it is likely that the other party will respond in kind. Moreover, when you recognize a concession has been made, reciprocate with one of your own. f) Build a positive relationship Once a bond has been established, we must nurture the relationship as well as pursue our goals. We need to balance reason and emotion, because emotions such as fear, anger, frustration and even love may disrupt otherwise thoughtful actions. We need to understand each other’s point of view, regardless of whether we agree with it or not. The more effectively we communicate our differences and our areas of agreement, the better we will understand each other’s concerns and improve our chances of reaching a mutually acceptable agreement. The deepest bonds are founded on what the eminent psychologist Carl Rogers called ‘unconditional positive regard’. We can all learn to communicate acceptance of the other person while saying no or disagreeing with a specific point or behavior. Feeling accepted, worthy and valued are basic psychological needs. And, as hostage negotiation demonstrates, it is more productive to persuade than to coerce. Dana perceives these six dimensions as elements that are necessary to be able to analyze conflict well. There are many similar theories that analyze conflict resolution and management. Anderson et al. (1996) contend that negotiation is one of the most common techniques for creating agreements during conflict situations. Furthermore, these authors cite Putnam who defines negotiation as a type of conflict management characterized by an exchange of proposals and counterproposals as a means of reaching a satisfactory settlement. The Harvard Business Essentials publication (2003: xi) concur with the above definitions when they aver: Negotiation is the means by which people deal with their differences. Whether those differences involve the purchase of a new automobile, a labor contract dispute, the terms of a sale, a complex alliance between tow companies, or a peace accord between warring nations, resolutions are typically sought through negotiations. To negotiate is to seek mutual agreement through dialogue. Negotiation is an ever-present feature of our lives both at home and at work. Negotiations also present a form of conflict management that is more consciously controlled. Yes although negotiation involves more controlled communication than other conflict situations, the overall process is marked by greater ambiguity because of the stakeholders’ lack of control over the outcome (Anderson et al. 2003).

Although this is an ambitious but achievable list of goals, there is a potential problem: these goals focus only on your career. You have completely omitted goals from other parts of your life. Many people focus solely on their work when they set goals. However, you can’t neglect activities that bring you joy. Goals like writing a book, competing in an adventure race, or starting a home garden might also be incredibly important for your happiness and well-being. So, when you set your goals, make sure that you strike the right balance between different areas of your life. And remember that "balance" is different for everyone – use the Wheel of Life tool to understand which areas of your life you need to focus on most.

Mistake 3: Underestimating Completion Time

How often has a task or project taken longer than you thought? Probably more times than you can count! You may also say the same for goals that you've set in the past. If you do not estimate goal completion time accurately, it can be discouraging when things take longer to achieve than you think they should. This can cause you to give up. So, use Action Programs and effective scheduling strategies when planning your goals. And always pad your timelines to account for delays and setbacks. If you add extra time into your estimate, you will feel less pressure to rush and finish by a certain date.

Mistake 4: Not Appreciating Failure

No matter how hard you work, you will fail to achieve goals from time to time. We have all been there, and it is not fun! However, your failures are what ultimately determine your character. They also contain lessons that can change your life for the best, if you have the courage to learn from them. So do not be too upset if you fail to achieve your goals – just take note of where you went wrong and use that knowledge to reach your goals next time around.

Mistake 5: Setting "Other People's Goals"

Some people – family, friends, or even your boss – may want to influence the goals you set. Perhaps they feel that they know what's best for you, or maybe they want you to take a certain path or do certain things. Clearly, it is important that you have good relationships with these people, and you need to do what your boss asks, within reason. However, your goals need to be your own – not anybody else's. So be politely assertive, and do what you want to do!

Mistake 6: Not Reviewing Progress

It takes time to accomplish goals. And sometimes it can feel that you are not making much progress. This is why it is important to take stock of everything that you've accomplished on a regular basis. Set small sub-goals, celebrate your successes, and analyze what you need to do to keep moving forward. No matter how slow things seem, you probably are making progress! You can also take this opportunity to update your goals, based on what you have learnt. Have your priorities changed? Or do you need to set aside some extra time for a particular goal activity? Goals are never set in stone, so do not be afraid to amend them if you need to.

Mistake 7: Setting "Negative" Goals

How you think about your goal can influence how you feel about it, and whether you achieve it.

For instance, many people have a goal to "lose weight." However, this goal has a negative connotation; it is focused on what you do not want – your weight. A positive way to reframe this goal is to say you want to "get healthy." Another example of a negative goal is to "stop staying late at work." A positive way to rephrase this is to "spend more time with family." Negative goals are emotionally unattractive, which makes it hard to focus on them. Reframe any negative goals so that they sound positive: you may be surprised by the difference this makes!

Mistake 8: Setting Too Many Goals

When you start setting goals, you may see many things that you want to accomplish. So you start setting goals in all areas. The problem with this is that you have a fixed amount time and energy. If you try to focus on many different goals at once, you cannot give individual goals the attention they deserve. Instead, use the "quality, not quantity" rule when setting goals. Work out the relative importance of everything that you want to accomplish over the next six to twelve months. Then pick no more than, say, three goals to focus on. Remember, the success of your work towards a goal rests on focusing on just a few things at a time. If you limit the number of goals you are working on, you will have the time and energy you need to do things really well!

Tip:

A good way to avoid these mistakes and to set goals effectively is to use the Mind Tools Life Plan Workbook. Supported by worksheets and advice, this guides you through a simple, five- step process for setting your goals, and for organizing yourself for success.

Setting Up Common Goals

Defining Goals

To have common goals, you first need to define what those goals are. Goals generally can be divided into short term and long term. Short-term goals might include reaching a certain amount of sales for the month, improving on specific customer service issues or successfully launching a new product. Long-term goals may include generating a certain amount of profit over the course of a year or expanding into more locations over the course of five years. Short-term goals should be in support of the larger long-term goals.

Communicating Goals

For goals to be common between staff and management, they need to be communicated from the business owner to all involved. Bring all the employees together to outline what goals you have and what concrete steps are to be taken to reach them. Detail what each person's responsibilities are and what actions are needed to reach these goals. Let management and staff know that every person is involved in this process and that everyone plays an important role. Revisit and reinforce the goals as you go along.

Employee Input

Approaches

Team building takes on many forms, including retreats, workshops, supplemental on-the-job training and recreational activities. Placing staff members in positions where they must work together to achieve a shared goal or a series of related goals introduces the goal-centered team model. Teaching workers about how their efforts fit within the larger model of the organization is another way to enlighten employees about the need for teamwork.

Elements of a Team

Team building that seeks to unite employees around a common goal should promote the characteristics of productive teams. These include mutual trust among team members, selfmotivation within the team, shared responsibility for mistakes and participation from all members. Effective teams also exhibit strong communication and a willingness to ask questions for clarification. Business leaders should assess each of these elements to devote time and money to developing those characteristics that a goal- directed team lacks.

Individuals Within Teams

Team building and assessment also involves individual evaluation and training. A single member can move a team off course, or introduce confusing or contradictory goals and strategies. Business leaders that seek teams with common goals should recruit individuals who are open to discussing their beliefs, willing to listen to and express opinions, and able to serve as leaders when necessary. Team members can develop these skills through training, but team building works best when employees already possess some of the basic traits of successful team members. Other elements, such as the nature of the team's goals and the consequences of reaching them, are left for managers to define for each team project.

Setting Team Goals: How to Ensure No One's Ideas Get Left Out?

Effective teams don't just happen. It's up to the manager or team leader to set the stage for success. That includes guiding work teams toward the establishment of team goals and, ultimately, to a positive outcome. Here are some key points that can help you along the way.

Start by Clarifying Team Objectives

Successful teams are driven by a deeply rooted sense of mission. So make sure that everyone understands the mission right from the start. With this approach, shared team goals become more important than individual agendas. And these team objectives help bind a team together and keep it cohesive, even when obstacles or internal disagreements arise. When you establish team goals upfront, the payoff is enhanced productivity later on.

Define Individual Responsibilities

To achieve the team goal, you also need agreement on how it will be accomplished. And individual responsibilities need to be well defined. If they are not, productivity slows down, as team members wait for more guidance. Or else, more dominant team members simply take charge. The ideal situation, of course, is for everyone to participate equally. Then, each team member is just as invested as the next.

Help Everyone Participate

Sometimes, team leaders or managers need to step in to provide the right balance of participation. For example, try to make sure everyone has a chance to contribute by drawing out quieter or less-experienced members. You might ask for their opinions in meetings or steer particular aspects of a project their way. Make it one of your team goals to ensure that everyone has a voice. It's generally fine for your top performers to take on a bigger role or more responsibility than others. But make sure this doesn't cause your star employees to feel overburdened — or make other team members feel squeezed out.

Q.3 Describe concept of change management in detail.

Answer

What is Change Management?

When your organization undertakes projects or initiatives to improve performance, seize opportunities or address key issues, they often require changes; changes to processes, job rules, organizational structures and types and use of technology. However, it is actually the employees of your organization who have to ultimately change how they do their jobs. If these individuals are unsuccessful in their personal transitions, if they don’t embrace and learn a new way of working, the initiative will fail. If employees embrace and adopt changes required by the initiative, it will deliver the expected results. Change management is the discipline that guides how we prepare, equip and support individuals to successfully adopt change in order to drive organizational success and outcomes. While all changes are unique and all individuals are unique, decades of research shows there are actions we can take to influence people in their individual transitions. Change management provides a structured approach for supporting the individuals in your organization to move from their own current states to their own future states. Change management has typically been defined as a process involving unfreezing, moving, and refreezing values, practices, and procedures within organizations. Unfreezing refers to the creation of a perceived discrepancy between the existing and ideal state of an organization that generates a desire for change and lowers people’s resistance to change. Moving refers to the various processes such as training, education, and restructuring that lead to the development of new behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs. Refreezing regards reestablishing a new state of equilibrium within the organization by stabilizing the new patterns through a variety of support mechanisms.

Any change to processes, systems, organization structures and/or job rules will have a ‘technical’ side and a 'people' side that must be managed. Project management and change management have evolved as disciplines to provide both the structure and the tools needed to realize change successfully on the technical and people side. Discipline: Process: Tools: Project management • Initiating

• Planning
• Executing
• Monitoring and controlling
• Closing Statement of work, Project charter, Business case Work breakdown structure, Budget estimations, Resource allocation, Schedule Tracking, Risk identification and mitigation, Reports on performance and compliance Change management • Planning for change
• Managing change
• Reinforcing change Individual change model Communications Sponsorship Coaching Training Resistance management Change management and project management are tools that need to be applied independent of the actual change that you are undertaking. Anytime you alter processes, systems, organization structures or job rules, you need a structured approach to manage both the 'technical' side and the 'people' side of the pending change. Do project management and change management look the same for every initiative?. Typically not. While the right amount of project management and change management is at least some, each of these tools are at their best when they are customized for the unique situation that you are facing and are fully integrated. Your organization, its culture and history, and the specific change that you are implementing all influence the right amount of project management and change management. How much project management is needed? Depends on the complexity and degree of change to processes, systems, organization structure and job roles. How much change management is needed? Depends on the amount of disruption created in individual employee's day-today work and the organization attributes like culture, value system and history with past changes.

Q.4 What do you understand by the term enthusiasm. In your opinion how

far enthusiasm is important for a successful leader.

Answer

Optimism and Enthusiasm

Optimism Enthusiasm and Integrity – Leaders must have it Optimistic: Great leaders should also be optimistic. Few pessimists are real leaders even though they may have the title. Great leaders are committed to the future and so any pessimism or negativity in what the future holds will undoubtedly be felt by their team. Furthermore, all leadership actions and behaviors must be carried out with absolute integrity and so when leaders are genuinely enthusiastic, positive, energetic and confident, they will be able to harness the energy that is already within their team to achieve success. Optimism in leadership is one essential quality you must have toward life. An optimistic person is excited about his future and there is certain energy about his life. He is not fearful of the uncertainties that life brings, but he looks forward in anticipation, knowing that life will only get better and better. Attitude is everything. Optimism is one of the many attitudes you should adopt, especially as a leader. It is only when you are optimistic about your future that you can be a progressive person; someone who continually improves and moves toward the future. A pessimistic person, on the other hand, is afraid of the future. He is afraid of the failures, anxieties, problems that the future will bring. A pessimistic person is fearful about the future. That is why optimism is the foundation of courage. Without the prospect of a promising future, who would have the courage to face and overcome today? What is the difference between empathy and sympathy? Although the words are similar, they are, in fact, mutually exclusive. According to Norman Paul, in sympathy the subject is principally absorbed in his or her own feelings as they are projected into the object and has little concern for the reality and validity of the object's special experience. Empathy, on the other hand, presupposes the existence of the object as a separate individual, entitled to his or her own feelings, ideas and emotional history (Paul, 1970). As one student so eloquently put it, "It's nice when a project leader acknowledges that we all have a life outside of work." However, many people like to dismiss optimism as wishful thinking. “They’re just daydreaming”, they would say. Oliver Pell even once said,” Optimism is a psychological disorder exhibited by those out of touch with reality.” What a strong statement to make of the positive people in our world today. But the truth is, these people say these things because deep inside their hearts, they’re envious of the kind of life these optimistic people lead; happy, joyous, and hopeful. They have been disappointed by life before and they don’t want to hope again, in case they get hurt by disappointment again. The reality is this: You create your reality. It is your attitude today that determines your future. Asking people to be realistic is one thing, but asking them not to live like there’s a great future ahead of them is another. As a leader, don’t ever listen to another person who tells you to be ‘realistic’ when you share a dream or a vision with him. Remember that the world is changed by people whom were called out-of-touch, weird dreamers. As a leader, you have to know the difference between optimism in leadership and just simply being out of this world. Five Reasons why optimists make better leaders Enthusiasm: A good leader is enthusiastic about their work or cause and also about their role as leader. People will respond more openly to a person of passion and dedication. Leaders need to be able to be a source of inspiration, and be a motivator towards the required action. Although the responsibilities and roles of a leader may be different, the leader needs to be seen to be part of

good news is that this works in reverse too – and positive emotions can be spread just as effectively as negative ones. Why a Leader Need Enthusiasm? It is like electricity. You cannot see it, but you can see its power and what that power can do. Everyone is irresistibly attracted to a leader who emanates energy and passion. It is highly transmissible. When you work with a leader like that you finding yourself mimicking their mood and behaviour – followers automatically start behaving like their leader. That’s emotional contagion at work. Do something you love. You cannot sustain a genuine, consistent, driving, passionate and motivated energy in the long term unless you are doing something you love, something you feel passionate about, something you believe in. When you are excited about what you are doing you become more animated and energetic – and when that happens you become unstoppable. Success is inevitable. If you cannot be excited about what you are doing now think hard: is it time to look at other ways of investing your precious life? Tap into previous passion. Of course, being human, even if you are doing something you are crazy about, there will be days when you find that you are not automatically overflowing with your normal level of enthusiasm. On those days you have to find a source of enthusiasm to consciously tap into. Simply recall a time when you were positively alive with energy, when you were aware that others around you could feel your passion. Remember that moment and tune into it. Remember what you felt, how you walked, how you spoke – and you will recover that excitement and tap into the energy it brings with it. With practice you will find that you are able to turn it on instantly at will simply by recalling an occasion when you were at your most enthusiastic. Plug in to someone else. Alternatively call someone you know who is reliably passionate and plug in for a recharge. Just talking with someone energetic will get you going faster. Do not expect it to be there all of the time automatically – work on it. Negative attitudes bring the entire team down. As a manager with enthusiasm and an optimistic outlook you will elevate those around you and energize your entire team. Adopting a can-do attitude and implementing enthusiasm in your day-to-day interactions will encourage others to look for the positive in even the most challenging situations presented. “Being a leader can be challenging and at the same time hugely rewarding. When you are in a leadership role, people will look to you to provide inspiration, motivation, direction, drive to name just a few. Those that succeed as leaders are enthusiastic and upbeat. They know that they might not have everyone on board with all of their ideas, that they might not have all of the skills or the knowledge they need. They are however highly positive and know that there is a solution to obstacles that arise. The challenge for the enthusiastic leader is to find the solution to the obstacles that they encounter. There are a number of real benefits of being an enthusiastic leader. These include: Others follow : Imagine that you had two leaders. The first leader is someone who is upbeat, positive and focused on achieving. The second leader is someone who spends most of their time focusing on the problems and circumstances. Which leader would you want to follow most? People deliver more : Think about the people that you have worked with. Chances are there were people that really inspired you. Their desire to deliver great results motivated you to deliver more than you thought were possible. You go that extra step to deliver.

You become a role model : People are drawn to people who are high performers and authentic. In many ways you become a role model. They are someone who others aspire to be like and achieve results that you achieve. You show them by the way you behave and your attitude how to get results. You build a reputation : If you are a leader who is enthusiastic, finds ways of overcoming obstacles and deliver results, you will build a reputation as someone who delivers. When you get a reputation for being someone who delivers, you will get opportunities to take on new challenges and opportunities. You achieve personal success : If you are starting to be viewed as someone who is enthusiastic and has a reputation for getting results, personal success and rewards will follow. Each personal success will encourage and motivate you even more and in many ways create a ripple effect.

Q.5 Discuss the use of technology in educational leadership in details.

Answer

Need of Using Technology

The first question that arises in one’s mind is that why a school leader would need to rely more and more upon the latest technological tools in the coming years. Here are a few points of consideration:

Transparency

The good governance brings together issues and challenges of transparency. The power of using technology and media rests in the ability to engage stakeholders in two-way communications. Tools like MIS enable us to share information about the institution frequently and accurately and provide updates in real time which engaged more stakeholders than traditional methods had. For this to happen, we need to commit to a new level of transparency and openness.

Flexibility

One important aspect of modern approach to educational leadership is to involve students, parents, teachers, and community members in shaping the tools and processes that could be used to make informed decision making. The only way we could create a tool that may meet everyone's needs is to invite representatives from the community to lead the design process. Such collaborative efforts shape the requirements and features, a process that involved both face-to-face brainstorming and eliciting feedback through online tools.

Expanding Access to Learning

Digital connections help educational institutions to grow professionally. Through interaction we can discover like-minded, passionate educators from all over the world. When struggling with a challenge, it is easier to collect diverse ideas and resolve the challenges and issues with collaborative

• Enhancing Teacher Effectiveness: Professional development has become a major focus for making it possible for the teachers to work more effectively.
• Using Data to Inform Learning, Teaching, and Leadership: There is an increased emphasis on generating datasets for evidence based decision making in the process of educational attainment of students. Hence technological help is needed by the teachers as well as educational leaders to make informed decisions
• Increasing Academic Achievement: It is evident that technological use in classrooms has helped teachers across all levels of education in instructional development which in result enhances student achievement.
• Driving Innovation and New Educational Models: Once it is recognized that increased numbers of schools that offer technology-rich, Internet-ready learning environments staffed by teachers who are ready to translate those opportunities into deeper, more authentic academic learning are performing better; it is essential to motivate teachers and design new education models based on technology.

Principles of Application

Technology integration is a complex challenge that is not easily addressed with a single intervention. While access to technology and teacher training are important, other key elements are necessary to ensure the effective use of technology in schools. One such element is leadership. The following principles, will help leaders−−school administrators, technology staff, and innovative practitioners in making informed decisions and support the effective integration of technology.

• Access − School leaders must ensure equitable access to current hardware, software, and connectivity that supports instructional goals.

1. Integration − School leaders must model the purposeful use of

technology and ensure that administration, teachers and students integrate technology into daily practices.

• Assessment and Evaluation − School leaders must utilize technology based assessment and evaluation techniques to inform decision making and reporting.
• Support − School leaders must ensure that a technical and methodological support system exists that facilitates the use and maintenance of technology in their institutions.
• Community Relationships − School leaders must develop strategic community relationships that foster collaboration in planning, implementing, and assessing the use of technology in schools.

Currently Required Skills for Leadership

Here are some of the essential skills of leading an organization in the twenty first century as given by World Economic Forum (2016):

• Developing useful Management Information System An institutional leader should know what information s/he needs time and again, what information is required by organizational heads and what information is required by the clients. Thus a useful MIS will help in managing and sharing information.
• Data Mining and Data Analysis Once the data is entered in an MIS or in any web based information gathering; the leader must keep an eye on big data and learn data mining techniques to answer and inquire specific set of questions or problems.
• Presentation and Projection of Institutional Progress In today’s world every institutional head is expected to keep a cohesive and comprehensive information at hand in one form or another that s/he can present at any forum. Institutional website is one of the best kinds of projection now days.
• Web Presence Organizational and personal profiles at all professional and social networks is a must. People should know the organization as well as the leaders by their web presence.
• Mobile Accessibility Development Every child, teacher, parents and other personnel as well as officials need to have access to the information. Mobile accessibility is made possible through 3 and 4G across the planet. An institutional leader has to identify the needs and requirements of its user and should know how to design user interface for mobile accessibility.
• Network and Interface Security Once we put our information out there on MIS or Web we need to take extra care of our network and interface security. Only registered users are allowed to enter certain parts of the information sets and firewalls are required to keep the original dataset safe.
• Search Engine Optimization Every organization today needs to ensure that they get maximum outreach by having search engine optimization which enables the official website of your organization to be at the top of all other search options.
• Cloud and Distributed Computing Institutions are not limited within walled buildings any more. If your work environment is based on cloud and distributed computing, your workforce can work from anywhere anytime.

Levels of Integration

At schools or any other educational institution we can easily see that there are different levels of adaption which are mainly categorized by Dwyer, Ringstaff, and Sandholtz (1991) as: