Page 7 - Leadership Basics 4

Influence Tactics

Over the past 20 years effective school leaders have recognised the need to switch from a “command
and control” style of leadership to a more democratic and collaborative style. This marks a shift from
schools with strong traditional hierarchies where school leaders held positions of authority and were
able to give commands and expect compliance, to schools dominated by workplace democracy. A
place where teachers do not readily recognise the authority of school leaders to give orders but
expect participative decision making (at least to some extent).

In such a school environment, school leaders have found that they need to be able to exert influence
to get staff to willingly undertake tasks. This is because most leaders have discovered that simply
exerting influence through coercion and manipulation does not really work. Sure you might achieve
some structural shifts, but when teachers go into their classrooms, they do what they like, nothing
changes. Forcing people to do what you want them to will often result in reduced performance, not
improved learning.

People are usually far more willing to produce ‘the goods’ if they feel acknowledged, understood and
appreciated. They may even end up agreeing to do something they wouldn't previously have done
because they just feel good about being able to make a choice.

Consider the table on the opposite page. It briefly summaries different tactics that school leaders may
use to influence the behaviour of their staff.

Read through these and consider the following questions.
1. How many of these tactics have you used as a school mid level leader?
2. Analyse a series of general staff meetings, what tactics are most commonly used? Who uses
them?
3. Which of the tactics listed could ‘technically’ be classified as ‘workplace bullying’?

4. Which of the tactics listed could be reasonably said to be in the ‘arsenal’ or tool kit of effective
teachers (applied in the ‘classroom’).
5. A principal wants to improve the quality of teaching in her school. In order to do so she makes a
policy directive that requires all teachers to accumulate 100 hours of professional development
during their three contracts. Do you think that such a directive will guarantee improved
teaching and learning outcomes?
6. Do you think any discussion is really just about manipulation?

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