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The Emotions of Leadership

In these papers (2000; 2002), Beatty writes that what is missing from the knowledge base for the emotions of leadership are the voices of leaders themselves. Beatty cites Loader, who writes about his own experiences.

Leadership has its highs and lows, its successes and failures. Principals cry, laugh, dream and become suspicious. There are times when principals do want the fairy godmother to come and save them. While leadership is about courage, about creating the tomorrow of our choice, heroism does not come easily … Criticisms of my school were taken personally, as criticisms of me. With this mindset it became very hard to have a private life … My personal failure was that I had no sense of myself as separate from the institution. (Loader, 1997, p. 3 and p. 147, cited in Beatty, 2000)

Beatty summarises that emotions have been cast as 'pesky interlopers' in the business of school administration, and that unemotional responses are seen as the hallmark of power and authority. However:

the consistent exclusion of the emotions in traditional educational administration is limiting, for it distorts our theoretical understanding of human experience … Educational administration researchers can no longer afford to treat the emotions as subordinate, insignificant or peripheral if we are to explore fully the way leaders are and the ways they can be. (Beatty, 2000, p. 334)

Beatty reports her interview study with five educational leaders, organised under the following key constructs.

Positive emotions

  • Flow (through empowerment and collaboration) - 'passion', 'excitement', 'determination', 'confidence', 'satisfaction of letting go', 'relief', 'joy', 'high' and 'adrenaline rush' were terms used to describe situations where the leader felt challenged and focused, where people were working together and accomplishing things.
  • Support (through the emotional support of validation) - 'affirmed', 'sustained', 'sheltered' and 'liberated'.
  • Being known (through being appreciated and connected) - 'adrenaline rush', 'excited', 'supported', 'known', 'genuine', 'proud' and 'happy'.
  • Self-affirmation (through challenge in work and when values, capacities and abilities are sufficient).

Negative emotions

  • Disempowerment (without support or empowered autonomy to accomplish objectives) - 'overwhelmed', 'insecure', 'questioning', 'discouraged', 'fearful', 'anxious' and 'loss of control'.
  • Threatened self - 'insecure', 'anger', 'resentment', 'nervousness' and 'hesitant'.
  • Control and emotional display - 'anger', 'frustration', 'hurt' and 'emotionally shut down'.
  • It's a dirty job - 'conflicted', 'sadness', 'resistance', 'worry', 'fearful', 'grief',
  • 'sorrow', 'sadness', 'anger', 'defensive' and 'aggressive'.
  • Disillusionment with the system - 'frustration', 'disappointment' and 'retreat'.

Beatty argues that attempting to retain professional decorum through the denial of emotions may create an artificial organisational life that is energy depleting and even unhealthy, and may also limit the potential for professional renewal and synergy that can occur only when the whole self feels safe to grow.

References
Beatty, B. (2000). 'The emotions of educational leadership: Breaking the silence.' International Journal of Leadership in Education, 3(4), 331-357.

Beatty, B. R. (2002). Pursuing the paradox of emotion and educational leadership. Paper presented at the 2002 Principals Australia conference.