Different Types of Leadership Styles

Leadership Style of Administrator According to J. Seyfarth, there are four types of leadership styles: directive, supportive, participative, and achievement-oriented leadership (Seyfarth, 1996). These styles vary from one another, but all may be visible within a school environment. During a recent interview with an elementary school principal, Amy Zilbar, she described her dominate leadership style as supportive (personal communication, April 25, 2013). As a principal, she delegates many tasks throughout the school year and gives support, as needed, to the staff member that is responsible for that job. She reflected that she attempts to make personal connections with all of her staff members and wants them to feel as if they are equals within their school community. She strives to have day to day interactions with her staff so that she can get to know her staff on an individual basis. When staff members are upset or struggling within the school setting, she encourages them to think of possible solutions to solve the problem. If it is more of a personal issue, she will listen and offer support. She encourages her staff to come together to form decisions and the more she can put into the staffs' hands, the better. She feels this allows the staff to feel they are being heard and acknowledged. Some examples of activities when she has been a supportive leader was developing the agenda of a recent open house, creating a school-wide survey monkey to verify the effectiveness of the school, and developing the school's Continuous Improvement Model (A. Zilbar, personal communication, April 25, 2013).
Leadership Characteristics A. Zilbar claimed that the main leadership characteristic is being an effective listener (personal communication, April 25, 2013). She strongly feels that by listening to others has helped to build the positive relationships she has with her staff. She also feels that communication is key to running a successful school. By

Citations: Hoy, W. (2007). Educational Administration: Theory, research, and practice (8th ed). McGraw-Hill Learning Solutions. Retrieved from http://online.vitalsource.com/books/0077771745/id/P1-41 Seyfarth, J. (1996). Personnel management for effective schools. Allyn & Bacon. pp.192–194.