EVALUATION OF LEADERSHIP STYLES OF PRINCIPALS OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ZONKWA EDUCATION ZONE, KADUNA STATE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

A leadership style is a leader‘s style of providing direction, implementing plans and motivating people. There are many leadership styles that can be exhibited by leaders in organizations such as the school system. In schools the headteachers are either principals or headmasters/headmistress. In secondary schools, the headteachers are the principals and the leadership styles employed by them will determine how successful they will be in achieving the schools objectives.

The level of competence, honesty, intelligence, inspiration, broad mindedness and efficiency will be determined by the type of leadership style employed by the principal in running the school either successfully or otherwise. Most of the time a blend of the different leadership styles will make the principal or leaders of other organizations more effective.

Psychologist Kurt Lewin developed his leadership style framework in the 1930s and it provided the foundation of many of the approaches that followed afterwards. Lewin argued that there are three major leadership styles. According to him, these styles are Autocratic, Democratic and the Laissez-faire. In autocratic leadership style, the principal makes decisions without consulting their team members in this case the teachers, even if their input would be useful. In democratic leadership style, the principal makes the final decisions but they include the teachers in the decision-making process.

Also in laissez-faire leadership style, the principal give the teachers a lot of freedom in how they do their work, and how they set their deadlines they provide support with resources and advice if needed otherwise they don‘t get involved. This can be damaging. The late 1970 the

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visionary leadership theories was developed formally. A principal who employs the visionary develops effective communication which has positive effect on their teachers outcome resulting in their having high trust in their principals and high commitment to the overall school performance.

EVALUATION OF LEADERSHIP STYLES OF PRINCIPALS OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ZONKWA EDUCATION ZONE, KADUNA STATE