Weekly Exam Assignment on Educational Leadership Material

WEEKLY EXAM ASSIGNMENT ON EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP MATERIAL Question: 1. Leaders are often faced with difficult situations to make choices, there are individual interests with the values they bring and there are group interests with the values of their group. In the case below, what action should a leader take when faced with improving school exam scores or persisting in beliefs? 2. In carrying out the duties of the principal, the principal is faced with various behaviors of organizational members. How should a principal as a leader make decisions when faced with a situation where there are two parties or two people who have problems with the weight of each decision that is appropriate? 3. Power in leadership is a part that cannot be ascertained, it is often said that the legal aspect of a leader is his power. Can you explain that power is inherent in leadership? Answer: 1. Leadership can basically be understood as an art in influencing others, both individually and in groups intentionally to achieve the desired goals. Effective leadership itself based on several studies is a leader who can adapt to group tasks, people in group work and the situation and conditions of the organization. Stooner, Freemen, and Gilbert (in Rahmat, page 10) wrote that there are four limitations in the components of education, including leadership will always involve other people, leadership is about distributing power, leadership is an ability to use power, and finally leadership is about values that encompass the entire system that shapes the behavior of the members being led. Benis and Nanus (in Rahmat, page 11) argue that effective leadership has several competencies or abilities, namely (1) meaning management, where the leader is able to understand the goals of the institution or organization he leads and can manage the organization for a goal; (2) attention, which means the ability of a leader to manage and invite his members to pay attention to the goals they want to achieve; (3) trust management, a leader must be able to foster trust and/or loyalty of group members and apply a conditional leadership style; (4) self-management, a leader before leading others, he must be able to manage or understand and organize himself. In addition to the four components, there is one more thing that a person needs to have to achieve effective leadership, namely the power held by a leader is an authority or responsibility to determine actions in achieving the goals expected by the group or organization he leads. In this case, a principal as a leader is in a dilemma between increasing the school exam results or persisting in his beliefs, so in my opinion the thing or step that the principal must take is to determine the priority attitude of the two. If he increases the school exam results, the principal must be able to convince that the organization he leads can be responsible for the decisions he has taken. Likewise, if he prefers to decide to stick to the value, the principal must consider whether this is the overall goal of the organization. 2. One of the roles of a leader is to play a role in controlling and resolving conflicts that arise in an organization, both major problems between individuals or groups. In order to overcome these problems that arise, a leader must be able to provide an opportunity for both members who are in conflict to each convey their condition and what they need. This is done so that the decision that will be taken by a leader is not wrong and does not only focus on one party so that the decision becomes non-solutive. The principal has great authority, duties and responsibilities to lead a group, which means that he must and needs to participate in making decisions and solving problems effectively and in a solutionoriented manner. There are several approaches that a principal can take as a leader in resolving conflicts, including: a) Conveying the main problem that is happening between the two individuals in conflict. Every conflict will basically not be resolved if the main problem is not revealed. b) Discussing the core of the problem without taking sides or siding with one of the camps or individuals. c) A leader must be able to think clearly and stand upright equally between the two problems that occur. He must be able to be an ear for two people and provide different views without making one party feel disadvantaged by his decision. d) Provide suggestions, proposals, and advice as a form of resolution of problems or conflicts that occur. e) Be able to minimize the incompatibility that occurs. Must be able to find a middle ground for both parties who are in conflict by considering differences that are not fundamental and focusing on similarities and resolving the core of the conflict. 3. In Amiruddin (2018) it is explained that a leader in an educational institution or institution has the authority and power to direct members and can also influence members or subordinates to carry out his orders. This ultimately creates a social relationship that interacts between leaders and members which will ultimately become a reciprocal relationship. Leadership has a different scope than the scope of power of members. In his power, a leader has the authority to direct his members and influence members or subordinates to carry out his orders.