Activity 2.2 | Relational Leadership Models for Early years Contexts
| Site: | RRU Open Educational Resources |
| Course: | Relational Leadership in Early Childcare and Education |
| Book: | Activity 2.2 | Relational Leadership Models for Early years Contexts |
| Printed by: | Guest user |
| Date: | Saturday, 31 May 2025, 6:29 PM |
Relational Leadership Models for Early years Contexts
In this activity, you will explore examples of Relational Leadership Models for Early Years Contexts that will help bring more specific breadth, depth, and inspiration to your personal, contextualized leadership model.
There are many forms of leadership well aligned to the kind of work that happens in early learning centres. While not exhaustive, this section outlines some key leadership styles that may resonate with some leaders in ECE.
Considering the scope and intention of this course, Relational Leadership, you will be introduced to five models: (1) Compassionate leadership, (2) Democratic Leadership Model, (3) Head, Heart, and Hands Model, (4)Transformational Leadership Model, and (5) the Visionary Leadership Model.
While you engage with the models presented in this activity, bringing all the content and personal-professional reflections up to this point, remember that nothing is fixed and that approaches, pedagogies, frameworks, and philosophies are ever-changing and evolving.
Think about what serves you, the children, colleagues, families, and communities (human and other than humans) you are currently in relation with and responding to while also keeping space for future complexities, needs, and commitments.
Pre-activity Reflection
Before exploring the readings and resources that contextualize the five leadership models introduced in this activity, take a moment to reflect on the culture and philosophies of your specific ECE leadership setting.Consider:
- Have you shared your personal-professional philosophies with your colleagues? The families? Why or what not?
- Are you aware of your colleague's/employees' personal-professional philosophies and commitments? Why or why not?
What kind of centre culture do you want to co-create? If you have not considered this before, begin forming your ideas.
Does the current centre culture reflect your ideas? Why or why not?
- If yes, what practices and processes are allowing this to unfold? If not, what precisely would you like to shape differently? If you are unsure, that is ok!
Explore the resources (readings, videos, and podcasts) provided in the additional pages of this activity. Keep your answers to the reflection questions on this page handy, as they will serve as a valuable reference for considering new perspectives and ideas.
Compassionate leadership
Margaret Wheatley focuses on compassionate leadership in uncertain times (Wheatley, 2005; 2006).Wheatley explores leadership based on the notion that organizations are natural, complex, self-organizing entities and that traditional hierarchical leadership models are ill-suited to leading.
In contrast, she argues that a more holistic and relational approach to leadership is needed.
A systems approach to understanding the interconnectedness and interdependence of people and organisations provides a better platform for offering a more organic leadership approach. This, Wheatley argues, provides leaders with better tools and thinking to tackle challenging, complex and chaotic issues.
References
Wheatley, M. J. (2005). Finding our way: Leadership for an uncertain time. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.Wheatley, M. J. (2006). Leadership and the new science: Discovering order in a chaotic world (3rd ed.). Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
Democratic Leadership Model
In 1939, psychologists Kurt Lewin, R. Lippit and R.K. White identified three distinct leadership styles: autocratic [a leadership style characterized by a top-down approach where the leader makes all the decisions and members or employees have little autonomy], democratic, and laissez-faire [a leadership model that is expressed through a hands-off approach where the members or employees have minimal supervision]. The idea of democratic leadership has since advanced and is sometimes also affiliated with participative or collaborative leadership styles. While it has a broad meaning, in general, it includes leadership models that have members participate in decision making processes.
Key aspects of this model include collaboration (where members are encouraged to share their ideas and the leader take these ideas into account before making decision), engagement (where the leader ensures that the conditions support members to fully participate and engage), and creativity (where leaders encourages creativity and innovation). This is often a beneficial system, but it can be time consuming in larger organisations.
This YouTube video from ActiveCollab TV (2024, Apr), "Involve Team Members with the Democratic Leadership," can help illuminate the characteristics of this leadership style.
Reference
ActiveCollab TV. (2024, April). Involve members with the democratic leadership [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYbOAR1OZqQ
Lewin, K., Lippitt, R., & White, R. K. (1939). Patterns of aggressive behaviour in experimentally created social climates. The Journal of Social Psychology, 10(2), 271–301.
Head, Heart, and Hands Model
John Nicholls (1993) proposed that leadership needed to integrate different aspects of the human experience better. For him, this included inspirational, strategic and supervisory leadership. This translated into the Head, Heart and Hands model of leadership. He proposed that leadership skills be viewed through three dimensions: inspirational leadership (the heart), strategic leadership (the head), and supervisory leadership (the hands). This framework aims to help leaders adopt a more holistic approach to leading people.
For more, see this blog post by Her New Standard entitled "The Head, Heart, and Hands Model"
Reference
Her New Standard. (n.d.). The head, heart, and hands model: A framework for leaders. https://hernewstandard.com/head-heart-hands-model-leadership/Nicholls, J. (1993). The paradox of managerial leadership. Journal of General Management, 18(4), 1–22.
Transformational Leadership Model
James MacGregor Burns introduced transformational leadership theory in 1978. This leadership model incorporates an ethical lens to leading and focuses on the role of the leader in inspiring and motivating employees.
Transformational leaders often have a clear vision and can encourage their followers to think creatively. Under this model, leaders also often provide individual encouraging support to followers.
Watch the YouTube video, What is Transformational Leadership Theory (and How is it Different to Transactional Leadership? to learn more about the Transformational Leadership Model (The Right Questions, 2022).
Reference
Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. Harper & Row.
The Right Questions. (2022, June). What is transformational leadership theory (and how is it different to transactional leadership?) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgDlJlIXuq0
Visionary Leadership Model
A visionary leadership model is based on emotional intelligence and is often affiliated with the work of Daniel Goleman.
Goleman et al. (2013) discussed a visionary leadership model in Primal Leadership: Learning to Lead with Emotional Intelligence. As the name suggests, this model focuses on sharing an articulate future vision for employees and followers to coalesce around.
Leaders tend to be strategic thinkers and well-organized dreamers. Goleman et al. (2013) highlight three qualities of leaders: (1) the ability to see the world differently, (2) being good communicators who can clearly share their vision, and (3) achieving results as they turn their visions into reality.
Watch the YouTube video "How to Become a Visionary Child Care Leader" to learn more about the Visionary Leadership Model [Childcare Directors Chair, 2023).
References
Childcare Directors Chair (2023, Oct). "How to Become a Visionary Child Care Leader" [YouTube]. https://youtu.be/xwAj1wuEB-A?si=ll3obEjlc8oERSnD
Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R. E., & McKee, A. (2013). Primal leadership: Learning to lead with emotional intelligence. Harvard Business School Press.
B.C.’s Early Learning Framework
B.C.’s Early Learning Framework guides and supports early childhood educators, primary school teachers, principals and vice-principals, college and university educators and researchers, post-secondary students in early childhood and elementary education programs, other early years professionals, communities, governments and families.
Reading
Read pages 12-40 of BC's Early Learning Frameworkto support your thinking about fostering intentional centre cultures.
Reference
British Columbia Ministry of Education. (2019). British Columbia early learning framework. Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Children and Family Development, & Early Advisory Group.