My Leadership Plan

Overview

Making a positive change in this world is something that anyone can do. For this project, I decided to focus on changing something that will benefit both students and Canada as a whole. Presently, younger people are getting larger and are less physically active than generations ever before. Currently, 59% of adults are overweight or obese in Canada which costs Canadians about 4.3 billion dollars annually. There are over 26% of Canadians under the age of 18, who are currently overweight or obese (Childhood Obesity Foundation, 2015). These numbers are high and every citizen should be concerned. It is not enough to simply focus on the problem; it is time to focus on a solution. The solution I am proposing is that educators begin to take physical activity more seriously. Reflect on your own personal education, have you ever heard a teacher say “If you do not finish your “name subject”, you will not go to the gym!” If you have heard a variation of this statement, what the teacher indirectly stated was that Physical Education is a reward.  Physical Education is not a reward but it is a mandatory class. The government of Ontario has recognized the importance of physical activity and has made Daily Physical Activity (DPA) mandatory in all publicly funded schools. The issue is that there are no real monitors of this program and often, due to the time constraints, educators skip DPA. This approach to DPA, can indirectly teach students, that their physical well-being comes second to their academics. My leadership project will be two fold. Firstly, I would set up an elementary school wide DPA with the intermediate students as leaders of the program. These intermediate students will travel to support all of the other classes in the school. Secondly, I would like to introduce the school to an after/before school program for students and staff of every level fitness level.  These two items alone are not enough to stop childhood obesity but they are a start within the community.

Goals

The goal of this leadership program has multiple levels. To combat childhood obesity, our society is going to need leaders who support and promote the physical activity. Since I work in a school environment, I will support my students and staff from the school community. I will also be developing future leaders to promote the importance of physical activity. Another major benefit of this program is that it provides a space for intermediate students to take on a leadership role and model the importance of physical activity for the younger students.  

Leadership

            Leadership is about more than directing people and telling them what to do. A true leader creates a two-way communication stream, where they listen to their followers. Through two way communication, both leader and follower are more driven to complete specified tasks. To be an effective leader, it is a good practice to lead by example, “You set the example. Be a good role model for your employees. They must not only hear what they are expected to do but also see” (Sharma & Jain, 2013). When people see that you are the beacon of change, others who share your vision will gravitate towards you. In my proposed leadership project, I will display my leadership by example, by leading the fitness classes a few days a week. This behaviour will also demonstrate to the students my commitment to their physical well-being. One of the most effective styles of leadership is transformational leadership, which is “a process that changes and transforms people. It is concerned with emotions, values, ethics, standards, and long-term goals” (Northouse, 2016). If a leader is only concerned with producing results, the relationship between leader and follower will deteriorate. If, on the other hand, the leader cares about both results and the about the people working, this is a recipe for success. To increase a leader's effectiveness a leader must be “concerned for the task and the people” (Bolman & Deal, 2008).  I will display my commitment to the student’s well-being by using my personal time to support my school community’s needs. As the times for the before/after school program will be on my personal time, students will see their teacher spending his personal time to better their health. During any phase of a plan, there are sure to be obstacles. In accordance with the Path-Goal Theory, my job as a leader will be to “define goals, clarify the path, remove obstacles, and provide support” (Northhouse, 2016).  Our goal is to get people more active. Our path is to complete DPA every day and at least twice a week (if possible) have an after/before school program for fitness development. The intention of this project is that everyone supports one another to increase the level of fitness for the group. Identify key areas in leadership that will support this project because without a leadership this program cannot succeed.

Helping the Cause

As the Ontario Government has made DPA mandatory and the fact that I will be supporting students to develop leadership roles, the administration may be more supportive of the concept. Furthermore, there is also the benefit of teaching students about the importance of exercise and developing future physically active leaders. Teachers get the freedom from having to planning and implementing DPA. Some members of the school community will be supportive of the idea of getting students extra time to work on their personal fitness.

Possible Obstacles

Timing should be something that will need to be worked out in detail. Some teachers are very particular about the timing of their programming and may be unwilling to support this concept. Another potential issue is that if the student leaders do not take their roles seriously, the classes may become unruly. Getting students to transition in a timely fashion is not easy and close monitoring will need to be done by multiple teachers. Teachers may treat this time as “free” time where they can do whatever they want. This will lead to less classroom management and the potential for students to get injured. Getting support from administration to provide the space for the before/after school programming may be challenging.

Application of Four Frames

There are four frames to consider for this project which are the Structure Frame, Human Resource Frame, Political Frame, and Symbolic Frame. From the Structure Frame point of view, I will be operating in in accordance with Mintzberg’s Model, as I would utilize the Simple Structure. This model has two levels; apex and operating level (Bolman & Deal, 2008). The importance of setting the right structure will support the plan because “the right structure enhances team performance” (Bolman & Deal, 2008). In order for this plan to work, there will be a large reliance on a team of leaders. From a team point of view, I will utilize a “Simple Hierarchy”, which consists of the top leader, middle leader, and the operating level (Bolman & Deal, 2008). In this structure, I will be the middle leader. The students will be at the operating level and the principal will be above me. I chose this strategy because I will be taking the responsibility and only pass on essential information upwards to my boss. Utilizing this structure may lead to a higher likelihood that the principal accepts the proposal because there will be a minimal disruption to the principal’s planning.

            After selecting my focus, I will have to focus on managing my students and peers. This I will be called the Human Resource Frame. Though, this is normally done at an organizational level, putting the HR concept into a microenvironment can provide valuable support for the project. There are 6 key points to Human Resource Principles according to Bolman & Deal, which are:

·         Build and implement an HR strategy

·         Hire the right people,

·         Keep them

·         Invest in them

·         Empower them

·         and promote diversity. (Bolman & Deal, 2008).

Applying these concepts on a microscale will take some modifying of the original concepts. Implementing an HR strategy will be a shared vision between my students, peers, and me about how we want to support each other. Instead of hiring people, I will be recruiting people to support the leadership project. People that will be essential to this program will be staff members, principal, and students. Not everyone will be in full support of this plan but through getting the right people for the job, friction will be reduced. Keeping the people who are in support of this project will be challenging because staying motivated for the complete duration of any task can be difficult. I will give rewards to students based on observation by other teachers or peers. A ceremony will be held once a month to celebrate the success of the students. I will invest my time and knowledge in my students and staff. One thing I will need to remember is “Investing in people requires time and persistence” (Bolman & Deal, 2008). Not everyone will be on board with this program at the start but over time I may be able to change the minds of some. There will be a twofold learning opportunity for the students. The students will have the chance to develop their own physical activity workout plans and students will work on developing their leadership skills. Through gaining knowledge and skills surrounding leadership, this will directly empower students. I will also make myself available for direct support wherever support is needed. One thing I will make note of is that I need to allow students autonomy and freedom to participate in this program, in any manner (within reason) that they choose. To promote diversity, I recognize that everyone comes from a different fitness level. For students who do want to be leaders, I can create alternative roles, such as selecting music and/or completing administrative work. All students will need is an “opportunity for autonomy, influence, and intrinsic rewards” (Bolman & Deal, 2008) for this program to be successful.

In order to get this project up and running, I will need to utilize politics. Politics is “the realistic process of making decisions and allocating resources” (Bolman & Deal, 2008). As described above, there is potential for issues and conflict to arise through the implementation of this program. Conflict should not be viewed as something negative because “conflict encourages new ideas and approaches to problems, stimulating innovation” (Heffron, 1989). As this project moves into motion, there are going to be issues and conflicts that arise. My job as a leader will be to smooth over key issues that arise. The reassuring part of the conflict is that conflict can create a space where great things can happen. One item I am very aware of is the importance of the team work on this project. I recognize that I need my team, arguably more than they need me, in this project. This interdependence is vital to the team's success. Interdependence for this project will mean “… that people cannot ignore one another; they need each other’s assistance, support, and resources” (Bolman & Deal, 2008). Effective leaders create an “agenda for change” (Bolman & Deal, 2008) and this project is my vehicle for the change I want to display.

The fourth frame is the Symbolic Frame and is arguably the most influential because it “speaks to both the mind and heart” (Bolman & Deal, 2008). This project’s participants will be a walking symbol of change. The leaders of the program, the students, will be given a life lesson that anyone can be a vehicle for change. Leaders who “Modeled corporate values they hope to instill” become important figures within a team because of the lead by “example, not command” (Bolman & Deal, 2008). What I am trying to instill in this project is a ritual of being physically active every day, as a ritual is what “connects an individual or group to something mystical more than words can capture” (Bolman & Deal, 2008). My intention is that the students enjoy using their bodies daily and make positive changes in their lifestyle. Should there be resistance? As discussed in the early part of this paper, yes because “only weak culture accepts newcomers without some form of hazing” (Bolman & Deal, 2008). We, the team, need to be prepared to have resistance by some students who are not used to proposed change. How the team deals with the resistance will become paramount in solidifying the team to promote the change the team wants. If the team leads with a firm hand, there is potential to lose the main focus of this project, which is to support our peers to become more physically active and better their lives.

Proposed in this paper was action to combat childhood obesity, with the intent in creating leaders who support the lifelong incorporation of physical activity. Although it is recognized that not all parties may want to become physically active, the intention is that the people who oppose this project will respect the change agents for their efforts. The proposed leadership plan identified potential areas of concerns, as well as, areas of potential support. This plan is not going to solve all the issues that surround obesity and that is not the intention of the plan. What the plan does support is the idea that small changes can make big differences. The plan supports students’ well-being by both promoting health and leadership.

References

Bolman, L. & Deal, T. (2008).  Reframing organizations:  Artistry, choice and leadership (4^th Edition). San Fransico, Jossey-Bass, Chapters 1 & 2.

Childhood Obesity Foundation (April, 2015.) Retrived from: http://childhoodobesityfoundation.ca/what-is-childhood-obesity/statistics/ (accessed on 5th March, 2017)

Heffron, F. (1989). Organization Theory and Public Organizations: The Political Connection. Upper Saddle River, N.j.:Prentice Hall.

Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Sharma M & Jian, S. (2013) Leadership Management: Principles, Models and Theories. Retrieved from: https://www.ripublication.com/gjmbs_spl/gjmbsv3n3spl_14.pdf