School Leadership

INTRODUCTION
Leadership has been defined as “the process of influencing subordinates or others in an
effort to make them understand and agree about what needs to be done and how to do it
and facilitate the process of accomplishing achievement of goals or objectives in a given
situation.; Kotter. (2004: 1- 42)” School leadership according to IGI Global, (2023 :1), is all
management and administrative tasks that focus on the outcomes of learners. Covid -19 has
changed a normal way of living of the whole world, including the school fraternity. In schools,
leaders were sleepless, working under pressure, options of their ideas limited, meeting wit
stakeholders for meetings were things of the past as there was a new lifestyle.
During the pandemic, stakeholders were looking upon the school leadership, They were
suppose to give them direction of what to do.. AL. Oraifan ,(2021:113 – 117) maintained that,
in education policy agendas, school leadership enhanced school outcomes by shaping
teachers skills and motivations, as well as environment and atmosphere of the school ;
therefore; effective school leadership is essential, to upsurge the justness and effectiveness
of education.
Kwatubana et al (2021:106 – 110); stated that during Covid- 19 pandemic, stakeholders
were looking up to their school leaders thinking and expecting that they would minimize the
impact of the crisis at hand. That shows that there was a lot expected from them.
Question 1
1.1. Change in leadership behavior and style since the start of the pandemic
Kwatabana et al (2021:106 -110); indicated that the change in schools brought by Covid -19
was of leadership styles and behavior.
Tripon and Dodu define organizational change as “a state of transition between the current
state and a future one, towards which the organization is directed.”
Leadership behavior
Leading change differs from managing change in that change leadership is concerned with
the propelling forces, ideas, and processes that drive large-scale transformation. The role of
a leader in a change process has a direct effect on the success of that change.
Consciousness on the behaviours of leaders on which they can employ is thus vital to aid
change in public sector organisations. Much of the leadership literature now assumes that
transformational leadership is the way to go and that it is more likely to be successful where
drastic changes are required. Transformational leadership can be further defined by groups
such as innovative, engaging, visionary, empowering, and impassioned. Perhaps the most
essential talent in transformational leadership is listening. In the public sector, managerial
discretion entails substantial freedom to understand and implement policy in the manner that
the manager considers most effective. Such leeway necessitates leadership characteristics
from public sector managers at all levels and would likely be most relevant during periods of
intense organizational change.
Public institution education in South Africa and the pandemic
Without a doubt, the 2020 academic year will be remembered as the year that not only
posed significant health challenges, but also when the entire world was consumed by the
innovative COVID-19 pandemic. The government labored tirelessly with its education
agencies and strategic allies to find a balance between preserving lives and the 2020
academic year.
The overall number of schools in South Africa was approximately 24,900 as of 2021. The
bulk of these institutions were public, accounting for approximately 91.3 percent of the
overall number of schools. Only 2,154 of the schools were independent training
establishments. It is worth mentioning that, as of the same year, KwaZulu-Natal had the
greatest number of schools (Galal, 2022). This sector is strictly regulated by the Department
of basic Education.
The Covid-19 pandemic exposed the weaknesses of learning institutions in South Africa,
including their inability to swiftly move to online learning. Some of the most notable
challenges that leaders have had to manage to include:

 Academics' opposition to a methodical shift in teaching and learning methods .

 Student involvement has proven to be even more difficult online due to the disruption
that comes with using technology when instructing through online
networks(Dhawan,2020:5-22).
 Time limitations on the creation of appropriate, skills-focused evaluations for
students' knowledge abilities online and in open-book format(Tabatabai,2020:514).
The Covid-19 epidemic has had an effect on academics and students, with leaders
scrambling to save the academic year without jeopardizing education quality or academic
and student welfare. The abrupt change to online teaching and learning had an impact on
scholars' ability to meet goals successfully(Choudhari,2020:1-4). Leadership teams have
had to guarantee that students continue their studies while teachers fulfill the mission of
fundamental education. This necessitates maintaining existing leadership methods while
making minor adjustments to the application of the leadership style.
The overall aim of the different actors in the basic education sector must continue to be to
enhance learning results and decrease educational inequalities. In terms of learner abilities,
South Africa has been on an upward trend for about two decades. This has far-reaching and
beneficial consequences for South Africa's future. The pandemic must not derail the
progress of this development. In truth, we can think of illiteracy among our primary school
students in the same manner that we have learned to think of the coronavirus. It is a scourge
that must be eradicated by finding "hotspots" where children are not learning as they should
and intervening to protect people's prospects.
Finally, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the shortcomings of many schools' ICT
facilities as well as gaps in digital material for learners and instructors. In this respect, South
Africa lags far behind many comparable nations. This chasm must be filled. Learners,
especially those in secondary school who will be taking important national exams, should
become more acclimated to using internet tools. When teachers are used to using these
tools, it is simpler for learners to understand. Whether or not we are facing a health
catastrophe, technological progress is critical (Anon., 2021:34-35).
Leadership in schools during a disruption
Each institution's perception of quality and how it should be implemented (in conjunction with
institutional strengths) to accomplish its objectives is a distinguishing characteristic of South
African educational institutions(Markova,2014:1-9). This promotes diversity among
educational institutions; each school sees itself as distinct and the best at providing
graduates to the market. There is an ongoing push to ensure that high-quality canidates are
accepted at higher educational institutions right away, which subsequently allows them to be
hired right after graduation post matric studies, resulting in the use of business intelligence
software to spot possible gaps in the learning process. However, societal, economic, and
policy/governance requirements must be met.
However, South Africa's social, economic, and policy/governance circumstances make it
extremely difficult for leadership, particularly at educational institutions, to keep scholars
involved despite continuous shifts in the legislative and external environment. Since the
restructuring of education in the early 2000s, the most difficult task has been the transition
into a digital learning community, which has been accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
This rapid change to online teaching and learning has raised several concerns among
students about academic equity, accessibility, training, and responsibility (Gigliotti,2016:186).
The abrupt change to online learning required educational institutions’ leadership to carefully
consider how it would impact the students. As a result, leadership has had to stay principle-
driven in decision-making and guarantee that students are at the center of every choice.
Furthermore, leaders in this industry must be adaptable, fluid, and reflective in their
leadership methods, particularly during moments of disruption or
change(Drysdale,2017:131-159).
School leadership
Parents, students, and educators now live in a twilight education world, either waiting for
regular service to resume or praying for a new normal that will provide security, continuity,
and reassurance. The harsh truth is that neither will happen anytime soon. Meanwhile,
school administrators find themselves in the unfavorable situation of being the system's
weak link. They rely on upper-level direction for COVID-19 answers, processes, procedures,
and policies. Depending on how the virus evolves, these can alter almost instantly.
Simultaneously, school leaders are coping with unstable and shifting personnel
circumstances, which means they must do a lot more with a lot less. The social separation of
staff and pupils means more work and more strain on those employees who can return to
work.
A school leader's ability to handle crises and change is now required. Running an effective
school in turbulent times will necessitate more than regular problem solution and firefighting.
Instead, all school leaders will need to be constantly involved in crisis and change
management, which will necessitate the support and cooperation of all employees. Because
of the unprecedented rapidity of change in this pandemic, a high level of confidence will be
required as the communal glue to ensure that issues are handled jointly as they emerge.
Covid-19 has proven that leading in turbulent times requires the ability to change direction,
to forge new paths through chaos. On this journey, school leaders are characterized by their
determination, hope, and unwavering conviction that whatever occurs, whatever the
expense, whatever the scale of the task, they will continue to do everything in their power to
protect the learning of all young people.

1.2. Concepts of change and change management mid and post COVID-19
pandemic.
Change leadership
Effective management and leadership may be the most important factors in effectively
implementing change. Leadership is a continuous practice targeted at energizing the skills
and capacities of people to obtain the best results possible through positive inspiration to
accomplish corporate goals. As a result, leaders play an important role in the company as
the source of new ideas and the creation of a corrective route in the organizational change
process. Change leadership is about urgency . It's more about a large number of individuals
who want to see something happen. It's more about grandiose dreams. It's more about
influencing a large number of individuals. Change leadership has the ability to spin things out
of control.
Change Management
Change management is described as the change of an individual, team members, and
organization from current states to specified future states in order to execute goals and
strategies. This will determine the workforce in order to gain a competitive edge. It develops
strategies for staff retention and growth while also increasing employee dedication and
effectiveness within the company (Hussain, , Miralam & Jeet, 2020:2).

Change leadership vs Change management amid COVID-19

Kotter(2013) defines change management and change leadership respectively as “a set of
basic tools or structures intended to keep any change effort under control. The goal is often
to minimize the distractions and impacts of the change.” “Change leadership, on the other
hand, concerns the driving forces, visions and processes that fuel large-scale
transformation.”
Education is infamously sluggish to change. Education institutions and schools are
frequently likened to large seagoing ships, both of which require a long time to alter
direction. If an instructor from 1890 was transported to an early 2020 school, they would feel
right at home. The rows or groups of seats, the board at the front of the room, the teacher's
workstation, books, and other learning paraphernalia would all be present. The daily
schedule would be known to them as well. The ringing of the bell, the transition between
well-known subjects, and the stampede to the playground for lunch breaks would all be
soothing to our time-traveller's psyche.
COVID19 has ripped the rule book on change into small fragments and tossed the majority
of it out the window. For many, "The Heart of Change," Kotter's seminal writing on the
subject, is the guide book for managing change. The change initiative, according to Kotter,
starts with a greater feeling of urgency. This is possibly the only component of the change
model that is obviously visible in the COVID19 replies. When the choice was made to
transition from face-to-face instruction to online/remote learning, there was an undeniable
feeling of urgency for the change. What is debatable is the need for the degree of haste that
we have seen. While a shift to online/remote learning may be regarded as an inevitable
result of school cancellations in reaction to the pandemic, its immediacy may be questioned.
Could teaching and learning have been placed on hold for a week or two to enable for the
development of a more strategic strategy for the long-term delivery of online learning? Would
a longer planning process result in more effective models for online/remote learning, or was
the shift only feasible because of the urgency of the situation? Would postponing the start of
the change result in long delays as systems wallowed in the dense mud that usually stifles
change? Kotter(2002) emphasises the importance of a vision for change articulated to its
audience with clarity and passion. Simon Sinek expands on Kotter's concept, describing the
importance of an engaging "Why." A clear justification for the shift that is readily stated and
offers compelling motivation. This change vision is what drives action and provides the
change endeavor direction. The visioning process appears to be catching up with action in
the instance of COVID19. We are witnessing an emergency reaction to volatile and unsure
times. Teachers are making the best of what they have and acquiring new skills to teach
pupils who have had no prior preparation for online learning. Families are asked to help with
learning management and to serve as instructors.
Question 2

Which of the areas presented in this research represent hard (difficult) problems, and which ones
present soft (messy) problems? Justify each of your answers by referring to the definitions of Senior
and Swailes (2016).

The 7-S framework defined by Recklies (2014) as follows :

These seven components are classified as hard S's or gentle S's. The hard components (the
upper three circles) are easily identified.
They can be found in strategy statements, business plans, organizational maps, and other
documents.The four soft S's (lower four rings) are more difficult to define because skills,
values, and aspects of company culture are constantly evolving and changing. They are
greatly influenced by the individuals who labor in the organization. As a result, it is much
more difficult to plan or affect the features of the soft components. Although soft variables
are below the surface, they can have a significant influence on the organization's hard
structures, strategies, and systems.