Authentic Leadership Style, and It's Effect on Teacher's Job Performance and Student's  Academic Achievement

By  Fatima Hassinto Delgado Rizk

INTRODUCTION 

 LEADERSHIP BACKGROUND

Through decades and academics` focus has been directed towards leadership as a major role leading academic institutions to higher educational excel. Authentic leadership in specific, has been of great concern to stakeholders both in business and educational domains; it is the most important dimension of ethical leadership (Robbins and Coutler, 2005). 

 Leadership theories had emerged earlier in the 20th century. The first two were Great Man and Trait theories. Then, in 1939, Lewin et al. proposed three leadership types displayed within organizations; later on, Participative Leadership has been set by a number of scholars including Dr. Rensis Likert (1967) and Gary Yukl (1971). In 1974, R.M. Stogdill recognized a list of ten best traits and skills of an effective leader; after that, Situational leadership theory was suggested in 1971. Leader-Member Exchange Theory (LMX) was discussed extensively by Dansereau, Graen, and Haga, 1975; Graen & Cashman, 1975; and Graen, 1976. Then, House (1976) published a theory of Charismatic Leadership. Robert Greenleaf (1970 and 1977) published a set of essays proposing the Servant Leadership. Transformational Leadership had been the most widely researched from 1980s to 2011. Later on, the Authentic leadership, the newest model appeared in the late 1990s and early 2000s (Avolio, Walumbwa & Weber, 2009); it is a contemporary leadership theory that has emerged due to worldwide educational evolution in this century. 

LEADERSHIP STYLES AND TRAITS

There is a variety of leadership styles that require from the leaders specific traits. The major leader styles are the Authoritarian Leadership (Autocratic), the Participative Leadership (Democratic), the Delegative Leadership style (Laissez-Faire), the Transformational Leadership style, the Transactional Leadership, the Situational Leadership style and at last comes the Authentic leadership style. Authentic leadership style requires from the leaders specific traits. Authentic leaders are well-known for self-regulation, self-awareness, balanced processing of information, and relational transparency (Gardner and associates, 2005). 

Teacher job performance and students’ academic achievement are a priority to Authentic leadership. They have a motivating factor that helps teachers and students around them feel more passionate and engaged. They live a more satisfying and fulfilling educational life that contributes to their overall sense of well-being. They find a greater sense of meaning contributed to teachers` and students` performance, inside and outside the institution. They tend to motivate teachers and students to do their best, perform at a higher level and be more productive. They are positive, optimistic and energized towards teachers `and students` well performance. They are enthusiastic, passionate and fully engaged at work, aiming at better performance and productivity. They are determined and committed to help teachers and students attain more productivity; they are determined to plan, cooperate, and challenge all obstacles together to reach targeted decisions, choices and educational goals (Walumbwa et al., 2008).

AUTHENTICITY IN LITERATURE

In the1950s, authenticity appeared in literature. Rogers (1959, 1963) viewed it as humanistic; psychologists believe that it echoes the measurement between one’s self-concept and direct experiences and understanding of self-actualization (Maslow, 1968). Erickson (1995) and Harter (2002) made many researches in literature about authenticity. New perspectives of authenticity were noted; researchers were affected by the self-determination theory (Deci and Ryan, 1995), which  was portrayed as a psychological structure reflecting the passable acts of one’s true, or core, self in one’s everyday tasks (Goldman, Kernis (2002) and Kernis (2003). 

AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP, STUDIES AND RESEARCHERS

Recent studies have assured that authentic leaders draw subordinates’ attitudes, behavior, and work performance in the context of teachers’ academic optimism and engagement (Ismail et al., 2020; Kafa & Pashiardis, 2021; Kulophas et al., 2018). In fact, leaders seem to play their own turn as role models that directly affect teachers` and students` manners and responses positively.  
Worldwide researches were done in literature on the effect of school leadership style on teacher job performance and students’ academic achievement. It is very important for school managers in the region to identify which leader style they have and how it affects their teachers and students performance. In addition, it is essential for educational stake holders, policymakers and academicians to take this initiative and shed light on the educational institutional weakness and strength and to take a step forwards, to improve weakness and turn threats into opportunities for the sake of teacher job performance and students’ academic achievement. 

COMMENTS OF THE WRITER

According to what was mentioned, the writer with her long experience in teaching in many schools and stages feels that Authentic leadership style would direct the attention of academics towards the important role of the principal`s leadership style quality. It casts light on the principal`s style, its effect in the development of the educational process; academics would find out certain answers for doubts, and would search for other factors to analyze their effects. The writer adds that Authentic leadership is a means of rescue to hopeful stakeholders and policy makers for a bright and promising future. In the writers` opinion Authentic leader ship conceptual framework model shows how rigid are ethical ties in the educational institutions between the leader, teachers and students. 

Moreover, according to the writer, Authentic Leaders may lead to better teacher job performance and students’ academic achievement.  Leaders` self- internalized regulation, balanced processing of information and self-awareness distinguish their character from other styles;  they empower  teachers and students for better performance as they lead them to excel and high levels of  achievement ; showing their inner personal values, emotions, identity and goals, authentic behavior, relational transparency with  openness and trust in close relationships with teachers and students, indicates that Authentic leaders are well equipped with traits and skills that lead  teachers to better job performance and students to better academic achievement. 

The writer submits that the principal, teacher and students form the major axis of the educational process. One issue in the writers opinion that affects the teacher job performance and students’ academic achievement would be the principal`s style. The better way school principals interact with teachers and students, depending on common values, beliefs and goals, and care for their needs, self-interests, the more teachers have better job performance, feel more satisfied and comfortable, and students achieve higher academic levels. 
The writer stresses that every Lebanese principal has to identify his /her great /weak skills and values that introduce special principals to others as role models or as examples to follow. In her opinion, Lebanese educational research centers can identify the style of school principals that may affect the teacher job performance and students’ academic achievement either positively or negatively in schools. It is also important for the Lebanese society to prepare appropriate effective school principals that affect teacher job performance and students’ academic achievement.

REFERENCE

Creswell, John W, Michael D Fetters, and Nataliya V Ivankova. 2004. “Designing a Mixed Methods Study in Primary Care.” The Annals of Family Medicine 2(1): 7–12.
Jick, Todd D. 1979. “Mixing Qualitative and Quantitative Methods: Triangulation in Action.” Administrative science quarterly 24(4): 602–11.