Leadership Definition Early Years

Geraldine davis and gemma ryder authors of leading in early childhood provide their expert view on what leadership in the early years is and how every practitioner has the capacity to lead.

Leadership definition early years. The importance of leadership in early childhood education being a leader is challenging no matter where or what you are leading but this is especially the case in early childhood education. Leadership and management in the early years effective leadership makes a difference leadership and learning are indispensable to each other john f. Organizations refer to upper level personnel in their management structures as leadership. Leadership requires you to develop support encourage and motivate a staff team as well as model a high standard of practice knowledge and care.

Some strive for the position only to find they are working with unsympathetic school leadership who have not fully embraced the teaching versus play concept. 2 early childhood essentials series. Carlyle s ideas inspired early research on leadership which almost entirely focused on inheritable traits. Trait theory of leadership rationale.

Leadership leadership has been seen as providing direction and exercising influence. To be an effective leader in business you must possess traits that extend beyond management duties. The leadership of early years has become a difficult entity in the past few years. We work in early years because we are passionate about making positive changes for young children.

More specifically in the early years foundation stage it is. This book has been written for everyone with a leadership role or thinking about a leadership role within the early years sector. Leadership skills can be learned and leaders may evolve. Working with young children is a rewarding and fulfilling job.

On the one hand ages 0 to 5 are the most critical for a child s development. Many early years leaders find themselves in the job overnight as there is no one else to do it. In our view leadership is about using your knowledge skills personality and experience to positively influence practice. A focus on early childhood and diversity knowledge of situated learning and communities of practice as well as knowledge of learning organisations and reflective approaches and knowledge of school leadership including collaborative management styles and distributed leadership urban et al 2011 pp.

According to carlyle history is shaped by extraordinary leaders. Leadership does not have one clear definition in an early childhood setting as each person in the setting should contribute to the leadership however it lacks due to a deficiency in staff education in this area leaving little information on what it requires adding to the misperception of roles waniganayake et al 2012.