Leading With Emotion: Reaching Balance in Educational Decision Making

It is no surprise that successful school leaders have strong interpersonal skills. That they can communicate, motivate, resolve conflict, build teams, and persuade others at high levels is well documented by research. However, new research indicates that emotion plays a pivotal role in using these skills and there is a new awareness of the importance of the emotions in our behavior and decision-making. This book explains the research and concepts and places them in the nitty-gritty environment in which school leadership occurs. The exercise of leadership is analyzed through three conceptual frames: (1) The Leader, (2) Constituents, and (3) The Situation. Case studies, events taken from recent news, and behavioral and neurological research are described to illustrate the importance of emotions in leadership. Each chapter closes with a statement of five fundamental facts to aid the reader in integrating and applying the information to his or her situation. It will also enable readers to know and manage their own emotional stability and engender emotional awareness and assurance in others.

Kermit G. Buckner is associate professor at East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C. James O. McDowelle is professor and director of the Ph.D. program in the School of Education at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Penn.