Sergviovanni - A critique of Power over, Power to

 Below is a critique of Thomas Sergiovanni's work on 'Power Over, Power Too'.  In focssing on this reading, I have been enlightened by the idea of power over, power to within leadership.  I know that as a leader, I like to think that I promote 'power to' by working hard to lead by example, showing professionalism in all that I do, encouraging collegiality and collaboration, distributing leadership roles and sharing responsibility with my colleagues.  I enjoyed reading Sergiovanni's work and am reflecting within using the knowledge this reading has given me. 

Thomas Sergiovanni states that “No single model of teaching is sufficient to address all the aims of schooling”.  I believe this can be extended to leadership in the form of - ‘No single model of leadership is sufficient to successfully manage a school’. 

In reflecting and delving into the writings of Sergiovanni, the idea of ‘Power over, Power to’ and the stages leaders and followers go through to achieve educational success are filled with ‘AND’s making it complex in reflecting on a stance or position in thinking.  Power over is the transactional style of leadership that has a hierarchical base and aims at controlling people and events through dominance.  It involves ‘bully sticks and carrots’ in describing punishments and rewards. Part of Marzano, Waters and McNulty’s (2006) description of transactional leadership is ‘management by exception-active’.  They describe this type of leadership as so aggressive that followers believe that they should not take risks or demonstrate initiative.  These two descriptions are in the extreme as transactional leadership also promotes extrinsic motives and needs, establishing what Sergiovanni explains within his four stages of leadership, as the bartering stage.  This stage is where leaders and followers exchange wants and needs.  There is a place in here for positive reinforcement, reward through remuneration and promotion for good work or increased performance.  A sense of ‘fitting in’ through cooperation is established but no shared vision or intrinsic motivation is developed in depth.  Initially bartering could be seen in part as finding one’s ‘niche’ within an organisation, but this is ongoing throughout as it oversees fairness and is human nature in the larger scheme of things.  This stage of leadership is also recognised as the more ‘traditional’ leadership style, one which is difficult to sustain and as Sergiovanni indicates ‘does little to encourage people and schools to transcend competence (p.124).  Transactional leadership links strongly to the ‘power over’ model described by Sergiovanni as ‘controlling and is concerned with “how can I control people and events so that things turn out the way I want?”

To use a more sustainable approach, Sergiovanni suggests that leadership by building is the next stage on the leadership continuum in that it gives followers a sense of ‘esteem, autonomy, achievement, competence and self-actualizing needs’. This sense of professionalism provides the leaders and the led with aspirations and drive to meet and exceed expectations.  This stage of leadership is regarded as a lead in to ‘transformational’ leadership that taps into ‘human resources’ and working relationships.  Leaders are influential and supportive to their followers, building connections through trust, confidence, and encouragement, and providing a vision for the led that is clear and responsive to the needs of the followers.  In building these relationships, leaders inspire others in sharing a vision that is radically different to what has come before, promoting change and a promise of achievement success.  Sergiovanni describes these leaders as charismatic; one who advocates a vision, willingly takes risks, is unconventional, is sensitive to and responds to the needs and beliefs of followers, can communicate with confidence, is influential and great at problem solving to help others to success. 

Leadership by bonding is one step further in the stages and is tied closely to ‘building’ through its moral compass, but provides also a ‘cultural cement’ that ties people and the school together.   This stage of leadership encourages teamwork and collaboration amongst staff which promotes ‘an arousing awareness and consciousness that elevates school goals and purposes to the level of a shared covenant that bonds the leaders and led in a moral commitment’.  Bonding raises the bar, inspiring the team to work together as a group to achieve goals and realise the vision. This purpose is the platform for shared values that in turn builds a school culture.  The values system is the agreement or bond by which everyone lives together and is the pillar for decision making and actions there of.  Sergiovanni describes this as the ‘school’s covenant’ - a binding and solemn agreement.  The forming of this covenant is grown by successful leaders through developing followership.  Leadership density is one way followership is developed through shared roles of responsibility.  To be a good follower, Sergiovanni talks about such attributes as managing self, being committed, taking on responsibility, doing a good job, doing right by the school, being self-motivated and being able to work without supervision.  Leaders build leadership of good followers who strive to become leaders of leaders.  Part of being a good leader is being able to work ‘autonomously on behalf of shared purposes’.  Giving this power to good followers is part of building leadership within the school environment and giving followers the ‘power to’ accomplish the shared vision.  Successful leaders build leadership through power investment where power is distributed amongst people and there is shared understanding in working towards realising accomplishments and shared goals.  Intrinsic motivation is built through purposing and empowerment to staff. 

The final stage of Leadership is Leadership by banking.  This stage is the routineness of bonding and building throughout the institution.  The leader becomes more of a ‘minister’ as Sergiovanni describes them, a figurehead who ministers to the needs of the school.  This leader is a leader of leaders, follower of ideas, minister of values and servant of the followership.  Moral authority replaces bureaucracy, a dream for many, a way of life for some!