‘Principle Based Leadership’
West Virginia Department
of Education
Fall 2011
PROGRAM AGENDA
 The School Counselor as Leader and Advocate
 ‘Principle Based Leadership’ for Professionals
 Assuming Leadership Roles
 Strengthening Leadership Skills
 Self Assessment Exercise
 Applying ‘Principle Based Leadership’
Counselor as Leader and Advocate
 Advocate for the success of all students
 Promotes access to total resources available
 Builds positive expectations independent of
individual test scores
 Educates stakeholders about available programs
that contribute to student success
 Collaborates with administration
and staff to improve programs
Effective Advocacy Requires
Effective Leadership
 Effective leadership is the ability to promote
positive direction and gain the commitment of
others to follow
 Leadership isn’t a function of formal authority
or title; it’s a function of demonstrated value
and others willingness to follow
 For professionals in counseling roles to
demonstrate leadership they must be
credible and respected at all levels
Common Characteristics of
Effective Leaders

Behavior & actions model character and integrity
 Other focused versus self focused
 Promote & demonstrate mutual respect
 Demonstrate and foster good decisions
 Solution oriented (new and creative ideas)
 Demonstrate courage when necessary
 Identify what is important to achieve
‘Principle Based Leadership’ is
Founded Upon Building Mutual Respect
 Begins with a desire to have value for others
 People are more likely to follow and respect those
who demonstrate interest in and respect for them
 Actions carry more weight than
words in building mutual respect
 Service to others is integral to
‘Principle Based Leadership’
Words
Actions
Core Leadership Requirements
Principles Knowledge
Personal Presence



Principles - Earning credibility with others by demonstrating character
integrity, courage and values others can embrace
Knowledge – The ability to demonstrate critical thinking, problem solving
and decision making to enable others to achieve effective outcomes
Personal Presence - Influencing others by communicating with them
effectively and promoting mutual respect (goes beyond words)
Assuming Leadership Roles
 Effective leadership may be demonstrated
formally or informally but requires providing value
 The way people behave often establishes the
roles they assume with others
 Remaining alert to leadership opportunities is a
function of wanting to serve
 Encouraging the best in others tends
to bring out their best and strengthen
the leaders role and value
Building Leadership Qualities in Self
 Others’ perceptions of you define your role
and influence (not your title)
 Your values and what you represent establishes
others’ level of commitment
 Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision
making are essential to effective leadership
 Communications skills & personality
style are important considerations
Strengthening Leadership Skills
 Self assess to identify strengths, natural style
and developmental needs relative to the situation
 Identify leadership skills and approach most
appropriate to the situation or context
 Assess others to determine their capabilities,
incentives and needs
 Determine how to provide value and
promote success for others
Leadership Self Assessment
 Seeing self objectively is one of the most
difficult challenges of leadership
 This exercise looks at an important part of
leadership; your behavioral style
 The LSI is an exercise to provide an objective
frame of reference to improve how you lead
Some Examples of Leadership Styles
High D (Driver) – “The Ram”
High I (Influencer) – “The Otter”
High E (Enabler) – “The Labrador”
High P (Perfectionist) – “The Beaver”
Focused &
Forceful
Gregarious &
Social
Loyal &
Supportive
Diligent &
High Standards
Application of ‘Principle Based Leadership’
 Consider your most positive leader role model
 Define leadership role you want to strengthen
 Identify specific outcomes you may affect that
will have the most value to others
 Consider your leadership style strengths
 Set specific goals and identify
activities to achieve your goals
Program Summary
 School counselors must be effective leaders to
be effective advocates
 ‘Principle Based Leadership’ is founded upon
character and developing mutual respect
 Effective leaders provide value by increasing
others likelihood of success
 Leaders must flex their style to
meet the needs of the situation
 Goal setting promotes results