Growing as a Leader: Building a Mindset of Collaboration, Flexibility, and Purpose

Reflecting on Leadership Styles and the Leader I Aim to Become

As I’ve worked through the Applied Digital Learning program, particularly the leadership simulation, I’ve grown more aware of what effective leadership truly looks like in practice. Leadership isn’t about holding a title, giving directives, or having all the answers. It’s about tone, clarity, relationships, and the ability to adapt.

Working across Windham School District has shown me this repeatedly. On any given day, I’m collaborating with teachers who need hands-on support, principals who need clear expectations, technology staff who need communication, and adult learners who depend on consistent instructional tools. No single leadership style fits every situation.

And that realization has shaped the leader I hope to become.

What I’ve Learned About Leadership

One of the biggest takeaways from this course is that leadership is not static. Effective leaders read the moment, the people, and the purpose, and adjust accordingly.

For example:

• During VR rollout, I often take on a coaching approach—guiding teachers through new tools with patience and partnership.

• When campuses need clarity on expectations or training timelines, a directive or structured approach becomes helpful.

• When collaborating on training design or discussing implementation challenges, a team-based, shared-leadership style naturally emerges.

Leadership is a collection of approaches, not a single identity.

The Leader I Hope to Become

While the leadership simulation allowed me to experiment with an authoritative tone, it helped me realize something important:

Authoritative leadership isn’t my natural style. My instinct is to work with people, not in front of them.

The leader I hope to become is rooted in:

✔ Team Leadership - I value shared decision-making, open communication, and leaning on collective expertise. No one grows in isolation, and no problem is solved alone.

✔ Collaborative Leadership - I believe in inviting perspectives, encouraging involvement, and creating solutions together. Collaboration builds ownership, and ownership builds momentum.

✔ Balanced Leadership - While I lead most comfortably in partnership with others, I also understand that strong leaders must be able to shift styles when the moment requires it.

There are times to set a clear expectation. Times to step back and listen. Times to coach. Times to direct. Times to empower.

The best leadership is not rigid, it’s responsive.

My goal is to become a leader who can confidently blend these approaches while staying grounded in empathy, clarity, and professionalism.

How I Plan to Apply My Leadership Skills to Technology Integration

Technology integration in adult education requires leadership that is:

• Supportive

• Clear

• Encouraging

• Patient

• Collaborative

In my role, leadership means more than showing teachers how to use a tool, it means:

• Understanding their challenges

• Building trust

• Communicating expectations clearly

• Offering follow-up support

• Creating shared solutions to tech obstacles

• Celebrating small wins

  
  

I want educators to feel that I’m working with them, not just handing them new technology to figure out on their own. Collaborative leadership helps create this environment.

By leading with partnership, listening, and flexibility, I believe I can support teachers more effectively and help build sustainable, meaningful digital integration across campuses.

Closing Reflection

As I continue growing as an educator and leader, I’m learning that leadership is not about choosing one style and abandoning the rest. It’s about understanding:

• The people you serve

• The dynamics of the moment

• The values you bring to the work

• The vision you share with others

Becoming a well-rounded leader, one who can collaborate, direct, empower, and listen, is part of my long-term goal. This course has pushed me to reflect more deeply on how I show up, how I communicate, and how I can use leadership to amplify the impact of technology in learning environments.

This is a journey I’m still very much on, but I feel clearer, more grounded, and more purposeful than when I began.

References

Goleman, D. (2000). Leadership that gets results. Harvard Business Review.

Northouse, P. (2021). Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage Publications.

Keiser University. (2024). Leadership styles in education: Nine ways educators guide talent. https://www.keiseruniversity.edu/