Leaders and Stakeholders' Perspectives

As you progress through your program, you will be exposed to many problems related to the field of education as well as many stakeholders and leaders who influence and who are influenced by those problems. No research study is done in isolation, and all studies need to consider and identify the key stakeholders and their roles. Stakeholders form a system of checks and balances in an organization. While each stakeholder has the right to an opinion, the influence of that opinion may relate to the position or role that the stakeholder holds in an organization. In addition, the characteristics and actions of a leader looking address these problems need to be effective in order to affect positive social change.

Note: This discussion has two parts. Be sure to address each part in your response.

To prepare for Part 1 of the Discussion, consider educational leaders in your field that you know. Think about how the educational leaders you know exemplify or do not exemplify the concepts related to leading positive social change. What did the leaders do well or not do well, especially as they relate to initiating change? In addition, identify one scholarly resource on change leadership related to your post to share with your colleagues in the Discussion.

For Part 1 of the Discussion, post a description of the characteristics of an effective leader of change, providing specific examples from your own experience with leaders. Explain why leaders need to have these particular characteristics to be effective in initiating change. Be sure to include a reference to the scholarly resource you identified on change leadership, and explain how the reference relates to your post.

Be careful not to identify anyone by name. The emphasis in the assignment is not the individuals themselves, only in how you perceive their leadership skills and approaches.

To prepare for Part 2 of the Discussion, reflect on the problem statements you discussed in the Module 4 Discussion and select one problem statement to address for this part of the Discussion. Think about the key stakeholders in relation to your problem statement and consider why these stakeholders are relevant to the problem. What questions, related to the problem, might you ask these key stakeholders?

In determining key stakeholders, you might ask yourself:

Who will I need to obtain approval from in order to explore this problem?

As it pertains to stakeholders, what are the risks and benefits of exploring this problem?

Who will I need to involve as participants in exploring this problem?

How will the possible outcomes of exploring this problem impact the stakeholders positively and/or negatively?

For Part 2 of the Discussion, post the key stakeholders related to your selected problem statement with an explanation as to why these stakeholders are relevant to the problem. Then, identify at least four questions about the problem to which you would like stakeholders to respond. Finally, explain why the responses may be important to understanding and/or addressing the problem.