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22 Aug 2024

7 great qualities of a great leader

Effective leadership requires a combination of various skills and a willingness to constantly develop. This is especially important in the work of early education and care professionals where a dynamic, supportive and forward-thinking team are essential to enhance the quality of experiences for young children and their families. These skills are helpful for enabling individuals to guide, inspire and manage their teams successfully.  

Let’s have a look at some of the most useful skills that every leader should explore and develop!  

Communication 

Clear and effective communication is a must for everyone, but especially for those in leadership positions. Being able to communicate with others in an accessible and effective way paves the way for a unified team, especially when working with children where consistency is key. Leaders can use their communication skills to convey their vision, expectations, and feedback clearly to the team, whilst also responding to wider needs and concerns for team members.  

Emotional intelligence 

Emotional intelligence is all about how we understand and manage our own emotions, as well as the emotions of others. Leaders with strong emotional intelligence are empathetic, self-aware and able to build strong, trusting relationships. They can navigate social complexities and lead with compassion and understanding, which is particularly valuable when working with the emotional labour of early education and care. 

Decision making 

Within early education and care, we make quick decisions hundreds of times a day – sometimes without even realising it. But leaders are often required to make a different level of important decisions; decisions that can have a wider impact on children and families, staff, the setting and the community. Effective decision-making involves critical thinking to weigh up options, considering potential outcomes, and making informed choices with the team’s input, based on the individual child’s needs. Strong decision-making skills help leaders to act confidently and promptly, maintaining the trust of the wider team.  

Strategic thinking 

Strategic thinking involves the ability to see the big picture, anticipate future challenges and opportunities, and plan accordingly. This is particularly relevant to early education and care when it comes to logistics around staffing, developing pedagogical approaches and tackling new policy changes across the setting. Leaders with strategic thinking skills can develop long-term goals and create actionable plans to achieve them in line with the setting’s vision for education and care.  

Delegation 

Delegation is about drawing upon the unique skills of the team to assign tasks and responsibilities to team members effectively. A good leader understands the strengths and weaknesses, comforts and anxieties of their team and delegates tasks accordingly, ensuring that the right people are working on the right tasks. Effective delegation works to foster transparency and accountability within the team. 

Conflict Resolution 

Conflicts are inevitable in any team, but it is the responsibility of leaderships to manage and resolve conflicts constructively. Effective conflict resolution maintains team harmony and productivity but also holds individuals accountable for their actions and encourages self-reflection and continuous development along the way.  

Adaptability 

Adaptability means to remain flexible and adjust to changing circumstances. In the ever-changing world of early education and care, leaders must be confident in their ability to remain open to innovative ideas and willing to change course when necessary (even if this means admitting you’re wrong). Adaptable leaders can navigate uncertainty and use their assertive nature to guide their team through transitions.  

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