A look into…Postmodern Leadership
By: Grace D. Suminguit
We are living in a diverse world. People came from different races, from different culture and from different religion. Every individual is a unique human being. We have different interest, needs, and desires. We possess varied intelligences and talents. This is very evident in a school community. In a school, we encounter pupils and students coming from diverse culture. They have different beliefs and traditions. They also have varied interests and needs which the school administrators, heads, staff and teachers should cater.
The person that is in the great position to address this need of the students is the school principal. From the discussion that we had during our class, I have learned that there are plenty of leadership models where a principal can adopt. However, among the leadership models that I have heard, it is the postmodern leadership where we can truly cater our diverse stakeholders.
In the postmodern leadership, the focus is on the individual’s needs and interest. The culture of every student is respected and appreciated. Here, the principal does not only focus on one particular culture. He must recognize the different cultures of his stakeholders. In order for him to recognize these varied cultures, he must have the knowledge on the different cultures that we have in the Philippines. For example, if you are assign to manage a school in a Muslim community and you are a Christian, you must study the culture of the Muslim.
In addition, the school principal in a postmodern leadership style must be versatile. He must be very flexible to any situation for him to adjust immediately in a certain condition. As I have said earlier, we are living in a diverse world. There is no constant except change. And so, it is the role of the principal to find solution to every problem that might come along the way. Let say for example, in the previous year there were no Muslim students enrolled in a particular school. All students were Christians and so in the school there is a prayer room intended for the Christians. There were also activities for the development of the spiritual aspect of the Christian students. However, in this year there were already Muslim students who enrolled in the same school. In this case, the principal must find ways how to cater these Muslim students. Say for example, a small room intended for the Muslim students will be reserved for their prayer session.
To be a principal is really not an easy task. There were so many things that we have to consider when we plan for the betterment of the school. If I were given a chance to be a principal someday, I would do my best that I would be able to cater all the needs of the students because that is the main reason why I became a principal. What for that I become a principal if I could not address the students’ needs and interests. Yes, it might sound idealistic for we could not cater all their needs especially when we are handling a big school. There might be many hindrances, problems, and difficulties that might come along the way, but we must make sure that at least we are able to be fair to all students. We must recognize the different cultures of our students. We must be able to build a harmonious community in the school where we are operating. Peace must be present in the school and must inculcate in every students for them to bring this value outside the school. It is only through education that our students will transform into a better citizen in this country. That is why we should work hand in hand to achieve this transformation of our students because as Dr. Jose Rizal said, “The youth is the only hope of our nation”.
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