Leadership

Robin Beavers

UMUC

Introduction

    Leadership in distance education (DE) is perhaps one of the most dynamic, challenging and unpredictable organizations to manage. DE leadership positions are particularly challenging because, "Creating and conveying technological visions powerful enough to displace traditional educational models is one of the most challenging aspects of leadership (Marcus, 2004). The first half of this paper will discuss the five qualities and skills that I feel are critical for being a successful DE leader in the volatile digital age. In my opinion, intelligence, the ability to communicate effectively, the humility to delegate tasks to others, integrity, and the ability to adapt are a powerful combination for a successful DE leader. The second half of this paper will discuss three crucial issues that are the biggest challenges for DE leaders today, delivering quality education, understanding the needs of the distance student, and providing training for online faculty and staff in this growing global audience.

Intelligence

     Intelligence sets the table for all other attributes and skills, especially in an educational and technical organization; intellect is the gateway to effective and successful leadership. The DE leader must be intelligent in order to handle the multifaceted world of online education. Intelligence embodies many attributes in and of itself but the DE leader must have the intellectual capacity and leadership skills to communicate with internal and external stakeholders. Additionally DE leaders must be aware of trends and evolving technologies, have a solid foundation in traditional and emerging pedagogies, understand course design, identify the needs and characteristics of both adult and traditional students, and fit all the pieces together to assure a quality, relevant, user-friendly product. I think that in order to have people follow you, you must be considered intelligent enough to lead. Intelligence, some form of intelligence is displayed in all of the other attributes in this paper. If a leader recognizes the need for something and is able to then apply the solution appropriately then intellect is clearly present. A DE leader must be sharp enough to know that communication, delegation, adaptability, vision and the mentoring and empowering of subordinates all create a DE organization that has the capacity to have a winning DE organization.

Communication

    Along with intelligence, the most important attribute in successful DE leadership is having good communication skills. “Effective communication makes for a high quality leader because it enables one to express ideas successfully” (Rolle, 2002). Successful communication skills enable leaders to set the tone for the organization, its purpose and mission, its goals, and objectives and especially its vision for the future. Kotter (1996) asserts in distance education, conveying the mission and vision is an integral part of building a loyal followership among the various stakeholders that make up distance education. Communication along with intelligence is the launch pad for all other attributes, without effective communication skills, all other attributes are obscured.

     DE requires a leader who displays a combination of transformational, visionary, and charismatic leadership traits, all of which require well-honed communication skills.  DE leaders have to possess the communication skills to,

·         Develop a vision, together with the employees. The effective DE leader must communicate the organization’s vision to all of the stakeholders and have the charisma to inspire the followership.

·         Convey a strategy. An effective communicator must be able to clearly define and express how the organization’s vision is to be achieved.

·         Implement the vision. Kotter states that vision requires passion and an effective leader must communicate the passion behind the vision.

·         “Express confidence, decisiveness and optimism about the vision and its implementation.’. A DE leader can only do these things through clear and effective communication.

Integrity

      Merriam Webster defines integrity as “the quality of being honest and fair.” It is difficult for a leader to succeed if his followers do not perceive him or her to be honest, forthright, and fair. Followers must believe in the person who is being followed in both good times and bad. (Antonakis,Fenley,& Liechti, ,2012) assert that even during negative times if a leader is identified as being a moral and honest person, followers will still support and stand behind them. The immediacy of technology in this age of transparency means that DE leaders must be aware that reputations can easily be affected (Lawless, 2011). Internal email leaks, Twitter, and other social media can either be a benefit or wreck havoc on the integrity of an organization. It is best for DE leader to be upfront, and honest with all stakeholders, both internal and external.

Adaptability

     A DE leader’s decision-making is contingent upon internal, external political, technical and economic factors, thus it is leadership built on contingency. The ability to adapt is not a suggested trait to succeed it is a necessary one. According to Kotter (1996), “Change dominates our world and education is a major vehicle for initiating, managing, and sustaining or stabilizing our environments affected by change. It is through educational value that we develop the understanding and knowledge to effectively craft strategies for leading change.”  Our Group 3 interview was Alex Autry, the current president of the Federal Government Distance Learning Association (FGDLA), Autry simply stated; “nobody likes change, it disrupts the flow and takes people off course, nobody likes change.” In DE, there is constant change and the DE leader must be flexible, willing, and capable of doing so when required.

Delegation

    Delegation is defined, as “one who has been empowered by one’s superior to take responsibility for certain activities, which were originally reserved for the superior.” (Zhang, Tremaine, Egan, Milewski, O’Sullivan & Fjermestad, 2010). Delegation is one of the most important and essential management skills a distance leader can exhibit. Effective delegation serves two purposes; it lessens the chance of micromanaging and it empowers subordinates.

Micromanagement

     The ability to recognize and accept that as a leader one does not possess the skill set or time to manage everything that goes on within an organization is an asset. I speak from personal experience when I say; there is nothing more defeating, disruptive, disturbing, and enraging than having a superior micromanage every assigned task. The dangers of micromanaging are that once your work or ideas are constantly undervalued, it is easy for an organization to fall into groupthink, simply to avoid wasting your energy and time because they are perceived to lack significance. That means that solutions and innovation are effectively squelched and so to is the ability for your organization to reach its goals and potential. The DE leader cannot afford to risk groupthink in such a trend and technology driven environment, it is a waste of time, and money and groupthink will hamper acceptable and desired outcomes.

Empowering followership

     Tomorrow’s leaders are forged by the opportunity to shine as followers. I believe that delegation is directly related to followership and that delegation is a form of professional advocacy; it helps to build, create and develop an educated followership and groom them as leaders for the future. Our group interviewed Alex Autry, asserted throughout the interview the importance of giving responsibility to subordinates. Autry believed that he was incredibly important to choose subordinates that may be underperforming to give them opportunity to gain confidence and experience. Autry offered that it is a way to help followers learn. He said that he always lets them know he is there to help and guide to stay on task, but he offered that he allowed them to figure out how to do things their own way.

Part II

      Marcus (2006) asserts that DE leadership shares and involves some of the same traits common to leaders in other organizations, but also “requires special abilities and insights into technology's impact,” this is particularly true for 21st century DE leaders. The explosion in the growth of DE, its global nature and the ever-present emerging beast that can be technology will require DE leaders to have vision as well. Compora (2003) suggests distance institutions do both internal and external assessment to determine the following,

·         Does the institution has the crucial resources for a distance program (faculty, approved academic courses, financial resources).

·         What kind of students may be interested in a distance education program?

·         What types of courses that would be taken by the students?

·         If students are interested in matriculating into a course of study leading to a degree. 

Quality of education

     The quality of distance education has always been called into question in comparison to traditional face-to-face education.  This is particularly true in the light of the proliferation of for profit schools. The government and other education sectors have queried whether these for-profit institutions place revenue over favorable student outcomes. The problem is that these unscrupulous practices paint the entire DE learning movement.  In 2010 the Department of Education issued regulation for distance learning programs, which includes state authorization to deliver distance-education programs out of state and confirmation of non-degree programs as leading to paid employment (Hunter & Ohio State, 2011). If these institutions do not comply federal financial aid will be off limits. Some DE leaders fear state control will impede student choice and even curriculum. This action by the government is a warning for DE leaders to make a stand and assure stakeholders that quality education is their main concern.

Qualified staff

     The growth in distance education requires quality faculty and staff who are trained to instruct distance learners.  According to Scull, Kendrick, Shearer, & Offerman, (2011), the majority of distance-education administrators use part-time and non-tenured faculty. DE leaders must understand the faculty culture to engage them in distance learning. According to Bower (2001) it is incumbent upon leadership to provide the appropriate support to staff that have to make the transition to online instruction. Portugal(2006) asserts that DE leaders must support staff in various ways including offering financial incentives and  technical training. As faculty and staff workloads increase so too should the compensation. Online instruction requires more time and preparation than face-to-face teaching. It also requires faculty knowledge of online pedagogy, a student centered, self directed environment a complete shift from lecture styled teaching. Support in the form of technical training is imperative; it cannot be assumed that faculty is proficient at using technology, especially given the myriad of multimedia available for online teaching. Training in the form of face-to-face workshops, with instructional designers, faculty already teaching online or online tutorials may employed (Lackey, 2011).

Distance student trends

     Students are “focused and more demanding that there be a return on their investment in time and money” (Lawless, 2011).  If you want to sell product you have to understand your consumers. In distance education, those consumers are students, on a global scale. DE leaders must know their market and take notice that in the 21^st century, there is a global quest for training, education skills and certification to improve skills and marketability in this increasing global economy (McFarlane, 2011). As older students go back to school distance programs must consider incorporating more business like “just in time” and training programs (Portugal, 2006). It is not the death knell for four-year colleges or degrees, but distance leaders must reflect on the shift in the student demographic and add quality options to traditional degree programs as necessary.

Conclusion

     Beaudoin declares that DE leaders must no longer sit on the sidelines, but feel empowered to become part of mainstream education (Portugal, 2006). He implies that DE leaders in an effort to gain respect and be recognized as an equal option to traditional education must follow the academic guidelines and practices of traditional education, adhering to standards that produce favorable outcomes for students.

     What I have learned about leadership in DE is that it takes an incredibly smart, gifted, driven, adaptable, flexible, and passionate leader to successfully tackle a DE organization. The need to be technical and on trend in a fast growing industry requires a leader who realizes that it has to be a collaborative team effort. I also learned that there is no one right or wrong way to lead. A great deal has to do with being able to understand and connect with people inside and outside of the organization. A DE leader has to be aware of student needs, technological boundaries, and emerging pedagogies. A DE leader must be fiscally responsible in face of trying to stay relevant and a DE leader must reconcile education with technology.

References

Antonakis, J., Fenley, M., & Liechti, S. (2012). Learning charisma. Harvard Business Review, 90(6), 127-130.

Beaudoin, M. (2005).Reflections on research faculty and leadership in distance education. Oldenburg: Bibloteks und Informationssystem der Carl von Ossietzky University.

Bower, B. (2001, Summer). Distance Education: Facing the faculty challenge. Retrieved from http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/summer42/bower42.html

Compora, D. (2003, Summer). Current trends in distance education: An administrative model. Retrieved from http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/summer62/compora62.html

Hunter, M., & Ohio State University. (2011, March 22). Federal Regulations Require State authorization for distance education programs. Retrieved from https://ocio.osu.edu/blog/community/2011/03/22/federal-regulations-require-state-authorization-for-distance-education-programs/

Kotter, J.(1996) Leading Change.

Lackey, K. (2011, Winter). Faculty Development: An analysis of current and effective training strategies for preparing faculty to teach online. Retrieved from http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/winter144/lackey144.html

Lawless, J. (2011, September 8). Reputation, integrity, and transparency in the digital age. Retrieved from https://www.tacoma.uw.edu/node/37115

Marcus, S. (2004, Spring). Leadership in distance education: Is it a unique type of leadership - A Lit Review. Retrieved from http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/spring71/marcus71.html

McFarlane, D. A. (2011, Spring). Emerging leadership roles in distance education: Current State of Affairs and Forecasting Future Trends. Retrieved from http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/fall93/portugal93.htm

Portugal, L. (2006, Fall). Emerging leadership roles in distance education: current state of affairs and forecasting future trends. Retrieved from http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/fall93/portugal93.htm

Rolle, J. R. (2002). The role of communication in effective leadership.

Zhang, S., Tremaine, M., Egan, R., Milewski, A., O’Sullivan, P., & Fjermestad, J. (2010). Occurrence and effects of leader delegation in virtual software teams. IGI Global.