A good teacher praises loudly, blames gently

Ms.P.Chitra lights  -launching the training

Sofia with Computer applications

Trichy April 27: ‘A good teacher praises loudly, blames gently’-said Dr.K.Govindaraju, Chairman of South ZONE Board of Continuing Education in his inaugural address of young emerging teachers of SEVAI Shanthi Matriculation higher Secondary school, and other SEVAI schools, a Trichy based NGO.SEVAI launched 5 days leadership training course for teachers in its Kajamalai premises. Dr.K.Govindaraju, the Chairman of South ZONE Board of Continuing Education delivered the inaugural address. Dr.K.Govindaraju enlightened the objectives of the teachers leadership training as:  Understanding good Leadership Behaviours, Learning the difference between Leadership and Management, Gaining insight into your Patterns, Beliefs and Rules, Defining Qualities and Strengths, Determining how well you Perceive what's going on around you, Polishing Interpersonal Skills and Communication Skills, Learning about Commitment and How to Move Things Forward, Making Key Decisions, Handling Your and Other People's Stress, Empowering, Motivating and Inspiring Others and Leading by Example. Dr.K.Govindaraju further added ‘Leadership is one of those things that's often awfully hard to define but you know when you see it, and you definitely know when it's missing. Indeed Leadership is one of those areas about which a huge amount is said while at the same time leaving big questions hanging in the air unanswered, the approach is to run leadership programmes where natural leaders can develop the skill and insight to become great ones. Leadership Development and Training is to gain a rigorous personal insight into what makes them tick and then, with that understanding of themselves, to stretch the boundaries of what's comfortable for them. Good leadership requires deep human qualities, beyond conventional notions of authority.In the modern age good leaders are an enabling force, helping people and organizations to perform and develop, which implies that a sophisticated alignment be achieved - of people's needs, and the aims of the organization. Good leadership in the modern age more importantly requires attitudes and behaviours which characterise and relate to humanity. Leadership is centrally concerned with people. Of course leadership involves decisions and actions relating to all sorts of other things, but leadership is special compared to any other role because of its unique responsibility for people - i.e., the followers of the leader - in whatever context leadership is seen to operate. Many capabilities in life are a matter of acquiring skills and knowledge and then applying them in a reliable way. Leadership is quite different. Good leadership demands emotional strengths and behavioural characteristics which can draw deeply on a leader's mental and spiritual reserves. The leadership role is an inevitable reflection of people's needs and challenges in modern life. Leadership is therefore a profound concept, with increasingly complex implications, driven by an increasingly complex and fast-changing world. Leadership and management are commonly seen as the same thing, which they are not. Leadership is also misunderstood to mean directing and instructing people and making important decisions on behalf of an organization. Effective leadership is much more than these. Good leaders are followed chiefly because people trust and respect them, rather than the skills they possess. Leadership is about behaviour first, skills second.This is a simple way to see how leadership is different to management: Management is mostly about processes. Leadership is mostly about behaviour’.

Ms.P.Chitra, Program Director of SEVAI who presided over the program narrated the Essential Skills of Leadership as Good Communication, Being Articulate, Think on Your Feet, Humour, Flexibility, Integrity, Compelling Presence, Empathy. She further said ‘You may have some people who now have to 'step up to the plate' and take on far more of a leadership role than previously. You may need them to demonstrate the kind of leadership behaviours that others aspire to’. There may be teachers who have to take the next step and go beyond being good or even excellent managers, to become inspirational leaders within their works. Leadership Development may be just what you need to help your whole organisation progress to the next level. Leadership Training Programmes are intensive, provocative and very challenging. Leadership skills are based on leadership behaviour. Skills alone do not make leaders - style and behaviour do. People who strive for these things generally come to be regarded and respected as a leader by their people: Integrity - the most important requirement; without it everything else is for nothing, Having an effective appreciation and approach towards corporate responsibility, so that the need to make profit is balanced with wider social and environmental responsibilities, Being very grown-up - never getting emotionally negative with people - no shouting or ranting, even if you feel very upset or angry, Leading by example - always be seen to be working harder and more determinedly than anyone else, Helping alongside your people when they need it, Fairness - treating everyone equally and on merit. Being firm and clear in dealing with bad or unethical behaviour, Listening to and really understanding people, and show them that you understand ,. Always taking the responsibility and blame for your people's mistakes. Always giving your people the credit for your successes, Never self-promoting, Backing-up and supporting your people, Being decisive - even if the decision is to delegate or do nothing if appropriate - but be seen to be making fair and balanced decisions. Asking for people's views, but remain neutral and objective, Being honest but sensitive in the way that you give bad news or criticism, Always doing what you say you will do - keeping your promises, Working hard to become expert at what you do technically, and at understanding your people's technical abilities and challenges, Encouraging your people to grow, to learn and to take on as much as they want to, at a pace they can handle. Always accentuating the positive (say 'do it like this', not 'don't do it like that'). Smiling and encouraging others to be happy and enjoy themselves. Relaxing - breaking down the barriers and the leadership awe - and giving your people and yourself time to get to know and respect each other, Taking notes and keeping good records, Planning and prioritising, managing your time well and helping others to do so too, involving your people in your thinking and especially in managing change. Reading good books, and taking advice from good people, to help develop your own understanding of yourself, and particularly of other people's weaknesses Achieve the company tasks and objectives, while maintaining your integrity, the trust of your people, are a balancing the corporate aims with the needs of the world beyond’. Chitra concluded. K.Devendran welcomed and Kanimozhi proposed vote of thanks.-Kris