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Choose the statement you think best describes a leader:

• Leaders are advocates (an advocate defends or supports a cause or proposal)
• Leaders follow the media and tell others about current issues in early childhood education.

Leaders have the ability to focus on a single issue to address or project the impact that various decision choices have on activities, individuals, families or organizations. This requires knowledge of the nature of the issue. Advocates can craft a memorable, brief message to the target audience about the issue, can consider him/herself an expert on the issue, can serve as a resource to policy-makers, knows what other organizations can support such a measure.

For additional information

Although leaders do follow trends and monitor news reports, this is not the best choice this time. One must be able to sort out what is true and what is not in the popular media while understanding the issue from many sides. Are the reports founded? Are they presenting an authentic story? Are there other considerations?

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• Leaders define issues by reading broadly then sending emails to a contact list.
• Leaders are collaborative and use other professionals to compare ideas.

While communication is important, determining the effect of issues in isolation is probably not a good practice. Use your networks to work collaboratively.

Collaboration is critical in this field. Early childhood educators gain strength through joint visioning, joint decision making, mutual respect, sharing resources, establishing give and take in relationships, accessing new partners, forming teams to make decisions, and involving stakeholders in shaping initiatives

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• Leaders focus on the present.
• Leaders are visionaries.

Leaders actually focus on more than the present. They must learn to reflect on the past and how it informs the future, understand what is in the present, and project what the future could be. They see what's possible, describe what is possible and pursue what is possible.

Leaders can communicate their vision, keep up with trends, and policies, be accepting of, then weigh all ideas, think creatively, and understand recommended practices in the field.

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• The best leaders have good communication and listening skills that are effective with a broad range of people.
• Leaders select a small group of people who think like them and pull them together to tell them what to do.

Leaders possess effective communication & networking skills. They are good listeners, are focused, aware of surroundings, know how to ask clarifying questions, know when to be silent, recognize body language and communications signals.

Be sure you understand this--Potential leaders have a "holding court" quality about them. When they speak, people listen. Other people may talk a great deal, but nobody listens to them. They're simply making a speech; they're not giving leadership. Most people take notice of people to whom others listen and WHO LISTEN TO THEM.

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• Good leaders understand that it is their leadership alone that moves an effort forward.
• Effective leaders provide feedback and support to others.

The best leaders don't just seek the glory for themselves but seek and deliver honest feedback and give credit to team efforts.

Effective leaders and managers provide guidance, support, opportunities for others to practice, and supply appropriate feedback. Leaders have a fundamental belief in people; in their capacity to create new ideas, experiment, learn, adapt, grow, and work as a unified team. The team must feel this authentic support.

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• Leaders find creative ways to make things happen without funding.
• Leaders in ECE understand that funding is difficult in this field.

Leaders often become very creative when seeking funding. They know how to develop an integrative strategy, how to approach foundations, develop funding plans, and create partnerships.

Doing nothing and giving up is not a quality of leaders. Yes, obtaining resources is tough, but with practice, and efficient use of resources once acquired, it gets easier and easier.

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• A good leader encourages learning, growing, and professional development in all ECE professionals.
• Leaders know that when budgets get tight it is best to cut the professional development budget first.

Good leaders in ECE recognize that knowledge about the field is critical and that professional development relates to employee retention, worker perception, and orientation.

Cutting professional development, especially during times of change is a cut in the wrong place. Professional development builds confidence and sends a message of support. Change usually requires new knowledge and skills.

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• Leaders read and understand trends and emerging research and can find ways to apply it.
• Leaders agree that when research is difficult to understand it is best to just stick with what they already know.

Leaders stay in touch with the latest research, understand the importance of research, and know how to use research to determine markers of quality, good practices, and professional development.

Leaders do not become stagnant and stop learning. ECE is a learning field. Staying in tune with changes and recommendations for best practices is part of one's personal professional development and contributes to leadership qualities.

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• Leaders understand and display the highest ethical and professional conduct.
• Leaders are guided by their first reaction when making decisions with children and families.

Leaders help all professionals in the field understand that they are guided by a professional code. Become familiar with it.

It is best when leaders are guided by a professional code and are familiar with it.

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• Leaders develop a plan then step back and let others implement it.
• Effective leaders can both envision the future and follow-through with a plan.

Leaders need to be able to both plan ands work with others toward the implementation of recommendations.

Good leaders can do both. Some people can describe their vision but unless they can (in collaboration with others) outline the steps to reach the goals- what good is a vision?

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• Leaders can lead without knowing how to use technology.
• Leaders use technology effectively

In today's world an understanding of and an effective use of technology is critical.

In today's world an understanding of and an effective use of technology is critical.

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• Leaders understand the importance of evaluating success by setting goals and objectives then monitoring them.
• Leaders do not have to pay attention to evaluation.

Establishing goals and objectives provides the target. Without a clear target, how do you know if everyone is working together all toward the same end?

Without an understanding of how to monitor success, leaders cannot effectively lead toward the next step. Evaluation informs next steps.

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How did you do? What qualities do you still need to work on to become an effective leader?