What is dynamic leadership? How do you know if you have it or not? Why is it important? School leaders continue to take on a range of daily responsibilities. Dynamic leadership may be the singular approach that allows schools to meet with success. Our students and teachers cannot afford to be led by those who lack the skills to ensure that every minute of their day is spent meaningfully. Are you a dynamic leader? Let’s look at the arguable qualities that make a leader dynamic or not.

Dynamic​​​
Fearless ​​​
Inclusive​​​
Failure as opportunity​
Innovative​​​
Proactive​​​

Not
Fearful
Isolated
Failure as disaster
Traditional
Reactive

Fearless, not fearful

Leaders who are consumed by fear are unable to make even the simplest decisions. They are the veritable “deer in the headlights.” On the other hand, fearless leaders are thoughtful and decisive. They weigh all of the options while making timely decisions. Fearless leaders operate from a mindset that focuses on what is right for students first. They don’t allow fear to cloud their judgment.


Inclusive, not isolated

Dynamic leaders understand that you can never have enough help and support. While they are confident in their ability, they know that the success of their school depends on many people. They give a voice to students, teachers, and parents. Most importantly, they trust that others are competent and capable. They assume the best in people without being naïve.

Failure as opportunity, not disaster

Failure is inevitable. Dynamic leaders expect failure, some even plan for it. Dynamic leaders model their humanity by acknowledging failure and using it to plan for the next success. Students benefit from observing school leaders and teachers who model a mature response to failure. If we expect our students to be resilient, we need to give them the tools for handling failure.

Innovative, not traditional

Traditional thinking gets you traditional results. Innovative thinking, however, can take you places you’ve never been before. What is the number one quality of an innovator? They look to others for new ideas. Yes, some innovators create their own great ideas, but most innovation builds on the work of others. Innovative leaders are self-aware. They know their strengths and challenges, so they fill in the gaps by capitalizing on the human assets around them.

Proactive, not reactive

Dynamic leaders are always one step ahead of change. They anticipate change and start planning for it before it’s necessary. Proactive leaders are calm and cool under duress because they are rarely surprised. They support students and teachers by contextualizing change. In schools, proactive leaders integrate new curricula, standards, and teaching practices with those already in place. Their “we can do this” attitude reassures others that someone is looking out for them.


While dynamic leadership can be discussed and debated, it is harder to define. It may be one of those “I’ll know it when I see it” phenomena. What other qualities make a leader dynamic? Post your comments below or tweet out a response to this post and help us grow the list.

You can follow Chris on Twitter @principal64.