Itsueli (1995) states that the school head is required to perform three vital functions: namely, to discern and influence the development of goals and policies; to establish and coordinate educational organizations concerned with planning and implementing appropriate programs; and to procure and manage the resources necessary to support the educational system and its planned programs.
Nowadays, “millennial” is a word that refers to being a new breed, modernized and techno-digital. People who are called as “millennials” are usually those who are up-to-date and the young generation.
However, for me, being a millennial does not only apply to the younger generation. For me millennial just have to relate with freshness, innovation, technological and futuristic.
How then do we describe a millennial school head?
A millennial school head for me is somehow who does not manifest what a traditional school head seems like.
The ideal millennial school head for me is somehow who would not just be called a “school head” by the name but someone who acts as one.
She/he is the school head who looks after the general welfare of his/her school more than his/her personal interests.
She/he leads and not just directs. The school head leads the team of teachers, pupils and other stakeholders to certain directions where he/she takes the initiative to show the way and how to do things and not just to post orders for others to follow while he/she is relaxing in his/her swivel chair in an air-conditioned office.
As a leader, the school head do things first before she/he expects others to do so. He/she provides the example for others to imitate and follow.
It would most be like the school sets his/her foot onto the waters to test the river before she/he instructs others to cross the said river.
She/he executes every plan leading his/her pack along the way and not just there shouting out as to which direction the pack should go.
The millennial school head takes note of other stakeholders’ suggestions and accepts criticisms as opportunities for self-improvement.
The millennial school head is someone who does own his/her duties and responsibilities – delegates some but not all - to other subordinates in order to train them to become leaders in the future but not for the purpose of easing out oneself of responsibilities he/she needs to dispense of as a school head.
The millennial school headsets the best example without the need to exaggerate on his/her accomplishments – especially if the ones who did the “dirty work” were the subordinates.
The millennial school head is somehow who observes classes not for the purpose of finding faults but in order to find ways to help the teachers in areas where they need to improve.
These are some of the traits that I feel millennial school heads ideally should be like – it doesn’t only mean being a millennial by age – but by heart.