Competencies

Voices of BC modules

Spirit of Leadership in Action

Contextual Literacy

System leaders must develop high levels of contextual literacy with respect both to external and internal systems. Internally, leaders need to be effective in their work with employee groups, the school board, the many overlapping service areas and departments, and the schools themselves. Externally, leaders need to be effective in their work with employee unions, provincial government, local government, other districts and educational organizations locally, nationally, and globally. In both cases, leaders need to speak the language of the systems with which they interact, understand how those systems work and change, and ensure the district’s priorities are supported through these complex interactions.

Indigenous Perspectives and Considerations

  • Honour the local Indigenous language, protocols and understandings in relation to a systems approach.
  • Reflect and respect local community, place, and history in communications. Communicate in ways that build relationships and understandings.
  • Use language that reflects Indigenous worldviews to de-colonize thinking, actions, and processes.

Contextual Literacy

Engage effectively with internal systems.

Leading Self

Consume and structure new information and language intrinsic to different district systems (such as human resources, board governance, or IT infrastructure).

Identify the functional connections between internal systems.

Articulate ideas using the appropriately contextual language, schemata, and standards of systems within the district.

Nurture strong personal relationships with colleagues in the many overlapping systems that comprise the district.

Identify and apply theories of change appropriate to the systems implicated or impacted by an issue.

Leading Teams

Advise teams on the ways in which their work can impact, or be impacted by, other teams and systems in the district.

Help to translate the work and ideas of teams into the language and practice of other teams working in different systems within the district.

Leading Organizations

Support a connected community of systems across the district that maximizes collaborative, mutually supportive interaction.

Identify points of system function and dysfunction and enact changes to systems in response.

Articulate district priorities that reflect the complex interaction of district systems and that are comprehensible to those working in those disparate systems.

Enact district-level change that reflects deep understanding of district systems and mechanisms for change.

Engage effectively with external systems

Build relationships with leaders in externally connected systems.

Build relationships with leaders in systems not yet strongly connected to the district.

Explain the complex interrelation of political, economic, and social systems that surround the district and impact its work (from local communities to provincial education politics or general economic changes).

Articulate ideas using the appropriately contextual language, schemata, and standards of systems outside of the district.

Join external groups for professional learning and mutual support.

Forecast changes in external systems and plan for the possible futures those changes may create.

Identify theories of change appropriate to the systems implicated or impacted by an issue.

Form and lead groups to connect internal and external systems.

Lead staff in deepening their understanding of external systems, including their impacts and interrelations.

Lead staff in refining their ability to communicate effectively with external systems, including employing appropriately contextual language, schemata, and standards.

Create and sustain functional groups to monitor and plan for external change.

Advocate for, and negotiate on behalf of, the district in a wide range of forums.

Foster understanding within the district of external systems and their impact on district priorities.

Seek and sustain external alliances that advance the priorities of the district.

Ensure the district is planning for probable and possible political, economic, and social changes.

Ensure the district is positively impacting political, economic, and social change.