Leadership and Management Development in Education (Education ...

PREPARING AND SUPPORTING LEADERS IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES71Induction arrangements are also often inadequate, leaving principals to drawonly on an ad hoc apprenticeship model, where they learn the job from theirprincipals while holding a more junior leadership post. This can work well ifthe role model is competent, but it does not ‘widen the lens’ to allow aspirantsto understand and experience alternative approaches. In any case, its effectivenessis random, depending on the quality of the leadership experience on offerin the aspirant’s school. Even where this is good, it means that new leaders arelikely to replicate previous practice rather than developing their own approachbased on wider learning.While many countries still do not require their leaders to have formal leadershipqualifications, the debate has moved on in those countries where thisargument has been won. There is now increasing recognition that leadershipdevelopment is an ongoing process, beginning with middle managers, progressingthrough pre-service preparation for principals, and followed byinduction and in-service development. This notion of continuing leadershipdevelopment is exemplified by the NCSL’s Leadership Development Framework.The next chapter examines the impact of what is the largest nationalleadership centre in the world.