2.2 Entrepreneurial leadership for technology: an opposable mind  (Page 3/11)

Many schools have state-of-the-art hardware, computer labs, and other technology peripherals, but are using them in ways that will do little to enhance student learning in rigorous and challenging ways. Technology leadership means much more than simply purchasing and implementing programs “stuffed” with fancy hardware and software. To really influence reform in schools, principals as technology leaders must stay focused on the individual needs of teachers and students, rather than race to adopt the “flavor of the month” program. Clearly, schools do not have a very good track record in sustaining significant change. The school technology leader is in the position to make sound instructional decisions regarding technology and program implementation. It is my hope this chapter will help answer the “how” associated with such a daunting task.

Entrepreneurial leadership for technology defined

The term originates in the business world and can be simply defined as “translating ideas into actions .” More specifically, Gunther and McMillian (2000) help us focus in on the concept: Entrepreneurial leaders pursue only the best opportunities and avoid exhausting themselves and their organizations by chasing after every option. They passionately seek new opportunities always looking for the chance to profit from change and disruption (p. 3).

This new breed of leader seems to always seek original ways of doing things with little concern for how difficult they may be or whether the resources are available. They are willing to “disrupt the status quo” (Grogan&Donaldson, p. 22) and have the ability to hold several opposing thoughts in their minds at once, and then reach a synthesis that contains elements of each but improves on each (Martin, 2007).

Framing leadership for technology in an historical ccontext

In the past 50 years, there have been as many as 65 different classifications developed to define the dimensions of leadership (Northhouse, 2004). Within those classifications, there are several specific theoretical forms of leadership – situational leadership (a different form of leadership for each different situation),transformational leadership (attention paid to the needs and desires of an organization’s members to achieve their highest potential), moral leadership, and others. I agree that leaders of technology have something to learn from the study of leadership but I am reminded of a quote from a world-renowned statistician related to the many theories and models:

• “All models are wrong – but some are useful.”
• George E.P. Box; Professor Emeritus, University of Wisconsin

As I hope to demonstrate in this chapter, all of the traditional forms of leadership are not especially useful and applicable in today’s turbulent and fast-paced world, especially in the area of technology leadership in our schools. Progressing through this brief historical context, I suggest we have a very current model before us (Martin, 2007) that is a conceptual and viable model that can help us frame entrepreneurial leadership for technology.