The document emphasizes the importance of effective leadership in driving change within the early childhood field by identifying challenges and bringing together communities. It encourages individuals to reflect on key leadership characteristics and apply insights from learning resources to contemporary scenarios. Participants are prompted to select essential traits for leaders, share their insights, and articulate realizations about leadership based on their studies.

1. Envisioning Leadership
Identifying a challenge that evokes your passion, understanding
its historical and contemporary contexts, and bringing together
the community of people needed to respond to this challenge—
these are essential steps that make change possible. What kind
of person is needed to lead such efforts? What characteristics
make an effective leader?
Throughout your program of study, you have been encouraged
to think about leadership. You have met, via video and audio
podcasts, many inspiring and committed leaders in the early
childhood field. This week, the Learning Resources have
encouraged you to delve even deeper into the characteristics of
leaders.
For this Discussion, without hesitation, jot down at least 10
characteristics that come to mind when you think of a leader.
Put your list aside, and review this week's Learning Resources
on leadership.
Now, think about the early childhood field and the various
situations that call for leaders to interact and work effectively
with families, colleagues, organizations, government agencies,
etc. Consider the thinking and characteristics that stood out for
you from the readings you just reviewed. Then, identify four
characteristics you believe to be the most essential for leaders
in the early childhood field today.
By Wednesday, post
:
Your list of four leadership characteristics selected from this
week's Learning Resources that you think are essential for
leaders in the early childhood field today and why you think
each is vital.
Three mind-opening realizations about leadership that struck
you from the Learning Resources this week. (Be sure to tell the
reason[s] these caught your attention, and cite your sources.)