Presented at Education Leaders Forum 2010 by Dr Angus Hikairo Macfarlane, Professor of Maori Research, University of Canterbury

1. The cultural context of
leadership development
Keynote address
Angus H Macfarlane
Professor of Māori Research
University of Canterbury

2. Aims of this presentation
 Introduce four pillars of learning
 Pose four questions for leadership potential
 Critique several leadership theories
 Introduce an cultural leadership theory
 Examine the craft of cultural leadership
 Determine that leadership is context-bound
 Propose a blended (life-world and systems-
world) approach for educational leadership
 Offer some activities that explore the
opportunities for educultural leadership

3. Purposes of leadership
To project the ‘lifeworlds’ that exist and are required to
operate within organisations (Segiovanni, 2000)
To be capable of operating under a ‘systemsworld’ which
is often a set of complex, uncertain conditions (Segiovanni,
2000)
To lever knowledge within a team (Fullan, 2001)
To create a confident organisation that responds to
Māori needs at the right time, in the right way, and in the
right setting (Te Hikoitanga, GSE, 2008)
To enable Māori to…… live as Māori; to participate as
global citizens; and, to enjoy good health and a high
standard of living (Mason Durie, 2003)

4. UNESCO - 4 pillars (Atherley, 1998)
 Learning to know
 Learning to do
 Learning to be
 Learning to live together
 And an additional pillar ……..
 Learning to lead

5. Ngā pātai e whā
 Do they know you?
 Do they know what you do?
 Do you consider that you are empowered?
 Do you exist and work within a partnership?
And an additional pātai ….
 Do you have opportunities to lead with
influence?

6. Development in Leadership Theories
Leaders can have a major effect on
 Emotions
 Motives
 Preferences
 Aspirations
 Commitments
 Structure
 Performance
 Culture

7. Outstanding leadership theories
 Charismatic leadership theory
(House, 1977; Conger & Kanungo, 1987)
 Transformational leadership theory
(Burns, 1978; Bass, 1985)
 Visionary leadership theory
(Sashkin, 1988)
 Democratic-oriented leadership theory
(Macfarlane, 2004; Tannenbaum & Schmidt, 1977)
 Māori leadership theory
(Durie, 2007; Macfarlane, 2006; Mead, 2005; Reedy, 2008; Tau &
Anderson, 2008; Totoro, 2004)

8. Charismatic leadership theory
 Vital force or personal magnetism which,
radiating from a person, elicits in the beholder a
response of awe and respect (Marsden, 1975 p. 193)
 It is an intrinsic quality in human beings, a
personal essence which can be more highly
developed in some than others (ibid)
 Tate (1990) takes it a step further by declaring
that mana is not just charisma but a force that
brings about change. Mana can move people

9. Transformational leadership theory
 By definition seek to transform
 Have immense enthusiasm
 Tend to see the big picture
 A trap…passion and confidence can easily be
mistaken for truth and reality….just because
someone believes that they are right does not
necessarily believe that they are right.

10. Visionary leadership theory
 Good with words
 And, good with actions
 Has heartfelt commitment
 A visionary leader is effective in manifesting
his or her vision because s/he creates
specific, achievable goals, initiates action and
enlists the participation of others

11. Democratic-oriented leadership theory
(Macfarlane, 2008)
The Hikairo Rationale
 Huakina mai Opening doorways
 Ihi Being assertive
 Kotahitanga Establishing inclusion
 Āwhinatia Supporting treaty
 I runga i te manaaki Engendering care
 Rangatiratanga Enhancing meaning
 Orangatanga Achieving balance

12. The Hikairo Rationale (Macfarlane & Macfarlane, 2009)
A Leadership Schema
Rangatiratanga
Enhancing meaning
Huakina Mai
Opening doors
Kotahitanga
Establishing inclusion
Āwhinatia
Supporting Treaty
Orangatanga
The pulse
I Runga I te Manaaki
Engendering care
Ihi
Demonstrating
assertiveness

13. Māori leadership in metaphor
(Mead, Stevens, Third, Jackson & Pfeifer, 2006)
 A leader is a sheltering rata tree
 A leader is a tōtara tree standing tall in the forest
 A leader is a rock that is dashed by the waves of
the sea
 A leader is a waka
===========================
 A leader takes opportunities for growth

14. Opportunities for growth
(Joyce & Showers, 1988)
There are levels of activity, represented in the
following states of growth…
 The reticent consumer
 The passive consumer
 The gourmet omnivore
Conceptual systems theory describes persons in terms of
the structure of concepts they use to organise information
about the world. There is often a correlation between
conceptual development and the state of growth of the
individual. These individual differences are often in
response to the physical and social environment
(See Maslow, 1962; Rogers, 1961)

15. Characteristics of a Leader and a Non-Leader
Leader Non-leader
Appeals to the best in each person Gives orders to staff - expects them to be
carried out
Thinks of ways to make people more
successful
Thinks of personal rewards or how she or
he looks to others
Looks for ways to reinforce them Holds back on reinforcement
Schedules frequent, short meetings to
“touch base”
Meets infrequently with staff
Good listener Talker
Notices what’s going well and improving Only notices what’s going wrong
Available Hard to reach
Persistent Gives up
Gives credit to others Takes credit
Consistent and credible Unpredictable
Never divulges a confidence Cannot be trusted with confidences
Makes tough decisions Avoids difficult decisions
Treats teachers and students with respect Treats others as if they don’t matter
Source: Adapted from: Peters, T., & Austin, N. (1985). A Passion for Excellence. New York: Random House

16. Features of these culturally-effective sites
(Macfarlane, 2003; Pierce, 1996)
Compelling
Facet
Mokoia Wananga Secondary Class Primary Class SE USA Class
Skilled
Leadership
Respected culturally diverse knowledge, language and customs
Listened actively; made tough decisions with timing
Bonded early; The ‘powhiri’ metaphor
Manifested qualities of tika (fairness), pono (integrity), aroha (inclusion)
Home, school
and
community
links
Seen in the community - kanohi kitea
Reached out to the community - naku te rourou
Encouraged the community to reach in - nau te rourou
Viewed the notion of whanau as paramount - ka ora ai tatou
Roles
assumed by
teachers
Generalist - Considered seriously national mandates and responsibilities
Bridge - Shared, discerningly, own experiences; tapped into students’ also
Communicator – students knew they were valued - relevance and choice
Model - Modeled the desired behaviour
Style adopted
by teachers
Consistent - worked on getting high academic and behaviour standards
Participatory and engaging
Organised and planned
Assertive and warm

17. Successful leadership requires
“Craft, Know How”
(Blumberg, 1989; Jones, 1987; Kounin,1977; Macfarlane, 2004, 2007)
 Developing a “nose” for things
 Having a sense of what constitutes an acceptable
outcome…and an acceptable one
 Understanding the nature of “materials” you are
working with
 Knowing techniques and having skill to use them
 Knowing what to do when - pragmatically and
morally
 Having a sense of “process”, what Sergiovanni
(1991) refers to as the heart, the head and the hand

18. Leadership as a Moral Craft
(adapted from Sergiovanni,1991)
 Heart - feelings (beliefs, values, vision)
 Head - personal or philosophical theory
(thinking, making meaning)
 Hand - practices (skills, strategies, decisions)

19. As leaders we may affirm, support, or encourage
organisational leadership, but it is through our ‘lifeworld’ - as
kaiārahi - that determines that we are in charge of
ourselves. Through sharing our resources with the
‘systemsworld’ we can together create greater energy for
leading. Such an environment is neither ‘lifeworld’–centered
nor ‘systemsworld’–centered, but more blended-centered,
with kaiārahi serving the agreed–upon leadership role when
culture is at the fore. This approach is based on a rationale
where ‘lifeworld’ is the essence of hope. The ‘systemsworld’
is the means to achieve hope. Both are necessary for the
organisation to flourish.
The blended-centred approach
(adapted from Sergiovanni, 2001)

20. A guide to leadership - through the
ages: Mai i te ao tawhito ki te ao hōu
(see Macfarlane, 2006)
 Boldness and Tamatekapua
 Curiosity and Ihenga
 Balance and Hikairo
 Scholarship and Makereti
 Vision and Kepa Ehau
 Humility and Dr Hiko Hohepa

21. The management styles of effective leadership as
perceived by head-teachers, teachers and students
(adapted from Gersch, 1996; Macfarlane, 2004, 2007)
Frequency Management Style
Frequently Democratic Consultative Participative
Occasionally Charismatic Transformational
Seldom Autocratic
Never Laissez-faire
Always Culturally-responsive
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High Relational, Motivational
Low Negativity, Adversity
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Ko te tumu herenga waka

22. A leader is a waka
(see Mead et al., 2006)
Ensuring essential services are maintained
Ensuring that the status of the community is such that
the people can feel proud to belong
Ensuring that the whole whānau, hapū, or iwi is
functional and able to hold their own against or in
comparison with others
Ensuring that the symbols and icons of the group are
respected, maintained and enhanced

23. To critique and to challenge - The way
forward, with guile and grace
 Challenge the status-quo
 Critique the leadership we often take for granted
 Acknowledge epistemologies of local wisdom and
global considerations - positions of advantage
 Look for different angles; culturally inclusive
paradigms
 Look for how your children, our children, their children,
can grow up in the best possible way
 Adopt a blended approach

26. The Challenge…te wero
 The challenge facing all citizens, but especially
educational professionals, is to develop
culturally responsive leadership qualities...
Diversity is no longer a projection – it is a reality.
Locating diversity as central to institutional
effectiveness, excellence, and viability is
obligatory to the terms of reference
upon which we frame our futures …

27. UNESCO - 4 pillars (Atherley, 1998)
 Learning to know
 Learning to do
 Learning to be
 Learning to live together
And an additional pillar ……..
 Learning to lead

28. A model of cultural inclusion (Grace, 2002)
PAPATUANUKU
RANGINUI

29. Figure 1.1 In search of an educultural community
(Macfarlane, 2009)
An educultural community is one where culturally responsive practices transcend the school, the home and the wider community.
Within this culturally-connected community the following elements are valued:
• All students and teachers benefit in terms of desirable goals
• All parents and caregivers understand, support and contribute to these desirable goals
• Excellence in teaching and learning is pursued through appropriate academic and professional development
• The culture of the school and the community is one where democracy and diversity co-exist
What would an educultural environment
look like in our community?
What are the main challenges that we
face in making our community an
educultural one?
In light of the emerging information and
meanings, what are some values and
philosophies that we, as a community,
can adopt?
Based on the emerging values and
philosophies, what are three bold
steps we can propose to make our
community truly educultural.

30. Figure 1.2 In search of an educultural community
(Macfarlane, 2009)
An educultural community is one where culturally responsive practices transcend the organisation (service) the home and the wider
community. Within this culturally-connected community the following elements are valued:
•
•
•
•

31. Reflective Questions
 What are three key ideas you learned from this korero
 What did you learn from this korero that affirms your
current work?
 What attitudes of your own will you need to reconsider
so that you can progress more proficiently in your
work?
 What attitudes in your organisation may need to be
reconsidered on account of your reflections?