CEOs or founding partners might come to mind when you think of leaders in the business world. But teachers represent another type of leader with unique skills that position them for success in education or business.
Teachers who have honed their leadership abilities are excellent mentors and gifted innovators - all roles required in successful business settings, as well. In fact, teacher leadership and entrepreneurial success align in several key areas, making teacher leaders a driving force for business growth.
Stay with us to explore how the skills cultivated in teacher leadership can fuel business success and why companies should adopt teacher-like approaches to what they do.
Inspiring Others Through Mentorship
As mentors, teachers guide, inspire, and challenge their students to reach new heights. Similarly, in the business world, leaders are tasked with nurturing teams, cultivating talents, and fostering a culture of learning. A company’s longevity often hinges on a leader’s ability to mentor well, and business leaders would be wise to take notes from seasoned teachers.
Teacher leaders are skilled at active listening and empathy. Their communication savvy helps them know how to frame constructive feedback. And they can pinpoint potential that others may not see.
Then a teacher can deploy their organizational skills to create development plans tailored to individuals’ goals. In business, these abilities translate into stronger, more engaged teams. Business leaders must engage their employees, ensuring they are supported, challenged, and motivated.
Creating United Teams
In a classroom, a teacher must unite students from diverse backgrounds and varying skill sets. This requires intuitive communication and the ability to assess individual needs.
Ultimately, teachers need to build team dynamics that work in a shared space. In business, these are precisely the skills required to develop effective, high-performing teams.
Teacher leaders excel at placing individuals in roles where they can excel. For instance, assigning a student a role as group leader can help that student gain confidence. Teachers also know how to foster environments where collaboration is central. Business leaders must follow suit - and they may benefit from coaching to make it happen.
After all, building a strong team is one of the most critical components of business growth. Business leaders who elevate positive team dynamics as a core strategy, as teacher leaders do, are more likely to succeed in establishing a productive workforce.
Nurturing Creative Thinking
Teachers are no strangers to thinking outside the box, and they often are called upon to find creative solutions to everyday challenges. This may include adapting lesson plans to fit new technology or designing new strategies to engage students. Pivoting and improvising are part of the process for teachers.
Business leaders need innovative strategies, too, to stay ahead of the competition and push their companies forward. Teacher leaders understand the importance of creating a safe environment where risk-taking is supported. Business leaders have to cultivate the same type of culture - one where voicing opinions in meetings or tossing out an idea are acceptable actions.
Further, teacher leaders are well-versed in taking complex problems and breaking them into smaller steps that are easier to digest. They know how to build benchmarks into the process and find actionable solutions - a key trait for entrepreneurial success.
Transitioning from the Classroom to Business
It’s easy to see how teacher leadership skills translate seamlessly into the business world. The same skills that help teachers promote student success - mentorship, team development, and nurturing innovation - are also critical components of business growth.
For teachers interested in leveraging their skills in the business arena or entrepreneurs wanting to learn a teacher-like leadership approach, the Ed.S. in Teacher Leadership can be a potent tool. This advanced degree can help educators excel in leadership roles in both educational and industry settings.
Pursuing Ed.S. in Teacher Leadership lets educators follow a framework to apply their classroom leadership in new workspaces. And this adaptability can make them strong contenders for leadership roles if they’re seeking a change of pace.
Harnessing the Power of Teachers
Teacher leadership centers on molding students into strong, empathetic, and innovative leaders. This approach to engaging with others is just as valuable in the business world, where team-building and creativity drive growth.
Businesses must borrow strategies from teacher leadership to stay ahead of the competition and create a desirable company culture. And for teacher leaders, with their unique perspectives and talents, the time may be ripe to step into a new role.
Teachers have the capacity to fuel entrepreneurial success, making the transition from classroom to boardroom a possible step for many educators.
