Art Of Teaching

‘MANY PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY, IGNORANT PEOPLE, WANT TO PUNISH YOU FOR SPEAKING THE TRUTH, FOR BEING CORRECT, FOR BEING YOU. NEVER APOLOGIZE FOR BEING CORRECT, OR FOR BEING YEARS AHEAD OF YOUR TIME. IF YOU ARE RIGHT AND YOU KNOW IT SPEAK YOUR MIND. EVEN IF YOU ARE A MINORITY OF ONE, THE TRUTH IS STILL THE TRUTH’ – GANDHI

The School Management is formed to formulate basic ideas for the overall growth of the school in the society. It is also an advisory body to the Principal who is the key contact between the Management and Staff.

Schools works as per M.E.P.S Rules and it is clearly mentioned that no committee member is allowed to enter the school premises or take any direct decisions overruling the authority of the Principal. Also, all fees and money matters related to school should be spent as per guidelines and the Head is directly responsible if any misdoing happens and will need to face the consequences. A Head has to be very particular about two things 1] Leaving certificates 2] Student’s money for which he/she is the custodian.

But when people in private schools acquire the highest seat in the Management, THEY TEND TO FORGET THAT ‘HUMILITY IS THE GREATEST QUALITY THAT A SUPERIOR CAN HAVE AND WHAT IS UNDOUTEDLY THE WORST IS ARROGANCE’.

Tyrannical management, also known as controlling management, is a management style branded by specific INDIVIDUAL control over all assertions and miniscule contribution from group associates. Here the associates are also to be blamed as they tend to nod their heads in affirmation to be in the good books of the tyrannical leader in spite of knowing that he/she is wrong. There is also a minor few who voice their opinions but not strongly enough for the others and get pressed down by the majority group.

Dictatorial leaders typically make implementations which is constructed on their concepts and decisions and hardly ever take directions from the groups which made him/her the leader. Repressive leadership is a type of leadership that is individual-centric. Despotic bossy leaders execute total control over the team in the name of discipline but they rarely accept that discipline comes when you are democratic enough to hear the views of all team members, and ultimately through discussion, convince them of your point of view.

What are the disadvantages of working under an autocratic management??

One of the most important disadvantages is low employee morale and statistics have shown that 78 percent of deserving and efficient employees quit their jobs because they feel depressed due to dictates and total lack of recognition. So, the management is left with mediocre employees who just stay for salary and need not take any initiative in the progress of the school. They are happy with the micromanagement of the boss and the general tendency is that if we keep him /her pleased, we shall be happy too. We forget that we are creating staff who will lack professional ownership, have a sense of dependence and always a lack of trust.

It will further lead to resentment among the school head and other members of the committee who would obviously prefer not to be a dummy head or just an associate member with no say.They should have some authority and decision-making powers.  

Also, it will result in lack of innovative ideas and out of the box thinking for the fear of rebuke by the management. This will ultimately lead to a working environment where the head is depressed and the work force unhappy.

Staff working under this type of management will always have low confidence level and very slow decision-making skills because an autocratic management will make decisions without consulting the main stake holders, the head and the staff.

A good management is one who knows when to make use of certain specific skills in specific situations as the situation demands. You need to be coercive, commanding, affiliative, democratic, pace setter and a coach as well as a group leader.

 The leader needs to believe that if there are genuine problems there will definitely be a solution. Only as a leader you need to look in the right direction with compassion.

We need to have confidence in our internal capability to change people and circumstances around us positively.

Now let me end with giving you example of autocratic leader. I assume you must have witnessed the TV show “The Apprentice”. It is a great example of autocratic style of leadership, especially, Donald Trump and Alan Sugar.

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT IT IS ONLY THE POWER-HUNGRY PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE THAT THEY KNOW BETTER THAN EVERYBODY ELSE AND NEED NOT BOTHER TO INVOLVE OTHERS IN DECISION MAKING OR FOLLOW RULES.

From a psychological point of view, it is often seen that being autocratic or dictatorial by nature is a weakness and not strength. Also, autocrats are formed when they grow up in an atmosphere where the parents are autocratic by nature and raise off springs who become autocrats themselves.

I conclude by saying that these are my experiences in my service period and may differ for others. But I would like to sum up my experiences with the following:

1. Autocratic bosses have a large impact on subordinate’s work stress and the subordinate becomes a health wreck.
2. It is seen that subordinates who lack confidence in themselves will be attracted to such autocratic bosses. People like me will leave with their head held high.
3. The heads under autocratic bosses suffer maximum work stress and lose their individuality in the long run as they face total lack of job satisfaction.
4. The work output will be affected and in today’s modern world this will lead to have a negative effect on staff discipline and the standard of the institute.

 SO, MESSAGE TO ALL AUTOCRATIC BOSSES:

“For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again ……, (Proverbs 24:16a)