**Abstract**

In this chapter, leadership is examined through a socially constructed process. Focus is directed at being able to engage alternative perspectives regarding leadership and a leader, and the significance of professional development in developing leaders' capabilities and characters. Through the lens of leading and leadership, an outline of understanding leadership as a construction is presented, by exploring the notion of leading as a dynamic contradictory and enigmatical construct within the leadership discourse generally and educational leadership in particular. While educational leadership has largely been topical over time, leading and leadership development within socially demanding contexts largely remains a path for deeper exploration. Moving through various levels to understand educational leadership better, the chapter channels attention on deconstruction of leadership through a socially constructed process, mainly focusing on leadership preparation and development for distinct contexts. There is a need to rethink the social dimension of leadership preparation and development to deepen the construction for the social process of leading effectively in education settings.

**Keywords:** leadership, deconstruction, development, preparation, social deconstruction

### **1. Introduction**

In outlining what leadership really means, this chapter begins by looking at the concept differently. There is a need to understand the relationship between what leadership is and what it means. It is debatable whether leadership is for everyone, perhaps because people generally look for particular traits that entice them to follow their leaders [1]. This assumes that people always have a choice or say, in whoever ascends to the leadership position. Nevertheless, it is not always the case. What if they do not get to pick, but rather have to work under the leadership of a person who has been appointed into that position, particularly in a working environment? Either way, comprehending social process facilitating opinions influencing leadership provenance is essential, because leadership is a social occurrence [2, 3].

Jenkings [4] argues that people are not naturally inclined to be ruled and or led, because leadership is a construct designed to serve specific purpose/s such as maintaining inequalities. This possibly maintains a particular social order. The implication is that if people are not prone to be reigned as expected, and yet there is a need to have social order, those charged with a role to lead have need to exude a capacity to

influence conduct in achieving a specific purpose. In an educational context such as a school, the expectation is to have a well-run institution that inspires agreeable values instilled by a leader to achieve anticipated outcomes. For that reason, school leaders are charged with a responsibility to influence such desirable conduct. This assumes that these leaders have abilities or traits that enable achievement of these expectations [5], particularly in a socially demanding context. Which begs the questions; to what extent does the leadership role serve as a gatekeeping function? Why do leaders exist? What happens in a situation where there is no one assuming the leadership role?

We need to discern the purpose of leadership and leaders. In most instances, the two concepts are used interchangeably, yet there is a difference. First, the difference is outlined. Webb [2] makes a distinction that doing leadership activities does not translate into being a leader and thus offer an example that leadership is an ability to cast a vision whereas a leader is visionary. The purpose of leadership is to be a vanguard or hold a position and perform responsibilities [6]. To be a leader is to have transcendent authority [2]. Leaders are able to cultivate a culture that makes it possible for others to rally in unison around a particular common purpose because they employ influence [7]. What happens with a leader who is unable to inspire others? How can they be capacitated to lead through influence towards achieving desired outcomes, particularly in an extreme school setting?

Leadership exists because there is generally a belief that the buck needs to stop with someone. Schaeffer in [8] justify this by stating that "leadership is more than heavy handed at the top". Allio in [7] is of the view that leadership is "elusive" because of the commanding forces that cannot be detected but keep acting on its process. Other authors view leadership as a conglomerate of leading personalities teaming up to lead and having a leader who directs this team [5, 7, 9–11]. In contrast, leaders have deep-rooted drive to achieve their purpose in a way that arouses others to follow them. They are efficient, whereas those in leadership are effective [2]. Therefore the assumption is that because this is the case, leaders can be able to hold others accountable and push them to achieve specified goals. Hence the push by leadership education conglomerates to design a curriculum or plan that enables attainment of the state of efficacy so that leaders can emerge to drive strategic objectives in a most cost effective way to maximise profit or achieve the highest possible outcomes to proof competence or success, particularly related to political gains or academic capitalism. Sometimes at the cost of social contract between leaders and those working under them. Therefore, leadership in this context is a construction building towards show of efficient leader's practice [12]. This then backs the question, what do leaders need to do to achieve leadership objectives whilst engaging social process in educational spaces.

This question borders on the understanding that success in leadership requires intense continuous development of leaders and their identities, particularly in a schooling context.

#### **2. Leading and leadership in education**

Sources about leading and leadership in education repeatedly point to the significance of leading successfully and detail ideal types of leadership for various reasons, stemming from habits and social phenomenon [13], socialisation and leader identity [14], leadership in extreme contexts [10] and values driven leadership for improvement of performance [15–17]. In order for us to probe the context of this purported success, we need to identify the constructs associated with this achievement. First, the conception of an individual/s holding the position has to be understood.

*Deconstructing Leadership: Engaging Leading through a Socially Constructed Process DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.90630*

Coming to grips with the individual when leading and holding the lead position in an education space is important. Conceptualising the traits that drive action by the person of the leader marks their personal identity. A leaders' persona marks his/ her individual identity. Authors in [18] propose a deindividuation phenomenon to deepen understanding on the identity of a person (leaders in this context) and suggest that there are two possible states of being; primarily is an individuated leader in this context, acting in a coherent and judicious way; and then again there is a leader acting without limitations or thought because his/her individuality is submerged. The individuation process of a leader therefore signifies their purpose and role in leading the condition under which this role occurs within a social context [19]. Therefore the social context and factors could possibly be significant to determine the individuality operation of a leader. This is based on both empirical results and theoretical groundworks [5, 12]. The ostensible constructs include; the notion of influence and rational persuasion, the attributes of decisiveness and action, ability to collaborate, and appeal of the general behaviour due to charisma and transformative abilities [20]. The notion of leading as a dynamic contradictory and enigmatical construct is hereunder constructed through; the notion of influence and rational persuasion, the attributes of decisiveness and action, ability to collaborate grow appreciation and appeal of the general behaviour due to charisma and transformative abilities.

#### **2.1 The notion of influence and rational persuasion**

A Leader is a person deemed to have the ability to influence juniors or followers [5]. Influence in its nature has elements of social interrelation. This could disputably be because influence is a positive or negative shared social phenomenon affecting conduct. Influence is said to be a social phenomenon refers to people's understandings regarding others' values, beliefs and mannerism's inspiration on their behaviour and decisions [21]. Once people are inspired, they become persuaded and are inclined to follow what inspires them wilfully.

Leaders need to have the capacity to influence and inspire others so that they are persuaded to listen and comply with requirements they set out. Once people are persuaded, they may attach value and believe in what the leader require and or expect from them, which in turn, may inspire compliance, particularly in achieving desired results. Compliance refers to a response and urges influencing action or conduct in a desirable manner [22]. Usually this happens to foster wilful conformity. Leaders who manage to attain intentional compliance generally exude capacity to influence through rational persuasion and are arguably decisive in taking action to achieve this.

#### **2.2 The attributes of decisiveness and action**

A leader is generally considered an individual who can shape the social and or cultural context under which s/he operates. There is nothing like the best set of attributes or style of an ideal leader for all conditions [23]. However, decisiveness is conceivably an essential ingredient in whatever attributes a leader exude. Equally, a leader's role is feasibly action oriented. Even though leaders are responsible to get things done and achieve requisite outputs, their influence cannot be cohesive if their focus is only intended at accomplishing objectives, rather than being aware of socially constructed practices that they can conceivably employ to produce positive action [24]. A school leader for instance, needs to be aware of the proverbial social issues—ranging from hardcore negative attitudes to subtle tendencies of racism and ethnicity—threatening progress in their institution, and come up with realistic

strategies to eradicate these matters. Conceivably, such decisiveness and action are desirable qualities for assuming purposefulness in the role of leading. In such instances, continuous support and development of leaders is required to sharpen their skills, enhance their ability to lead and recognise the socio-cultural factors of influence that can improve and advance their role to lead by taking necessary action [25].

Putting plans to action require taking critical decision making and preparations. There has to be consultations, collaborations formed and agreements for the successful execution of plans, particularly in schools that require performance improvement [26]. It is important to consider the proximity of relations between leaders and those working under them in considering successful actualization of plans. The psycho-social distance can influence the sort of actions leaders in organisations take and its members [10]. It is important to understand the deeper drive constituting the conceptualization of traits needed by a leader in influencing practices through collaboration and informed actions.

#### **2.3 Ability to collaborate and grow appreciation**

The education sector in general and schooling system in particular within South Africa, needs leaders who are able to find a way to weave together a substantial effort, determination and rally people to achieve desired outcomes. A school leader needs to have the ability to entwine collaborative ideas and encourage participation by all stakeholders in the school if they desire to enjoy support and create a conducive social participation [27]. Sharing and allocating responsibilities among teachers and other parties involved in the running of the school is important to achieve collegiality and should include encouraging collective reflection and decision making [28].

For collective decision making and creativity to take place, there should be a concerted effort to improve the morale and tackle social snags when they crop up without bias [27]. This necessitates continuous development of leaders to enable them to come up with initiatives that will feed into collaborative activities. During this process, leaders need to appreciate efforts through the show of gratitude. Building shared creativities and amassing the necessary support demands conscious continuous development of leaders [29]. Leaders need constant support and development to keep up with the changing demands of their positions and enhance their transformative prowess particularly in schools. In turn, they can cope with what confronts them as they lead, mainly when confronted with issues that relates to collaboration, social cohesion and taking action.

### **2.4 Appeal of the general behaviour due to charisma and transformative abilities**

The ability to build-up collective effort can practicably, directly lend itself to having a capacity to change perceptions and encourage will to transform. School leaders need to have the capacity to maintain social relations and cultural considerations in bringing together all parties with an intent to shape conduct and transform practices to achieve institutional goals [30]. The argument furnished [31] is that even though leaders are believed to have influence, little is said about the manner and extent to which such influence have to shape actions. This could have an element of bias because there is no clear framework guiding such actions. For that reason, putting emphasis on the notion of influence and appeal may inadvertently cause tendencies that resist transformation [8].

*Deconstructing Leadership: Engaging Leading through a Socially Constructed Process DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.90630*

The measure of succeeding in providing inspiration necessitates charting programmes of development for leaders, specifically focusing on honing abilities that enable leaders to adjust and embrace changing terrains, often caused by unintended occurrences. The argument furnished is that leaders in schools do not necessarily have capacity to inspire transformative practices in the absence of clearly articulated standards for school leaders' qualification [32]. Backing the assertion that leaders' mission is to advance a particular purpose, often related to achieving interests of other powers elsewhere as discussed in the introduction. Hence the push for prescriptive qualifications to entrench that which seeks to evoke an appeal of a conduct inspiring charisma and transformative abilities [32]. This includes the shift from knowing what to do, to doing what needs to be done, regardless of the context.
