My respected colleagues and friends Assalaamu Alaikum In Surah Al-Ahzaab of the Qur aan, Allah Subhanahu Wataala says: There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent example for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often. [33:21] I have been tasked with the onerous responsibility of talking this morning about outstanding leadership in our schools. In doing so, there is no better example than that of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, the best of leaders in history and someone who demonstrated all of the qualities and characteristics of outstanding leadership. 1
In the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, we find someone who, nearly 1400 years after his passing, still provides a living testimony of the traits of outstanding leadership. Let us briefly consider the implications of the biography of the noble Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam before we discuss leadership in more detail. As a young tradesman, he was known as Al-Ameen or the trustworthy. In his arbitration with the tribes of Makkah and the Black Stone of Ka aba, we learn of his diplomacy and creativity. In his inspiring response during the hardships of the early years of Islam, we learn of his strength of purpose, his perseverance and his immense sacrifice. Following the emigration to Madinah, we learn of his organisational abilities and operational planning. In the different battles to defend the faith, his heroism, strategic ability and inspiring 2
leadership are evident. In considering the treaty of Hudaibiyah, we learn of his ability to compromise with enemies and his pragmatism. In the bloodless liberation of Makkah, we learn of his compassion, his ability to bring about reconciliation and to inspire forgiveness. In the final sermon, we see the Prophet Muhammad s focus on the sustainability of his Ummah and his belief that authority should be coupled with justice and compassion. However, the greatest example of leadership from the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam is not just in his response to the great events of his time, but through the manner in which he conducted all of his affairs as a leader of the Ummah for 23 years following prophethood and the timeless legacy that he left through his Sunnah, his followers and his Ummah. 3
Now, what lessons can we learn from the example of the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam about leadership of our Muslim schools? What are the traits of leaders that we should look for when choosing leaders for our schools? Before we look at these important aspects, let us consider why leadership is so important in our Muslim Schools. There are many strengths to the leadership that we provide our schools. This leadership is provided by our Governors and trustees, by our headteachers and senior management, by our teachers in the classroom and by our young people. All of these stakeholders provide leadership for our Muslim schools. As governors, trustees, senior management, teachers and classroom practitioners, your commitment is unquestionable and absolute, your endeavours are sincere and selfless, the ownership and responsibility that you feel 4
for our schools is as exemplary as it is solemnly discharged as an Amaanah. The time that you give to the organisation is lengthy and the burdens that you carry as leaders are great. However, as leaders, we know that this is not enough. Our schools have struggled for many years with financial constraints, with limited resources and with the burden of ensuring short-term viability and sustainability. We have been reactive rather than proactive to opportunities and challenges that have presented themselves, preferring to wait and see how others decide to go before considering a response ourselves. Or, like ostriches in the sand or rabbits in the headlights, we have waited until it is nearly too late before taking the necessary measures. 5
We have been overly operational and focused on day-to-day survival and management rather than strategic planning and long-term development. This has meant that we have not focused on developing our staff for fear that they might leave, nor tackled issues of poor learning and teaching with the false argument that a teacher s sacrifice and commitment can make up for their incompetence or inability to inspire young people in the classroom. As leaders, we have preferred to immerse ourselves in administrative burdens such as admission registers, exam entries and timetabling rather than focus on truly developing our school and young people for the long-term; their spiritual development and academic achievement. Historically, we have preferred to comfort ourselves with the argument of What can we do? instead of having a can-do mentality. We have used our financial constraints, our inability to recruit and retain the best staff and our limited 6
resources as excuses to explain our failings, not recognising that each young person in our care has just one chance at getting the outstanding education they need to make a success of their life. Critically, as school leaders, we have failed to have a vision for our schools and for our young people one which articulately describes where we want our learners to go, what we want them to achieve and, most importantly of all, who we want them to be. The lack of this vision means that for, so many years, our schools have been directionless, our purpose has lacked clarity and our mission has lacked focus. Consider these questions for your school: - Firstly, do I know what we are trying to achieve in our school? What problem are we solving? Why do we even exist? 7
- Secondly, does every student, staff and parent in my school know what we are trying to achieve in our school? How do they know? - Finally, do all of my students, staff and parents agree with where we are going and the sacrifices we need to make to get there? When we don t have a clear vision that all of our staff and students subscribe to, then we fail to inspire our staff and students to see beyond the hurdles and difficulties, to dream of what might be possible and to strive to achieve the best they can. These failings of our schools are not those borne out of a lack of resources or limitations of finance; nor are these inadequacies ones which are due to any insincerity or lack of commitment and sacrifice from our leaders, our staff and our students. 8
They are ones which are explained by a failure of leadership, in an ability or unwillingness to tackle the elephant in the room, in our lack of creativity and imagination as leaders and in our lack of clarity of purpose. We may be working harder than ever before, and our sacrifice is our greatest strength and contribution, but as leaders we must ask ourselves if we are truly following the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. Surely, the time has come to break away from the shackles of the constraints in which we find ourselves, to inspire ourselves to be better leaders and to lead our organisations towards a better future for all of our young people. Surely, this is the time to demonstrate the qualities of outstanding leadership craved by our organisation and our young people. 9
So, what kind of leaders should we be? As leaders, we need to have a covenant with our staff and as teachers we must have a covenant with our learners. This covenant or trust is one in which we share the same values and we endeavour to live up to a set of characters and rules each and every day of our lives. So, what are these principles and rules that characterise outstanding leaders? Firstly, outstanding leaders have a clear moral authority to lead. We cannot simply be leaders through our title, our office or a performance management system. As leaders, we cannot simply expect what we say to be accepted by all and what we instruct to be done without question or doubt. We cannot lead, if others do not wish to follow. If we project power without the moral authority to do so, we cannot 10
expect success and we should not expect our vision for our schools to be realised. When Hadhrat Abu Bakr Siddque radiallahu Anhu became the first Caliph of Islam after the passing of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, he turned to the Ummah and said: I have been appointed as leader of you although I am not the best amongst you. If I do right, you must help and obey me; if I go astray, set me right... Obey me so long as I obey Allah and His Messenger. If I disobey them, then you have no obligation to follow me. Outstanding leaders recognise that they do not have authority over others because they have the best of characters or are the best at what they do. They recognise that their authority comes from doing the right thing and as 11
Hadhrat Abu Bakr Siddque Radiallahu Anhu commanded, our staff and young people have no obligation to accept our authority if we stray from the right path. So, outstanding leaders have a moral authority to lead that is recognised by all staff and learners. This moral authority to lead is nurtured and nourished through the example that we set as leaders and teachers, by walking the walk instead of just talking and by making decisions consistent with Qur aan and Sunnah. This requires all of us to have a clear moral compass, informed by our faith, of which we are consistent followers. It requires us to have integrity, honesty and accountability in our dealings with all of our staff, young people and wider stakeholders each and every day. Secondly, outstanding leaders recognise their faults, are prepared to accept them in front of their subjects and endeavour to change. They have an excellent self- 12
awareness, not allowing the trappings of power to delude themselves to believe that they are in any way perfect. When Hadrat Umar Radiallahu Anhu was appointed the second Caliph of Islam, it was said that many of his subjects feared how he would use his authority. Umar Radiallahu Anhu was known to be austere and demanding as a person. In one of his earliest speeches as Caliph, Umar won his people s hearts through a brilliant oration in which he said: Brethren, it has come to my notice that the people are afraid of me...they say that Umar has become the Caliph now, God knows how hard he will be. Whoever has said this is not wrong in his assessment... know that you will feel a change in me. For those who practice tyranny and deprive others of their rights, I will be harsh and stern, but for those who follow the law, I will be most soft and tender. 13
Outstanding leaders, like Umar bin Khattab Radiallahu Anhu, recognise that if they wish to inspire others to change, we must be prepared to change ourselves. Indeed, in Umar s case, he was the most just and compassionate of leaders, delivering social justice for the poor and oppressed whilst presiding over a period of massive military and diplomatic success. In recognising and demonstrating our faults and fallibility to those over whom we have authority, we show a sense of humanity and relevance to staff and students who can then relate to us. When things go wrong in the organisation, outstanding leaders assume personal responsibility and look for corrective action from within themselves before seeking remedial measures from others. An outstanding leader asks his staff to regularly appraise his effectiveness, takes time to continue his leadership learning and apologises when they make mistakes on behalf of the organisation. 14
So, the second characteristic of outstanding leaders is that they recognise their faults and shortcomings and work to improve themselves just as they endeavour to progress other people and their organisation. Thirdly, outstanding leaders invite dissent and are prepared to listen to the views of others. They distribute leadership of responsibilities and create ownership of a problem rather than hand out a list of tasks for their subjects to complete. As Headteachers and Trustees, we should be prepared to listen to the complaints of our staff and show that we are responsive to them. As teachers, we should invite reasoned dissent from our young people, develop them to complain in a measured and constructive manner, and then show our willingness to respond to this. 15
We should also be ready to devolve responsibility for the running of areas of our school to our staff and to our students in the classroom. Develop them as leaders, share the problem with them and trust them to make the right decisions to improve outcomes in our schools. The days of the absolute Headteacher, who decides and does everything, are surely gone. Such an approach, often for laudable reasons, harms our schools and undermines their long-term sustainability. In the example of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam and the Caliphs that ruled after him, we find numerous examples of listening, and being responsive, to the views and complaints of ordinary people over whom they had authority. We find countless examples of distributed leadership and a willingness to recognise that there are often several good 16
answers to a problem and that no one person has a monopoly on good ideas. So, it s important to create structures and systems in our schools that allow our learners, staff, parents and the wider community to bring views and complaints to us as teachers and Headteachers, particularly when we are making plans and developing targets, but also when they feel something is not quite right. Though dissent and distributed leadership must always be carefully managed and appropriately channelled, it is important that it is nourished so that we do not make unnecessary mistakes or alienate ourselves from those over whom we have authority. Fourthly, outstanding leaders have a clear purpose and vision for their organisation. As leaders, we must know 17
where we are leading towards and we must be able to articulate that direction and destination to all of our staff and to our young people. When Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam spoke to his Ummah upon arrival in Madinah, one of the first things he did was to draft a constitution to communicate a clear vision for what he hoped his Ummah would achieve. When he liberated Makkah, he had a vision for how people would coexist after years of enmity and distrust. And, in his final Sermon from the plains of Arafaat, the noble Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam had a vision for how his Ummah should continue after his passing. So, as leaders, we need to have a clear vision and strategic plan for what we wish for our schools to achieve. Such a vision and strategic plan needs to be grounded in clear moral values based on the principles of Quraan and 18
Sunnah. And such a vision needs to be articulated to our staff and to our young people. They need to understand from us that today is better than yesterday and that tomorrow will be better than today. A strong vision drives an organisation forward and maintains the unity of all of our people. So, the school s vision should not be dictated to staff and students, but rather it should be developed with them. As Headteachers and trustees, we need to involve our staff and young people and ask them: - What do we believe in as values on which we base our school? - What are the priorities for our school in the next year? The next three years? The next ten years? - How will we get there? What do we need to do to achieve this vision? 19
Some argue that students and teachers may not understand such questions and would set crazy targets that are unrealistic or irrelevant. Some say that students and teachers are not interested in the direction of the school, that it does not matter to them and that these things are best left to the trustees or senior managers. Such an attitude is both inaccurate and harmful. The wealth of talent and ideas in our organisations is what sustains them and we need to tap into them to renew our purpose and clarify our vision on a regular basis. In the entire daily grind of our schools, with all of our limitations and constraints, the need to have a coherent, consistent and optimistic vision has never been greater. Without a vision, we lack a mission and without a mission, we lack a reason to exist. So, it s vital to have a clear 20
purpose and vision for our school and how we wish to improve it. Finally, outstanding leaders have a strategic approach to managing their organisation. They do not let their immersion in the daily administrative grind of running the school prevent them from seeing the bigger picture. They are proactive in identifying and responding to opportunities and risks, energetic in their pursuit of excellence and have a zero tolerance of failure, waste and incompetence. They encourage responsible risk-taking and innovation by staff and learners; and they not just promote, but exemplify, the self-reflective and self-improving character needed to continuously progress. They complete their SIEF Form, not because it is the year of inspection, but because involving all staff to complete a SIEF annually helps the organisation to move forward at all times. These are all of the traits of a 21
strategically managed organisation and the rewards of such a strategic approach are immense. Dear respected colleagues and friends, we have outlined five traits of outstanding leadership. Let us recap on these traits. Firstly, outstanding leaders have a clear authority to lead, nourished and nurtured regularly through the example we set, the moral compass that guides us and the integrity and honesty we demonstrate. Secondly, outstanding leaders have excellent self-awareness and recognise their own failings. They endeavour to improve themselves whilst seeking to enhance our organisation and those within it. And, when things go wrong, they look to themselves and what they could do better before seeking corrective action by others. Thirdly, outstanding leaders actively seek and are responsive to dissent. They distribute leadership and 22
create ownership throughout their organisation. Fourthly, outstanding leadership involves having a clear vision and direction for our schools. Outstanding leaders ensure that all stakeholders do not just understand the outcomes to which we all aspire in our schools but share them as the aspirations to which they should also subscribe and work towards each and every day. Finally, outstanding leadership is characterised by strategic management of our schools. Outstanding leaders endeavour to ensure that the daily grind of making our schools work and survive do not prevent us from exploiting the opportunities for, and minimising the risks to, long-term development and progress. They are proactive rather than responsive to opportunities and problems. They reward innovation and responsible risk-taking by teachers and young people, whilst having a zero tolerance of failure and incompetence in our schools. 23
My dear respected colleagues and friends, the challenge for us as teachers and school leaders is clear. We need to strive to improve ourselves to be the best leaders that we can be. In order to achieve excellence in our schools, we must first be outstanding as leaders. Each one of us is a leaders. As headteachers, we are leaders for our staff and our students. As teachers, we are leaders for our colleagues and our young people. Our young people are leaders for their peers and their younger ones. I would like to challenge each one of us as leaders to do one simple thing to help our learning journey as leaders. Keep a leadership diary...reflect on how effective you were as a leader each day...when things go right, write down what you did to help it go right and when things go wrong, write down how you could have behaved differently as a 24
leader. This act of Muhaasabah reflect the best of traditions of our Prophets and our forefathers who in leading the learning of others were the best of learners themselves. Brothers and sisters, Gandhi once said: Be the change you want to see. If we can ensure that our leadership is grounded in moral fortitude and the highest levels of integrity and selflessness if we can be listening and responsive to the views and needs of those over whom we have authority if we can continue to endeavour to improve ourselves and take personal responsibility for when things go wrong if we have the creativity and courage to let others take the lead when better suited than us if we have a clear idea of where we are going and ensure we take others with us on this noble journey and if we are quick on our feet and can see the wood for the trees we can become exemplary 25
leaders and achieve for our schools and young people what he have always wanted for them to leap further than we imagined run faster than we aspired reach higher than we dreamt to become the people the Almighty meant us to be. In this noble endeavour to strive to be outstanding leaders, we are following in the footsteps of the noble Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. There is no better example than his. And, the reward for those striving to be outstanding leaders is immense. Allah Subhanahu Wataala says in the Quraan: Those who faithfully observe their trusts and their promises...are the heirs of Paradise; they shall abide in it forever. [23:8] 26
I pray that the Allah Subhanahu Wataala inspires each and every one of us to be exemplary leaders who faithfully observe and discharge their responsibilities and become outstanding catalysts for change in our schools. In doing so, I pray that we attain the Almighty s enduring pleasure and that we become, as he has promised, eternal heirs of paradise. Jazaakumullah Khair. Assalaamu Alaikum 27
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