TESOL International Association, based on a large body of research, has identified a set of universal principles to guide English language teaching. As you may already know, The 6 Principles provide a basis for effective language instruction that leads to successful language learning outcomes. You can explore them at www.the6principles.org, but here is just a short reminder:

1. Principle 1. Know ​Your Learners

2. Principle 2. Create ​Conditions for ​Language Learning

3. Principle 3. Design ​High-​Quality Lessons for Language ​Development

4. Principle 4. Adapt ​Lesson ​Delivery as ​Needed

5. Principle 5. Monitor and ​Assess ​Student ​Language ​Development

6. Principle 6. Engage and ​Collaborate within a ​Community of ​Practice

In this column, I have decided to experiment with these brilliant, simple, yet powerful principles for language teaching to talk about leadership and share what I have learned about it in my diverse formal and informal leadership roles inside and outside TESOL.

Principle 1. Know ​Those You Lead

I believe it is important to know those we lead: expectations, experiences, commitments, personal and professional skills, strengths, contexts, cultures, technology skills, and so forth all shape people’s performance. If we have basic information about these, we are more likely to lead more effectively and engage everyone. Very often, we go directly to business with a group of people we lead, but it has been my experience that taking time to talk to people, learn about them, and seek understanding of where they come from and what matters to them have paid off in getting the actual business done later—and better. I understand that the level of this understanding might be influenced by our cultural contexts and personalities, but like we all understand that knowing who we teach makes our teaching better, knowing who we lead makes our leading better.

Principle 2. Create ​Conditions for Outcomes

It is the leader’s responsibility to create a culture that will allow everyone to perform to their best and feel comfortable and respected. Leaders need to consider clear expectations, roles, and goals; effective communication and processes; autonomy; trust; responsibility; and partnership and collaboration. Of course, respect of the context and acknowledgment of local needs, values, and established practices come into play as well. Like in a classroom where we aspire to establish conditions to make learners feel comfortable, safe, and motivated to promote language learning, we should aspire to create a working environment that will positively impact the performance of those we lead. The actual culture of such an environment is not universal; though many topics may fall under basic human needs, the rest is, as already pointed out, based on the local culture.

Principle 3. Design High-Quality Activities

Planning should be guiding our leadership actions. We should plan for meaningful initiatives, activities, and tasks that move issues forward. This primarily involves having clear and shared goals and outcomes for the entity we lead and planning for strategies to address these. It also involves thinking about time and efficiency and figuring out how to get the best possible outcomes in the particular context and available time:

• Where are we now?

• Where do we want to go?

• What resources do we have?

• How can we get there?

• What do we need?

In teaching, our lessons are driven by learning objectives; in leadership, our activities are driven by short-term and long-term goals.

Principle 4. Adapt Your Style as Needed

I also believe that it is a must to be flexible in how we lead. We should continually assess our style and check whether any adaptation is needed to fill in any gaps of support and guidance. We should be observing and reflecting on people’s performance, engagement, opinions, and feelings. We should be asking questions to learn about any struggles people may have as we work with them toward a common goal.

For instance, I was using email as a primary communication channel with the faculty at my department and only held meetings occasionally. I thought that it was efficient, yet a member expressed their need for face-to-face meetings. It turned out that more people were in favor of them. I adapted my style and started having in-person meetings more regularly, which seemed to be appreciated by the faculty. Like in teaching, where we adjust our lessons as needed to better match our learners’ needs, we should adjust our leadership style as needed to better address our colleagues’ needs, to suit them and the situation.

Principle 5. Monitor and Assess the Outcomes

If we lead with clear outcomes framing our activities, monitoring and assessing progress is much easier. We can implement formal and informal tools to collect feedback on the processes as well as the outcomes. Just like in teaching, we can monitor and assess in order to get valuable information that can further inform our doings and support those we lead.

Principle 6. Engage and Collaborate Within a Community of Leaders

Interacting with other leaders and sharing experiences and expertise open new leadership possibilities. Furthermore, learning about leadership and developing leadership skills allow us to grow and strengthen our leadership through informed practices.

For example, in one point in my leadership “career,” I took DiSC—a self-assessment behavior tool to identify my preferred behavior style—which informed me of my behavioral strengths when leading and my areas in need of development. It was a great source of self-awareness that informs my actions. Just as in our professional teaching lives, we take part in activities that further our knowledge and skills, we should continue our learning as leaders.

In a TED Talk on leadership I recently watched, “Great Leadership Comes Down to Only Two Rules,” Peter Anderton says that great leadership can be reduced to two rules: It’s not about you. It’s only about you. The former means that it’s about the people. Great leaders develop confidence in those they lead and help them grow, become new leaders—the attention goes from the leader to those they lead. The latter means that everything in leadership starts with us—who we are, how we behave, what environment we create.

I think The 6 Principles align with these basic rules. Looking through a 6 Principles lens, we can work toward not only exemplary teaching, but exemplary leadership.

Gabriela Kleckova
TESOL President (2021–2022)

Gabriela Kleckova, PhD, is TESOL International Association president (2021–2022). She chairs the English Department at the Faculty of Education, University of West Bohemia, in the Czech Republic. She has taught a wide range of general English courses and ESOL professional courses for preservice and in-service teachers of various cultural and language backgrounds. Her professional interests include the effectiveness and utility of visual design of ELT materials, teacher education, innovation in education, and leadership. You can follow Gabriela’s year of leading the association on Instagram @tesol_president to engage in dialogue and to think about the profession.