DefinePK

Abstract

The purpose of the quantitative study was to explore the dimensions of authentic leadership style and the seven habits of highly effective people practiced by the secondary school heads in Punjab. The objectives of the study were: (1) to analyze the dimensions of authentic leadership styles and the seven habits of highly effective people practiced by the secondary school heads in Punjab. The population of the study was all (42) Districts of the Province of Punjab, all (8087) Secondary Schools in the Province of Punjab, all (4178) Headmasters of Secondary Schools of the Province of Punjab, all (3909) Headmistresses of Secondary Schools of the Province of Punjab, and all (45424) Secondary School Teachers of Public Secondary School of Punjab. A multistage purposive stratified sampling technique was used to select the sample for the study. The population of the study consisted of many subgroups or strata, i.e., Rural and urban, male and female, so a stratified purposive sampling technique was used to select the sample.Data was collected using four Questionnaires, two of which were designed on a five-point Likert scale and two on a six-point Likert scale related to the seven habits of highly effective and authentic leadership style. Self-reported authentic leadership styles and views about secondary school teachers were analyzed by considering the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People as defined by Covey. The initial stage was “Level of Independence” where educational leaders were measured by using the first three habits: “Be Proactive”, “Begin with the end in mind”, and “Put first things first”. Those educational leaders who were successful at this Level were considered to measure “the level of interdependence” and usefulness at the Second Stage by means of the next three habits: “Think win/win”, “Seek first to understand then to be understood”, and “Synergize”. Those educational leaders who remained effective at the Second Level were considered to find out the level of Continuous improvement by using the habit “Sharpen the Saw”.
The major verdicts of the study were that the existing leadership style of the secondary school leaders in the Punjab Education Department was satisfactory, but not up to the global market. The final recommendations were made to provide clear guidelines for the selection of the leaders, and to establish a specific cell to inculcate and enhance the seven habits of highly effective people among the school leaders, therefore meeting the quality education and global market. The first dimension of AL self-awareness is integrated habits, such as sharpening the saw and being proactive.