By Alistair Goold
Think back to a time in your career when you have had a good ‘bad’ example of what leadership should be. Rather than being an inspiration, perhaps that person serves as an ongoing warning of what you do not wish to become. It is often easier to think of such bad examples, but how many of us have had excellent examples of leaders to be inspired by in our careers? What would the ideal leader look like in a school context? How might we become that example for others where we can lead effectively, courageously, relationally, and in alignment with our values? We can gain many insights from the restorative justice field as we consider such questions.
Respect, listen, value
A restorative leader is built upon the foundation that every individual deserves to be respected. This is, in essence, the embodiment of restorative values. Their primary commitment is to respect by building relationships, sustaining communities and modelling restorative values for others to learn from. In contrast to the traditional ‘manager’, the restorative leader does not view others as subordinates. Each individual is recognised as having inherent value and is respected for what they can bring. This sense of equality brings a commitment to listening to all voices and valuing the multiplicity of perspectives. Restorative leadership is a commitment to a relationship at the expense of ‘being right’.
Fostering morale
As school leaders, we need to shift away from the view that staff are only concerned with what’s best for themselves, an assumption which often results in poor decision-making processes. Many are willing to go the extra mile for no extra payment but in return need their intrinsic motivation levels to be high. Motivation is often sapped when Fair Process is ignored. Employees can be pushed too far to the point that they demand ‘retributive justice’. If all trust and morale is eroded, then staff want to punish the management and wreak havoc on their decision-making, the epitome of a toxic work environment. However, when Fair Process is followed, when people feel involved and that their opinions matter, they start to care. The phrase ‘procedural justice’ is very helpful to ascribe words to this concept. It is through invitation – as opposed to coercion – that one can lead restoratively.
There are three principles to Fair Process;
- Engagement,
- Explanation,
- Expectation clarity.
Engagement means seeking ways to involve individuals in decisions that affect them. By listening to their views and considering their perspectives, we respect their voice. When important decisions are made, by explaining the reasons that underlie such decisions, we help people to understand and accept. When it comes to expectation clarity, we aim to ensure that not only are decisions understood, but everyone clearly understands what is expected of them in the future. The implication of these three tenets is that everyone is treated respectfully.
Courage in accountability
Nonetheless, as per the tenets of Fair Process, restorative leadership is not a full democracy. A restorative leader does not relinquish responsibility, nor do they lead by group consensus aiming to please everyone. A restorative leader consistently offers high levels of support whilst also maintaining high levels of accountability within their team. This means a willingness to have courageous conversations with team members in a spirit of honesty, growth and accountability. Inherent to the restorative construct of ‘leader’ is the idea of growth mindset, which stems from Daniel Goleman’s five components of emotional intelligence. Although we can be cognisant of the need to be a ‘leader’ and not a ‘manager’, this in no way guarantees that in practice, that is what we will become – it is not enough to merely follow a process or a formula. Our fundamental core beliefs need to change in order to become a truly restorative leader.
The democratic pulse
It has been accepted from the work of the renowned social psychologist Kurt Lewin, often credited as the most widely cited study in the leadership field, that of the three leadership styles he identifies (authoritarian, democratic or laissez faire), the democratic approach yields the best results. This is very much consistent with the restorative concept of working ‘with’ others, as opposed to doing things ‘to’ them or ‘for’ them. Leadership at its essence, is a dynamic relationship between the leader and the followers. Effective leaders are those that can stimulate the team to go above and beyond. Effective leaders are those that provide others with opportunities to use their talents in a safe environment conducive to growth.
Individual and organisational growth
As leaders, whether middle managers or senior leaders, we must never lose sight of the importance of relationships. Cultivating genuine, authentic and real relationships with a team positions the leader to promote growth, enabling individuals to achieve their aspirations, whilst at the same time achieving the organisation’s mission. Effective leaders stimulate individuals to do more than what they would normally opt to do when left alone. Failing to empower a team, avoidance of hard questions, poor communication, failing to distribute tasks equitably and poor engagement are all hallmarks of poor leadership. Relationships are to be maintained and cultivated to ignite a team’s motivation to perform at their highest level. Blurring the boundaries between leader and follower creates trust and an environment for growth. From this lens, leadership is collaborative, dynamic, flexible and prone to easily fluctuate and shift. Such an approach allows for greater voice and ownership by the team, and by implication, greater levels of motivation as a result. Through being invited rather than coerced, the quality of input from the team becomes greater, more authentic and more impactful.
Competencies such as empathy, conflict resolution skills, emotional intelligence, communication skills, promoting and modelling accountability and building an inclusive community are all the hallmarks of how a restorative leader is to be defined. Concepts such as psychological safety, the capacity to foster a team climate characterised by deep levels of trust and mutual respect allowing individuals in the team to be fully themselves, are also critical to being an effective leader.
As Brene Brown eloquently states, “Integrity is choosing courage over comfort…it’s practising your values, not just professing them”.
Six ways to be a Restorative Leader
- Embrace a Restorative Mindset: Foster a mindset that values respect and equality. Recognise the inherent value in each team member, moving away from traditional managerial views to become a restorative leader.
- Implement Fair Process Principles: Prioritise Fair Process by actively engaging team members in decision-making (engagement), providing clear explanations for decisions (explanation), and ensuring everyone understands expectations for the future (expectation clarity).
- Prioritise Relationships over Hierarchies: Shift from viewing staff solely as self-interested individuals to recognising and cultivating genuine relationships. This promotes intrinsic motivation and prevents a toxic work environment.
- Cultivate a Growth Mindset: Embrace a growth mindset within your leadership approach. This involves consistently offering support and maintaining accountability through honest, growth-focused conversations with team members.
- Promote Psychological Safety: Create an environment characterised by trust and mutual respect, allowing team members to be themselves. This fosters psychological safety, encouraging authentic input from the team.
- Develop Leadership Competencies: Invest in key leadership competencies such as empathy, conflict resolution skills, emotional intelligence, effective communication, accountability modelling, and building an inclusive community.
Alistair Goold is a grade level leader and social science teacher at the International School of Kenya. He holds a Master of Science in restorative practices and is the founder of Restorative360. You can connect with Alistair directly on LinkedIn.
