Why Hong Kong school principals need high EQ to cope with change
Change is stressful for teachers and pupils, who need a principal's wisdom and guidance to get through it
In recent years there has been increasing recognition of the role of emotion in learning and leadership. Students need a secure environment, in both physical and emotional terms, to learn well. As psychologist and author Daniel Goleman says, students who are angry, frightened or depressed do not learn.
In the same vein, to bring about change - especially deep change - in mindsets and behaviour, people need a sense of security that comes only from knowing where to go, how to get there and why they should go. Again, emotions matter as change means learning.
The massive education reform we are undergoing means tremendous changes ranging from the academic structure to the mostly recently instituted career and life planning for students. This has caused lots of emotional instability for school stakeholders, particularly teachers.
When coupled with school closure, or the threat of it, the instability can escalate into upheavals, or even crises. School heads bear the brunt of this, having to cope with different problems such as teacher stress, burnout, depression, or suicides.
Other serious issues may include opposition, sabotage, internal rivalry, and even litigation, involving not only teachers, but also students and parents.
On the more positive side, school heads also have to find ways to motivate and mobilise teachers and students to embrace and make change for the better. Such demands can exact a toll in the form of mental stress or more serious health problems. In this era, leaders need a high emotional intelligence quotient (EQ) to cope with all the demands placed on them.
To achieve a higher EQ, the leader can do more inner work, like introspection or meditation, which enables him to understand, accept and forgive himself better, and also become firmly anchored in sound values and beliefs when facing change and uncertainty.