Narrative Epilogue

A Viva Voce of sorts.

Over the years, I have held numerous leadership positions at multiple national and international schools spread out across four different continents. As an educator in diverse and cross-cultural contexts, I have been constantly nagged by the feeling that the collective knowledge building that leads to exceptional teaching and learning experiences across the school seemed aspirational rather than achievable. While I wouldn’t classify any of my past educational contexts as lacking or deficient in providing quality educational opportunities for students, they seemed incomplete regarding the presence of high-quality professional learning interactions amongst diverse cultures. I now know that the nagging undefinable feeling inside me stemmed from not fully understanding the problem.

Three years ago, I embarked on an academic journey to pursue a doctoral degree in educational leadership. While learning about international education in global times, education policy, the foundations of leadership, and organizational theory, I realized that my doctoral journey represented the perfect time to explore further my questions about professional collaborative practice in cross-cultural contexts. As the head of an international school in the Philippines, I was well-positioned to leverage my studies to investigate the construct of professional collaboration and perhaps develop a congruent operational framework. Much to my surprise, this journey would also become a deeply personal process of critical self-reflection. 

What began as a study of specific yet broadly-based strategies designed to facilitate collaborative practice⸺like professional learning communities and team building activities⸺quickly turned into an exploration of the foundational components upon which professional collaborative practice can thrive. My study of organizational context, approaches to leadership, leadership ethics, organizational change theory, and strategic communication led me to postcolonial and cross-cultural theories, ethical follower-centred leadership, and the importance of cultural responsivity. It was at this point that I began to refocus my analytical gaze inward. I became aware that if I were going to lead meaningful organizational change related to school culture, I would first have to critically self-reflect on my positionality within the organization and the field of educational leadership.

I have had some significant realizations over the last couple of years. For example, my neutrality as a school leader is heavily influenced, regardless of intent, by my identity as a White male and its associated privilege. For this reason, I must acknowledge that my worldview is open to identity-based bias. Ironically, I would have most likely connected these dots earlier in life had such identity-based bias not been present. Nonetheless, the process of critical self-reflection has facilitated a deeper examination of my positionality within educational leadership, my worldview as an educator, and the leadership implications each of these represent throughout the process of organizational change. With every action or decision I make as a leader subject to my worldview and identity-based bias, would it not be wise to understand this positionality fully?

Coincidentally, partaking in the act of critical self-reflection is one of the most important behaviours of culturally responsive leadership, the construct I now believe to be foundational to an organizational culture of professional collaborative practice. Still, I continue on my path one step at a time, looking back on occasion to reflect on how far I have come, excited about the journey ahead.