Early Childhood Leadership and Management: Importance, Functions, and Distributed Leadership

Running head: EARLY CHILDHOOD LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
EARLY CHILDHOOD LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
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1EARLY CHILDHOOD LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
Abstract
Incorporation of efficient leadership and management protocols in the field of early childhood
education is imperative for the dissemination of appropriate educational information to children,
in order to aid in their enhanced cognitive, intellectual, emotional as well as academic
development. Hence, it is of utmost importance to exhibit leadership in early childhood
educational settings, in the form of improved team stakeholders, designing of policies, advocacy
of workforce rights and creator of pedagogical learning principles. Through the application of
distributed learning, there has been an increased demand of leadership in early childhood
educational settings in Australia, with the emergence of the concerned institutes. However, with
respect to the concerned country, there is a need for development of an efficient organizational
structure, along with a clarified outline distinguishing between the functions pertaining to
leadership and management in early childhood educational scenarios.

2EARLY CHILDHOOD LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
Table of Contents
Introduction..........................................................................................................................2
Review of Literature............................................................................................................2
Leadership........................................................................................................................2
Management....................................................................................................................3
Early Childhood...............................................................................................................3
Importance of Early Childhood Education......................................................................3
Need for leadership in early childhood settings..............................................................4
Functions pertaining to early childhood leadership.........................................................4
Early Childhood Leadership: Stakeholder of a Team......................................................5
Early Childhood Leadership: Designer of Policies.........................................................6
Early Childhood leadership: Pedagogy Creator..............................................................7
Early Childhood Leadership: Advocacy of Rights..........................................................7
Distributed Leadership in Early Childhood Settings.......................................................8
The Australian Context....................................................................................................8
Literature Gap....................................................................................................................10
Summary: the 21st Century Scenario.................................................................................10
References..........................................................................................................................12

3EARLY CHILDHOOD LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
Introduction
Engagement in efficient yet empathetic leadership practices, are of utmost priority,
required in the provision of quality managerial services, with context to any concerned
organization (Bolden, 2016). Today’s scenario, outlining the salient features of childhood
educational practices and policy formulation, is dynamic, due to the increasingly complex nature
of early childhood educational requirements. Hence, the need for efficient management and
leadership practices prevalent in early childhood settings is imperative for the optimum growth
and development of the child, as well for the occurrence of beneficial consequences in the
present educational settings (Heikka, 2014).
The following paragraphs aim to shed light on the availability of various leadership
techniques applicable in the field of early childhood educational scenario, followed by a review
on present day Australian frameworks outlining the same. An overall understanding of early
childhood leadership policies encompassing the educational scenario of children belonging to the
21st century forms the final sections of this literature review.
Review of Literature
Leadership
The term ‘leadership’, as defined by Elwell and Elikofer (2015), is a relatively recent
addition in the field on language, despite early occurrence of its theoretical and practical
concepts, since traditional times (Elwell & Elikofer, 2015). ‘Leadership’ implies as a structured
phenomena, of outlining the organizational practices encompassing a group of individuals,
towards the fulfillment of specified goals, objectives or principles. A leader is the individual,