Leadership Skills For Educators

Teaching in the hair and beauty industry requires a unique blend of expertise, passion, and effective leadership skills. In the ever-evolving industry we find ourselves in, educators play a pivotal role in shaping the next generation of qualified professionals, through essential leadership skills.

Recently I was asked to submit an article on the topic of leadership in the education space for a magazine, here is what I sent in as my article, which I also wanted to share here on the website:

Here are the areas I personally deem to be the most important when it comes to having great leadership skills for the classroom:

CLASSROOM CULTURE - Creating your own unique culture in your classroom will almost definitely have you standing out in a crowd. This could be something as simple  as a colour, your academy's name, or as far as a ritual or classroom tradition. Think about when you attended your hair/beauty courses, what appealed to you on your first day, and did that show through the rest of the course? If it did, what you witnessed was classroom CULTURE, created by the leader, aka educator. 

EDUCATOR ELEVATOR - It’s important to understand that you’re not on the same level as your students. If you were to picture an organisational chart in your head, the CEO would be at the top, that’s you! You are the CEO of your classroom! It's nice to be friendly with your students, but don’t forget to have those boundaries firmly in place, otherwise before you know it, they will be contacting you outside of teaching hours, and making their problems yours.

INTEGRITY - Have you ever heard of the saying ‘’You get what you give”? As the leader of your academy or classroom, you are putting yourself out there amongst your students, and by doing so, you are continually elevating your integrity. When teaching, you are also offering support and empathy when required, friendship, and the sharing of your knowledge - and in return, the same should be given to you. As an educator myself for almost two decades, I can hand on heart say: nothing is more valuable to me than my integrity - I cultivate it, practise it, live and breathe it - as a leader, you should too.

LET GO OF THE  EGO - Confidence is good in leadership, in fact, it’s key as you need to believe in yourself and your capabilities, as an educator, but let's not confuse confidence with ego! As an educator, (even if you’re one of the best ones out there), you're not perfect! As a trainer of trainers for over a decade, I have witnessed many times educators become defensive when a mistake was made, or if they didn’t realise that something was done wrong… I want you to know that it's perfectly okay to sit in our own imperfections - in fact, I applaud you! I deeply respect educators that are quick to confess to making mistakes - it shows a growth mindset, and a GREAT educator that's open to learning how to be a better leader/educator. A great way to have a growth mindset and surrender your ego is to stay up to date with the latest trends, techniques, technologies, and incorporate new industry practices. A leader in beauty education should be a continuous learner, setting an example for students to embrace lifelong learning.

WRITE IT DOWN  (or it didn’t happen!) When teaching, specifically when dealing with a situation in your classroom, effective communication is an essential tool in the leadership tool kit. Leaders in education should be able to articulate concepts clearly, use effective demonstrations, and provide constructive feedback to their students - but not all students will understand that (this is where agreements and policies come in). If you want to be extra cautious, then create yourself a communications form, and have every student fill it out. Sometimes we get so busy being ‘’teaching the thing!’’, that we forget to log, or follow up with something that can actually determine the outcome of the situation, and the overall success of your students future.

SYSTEMS & AGREEMENTS - Managing a hair or beauty course involves juggling multiple responsibilities, from lesson planning to organising practical sessions. Strong organisational skills are crucial for leaders in beauty education to ensure that your courses run smoothly, deadlines are met, and resources are effectively used. Having systems and agreements in place also leaves VERY little room for any mis-haps between you and your students.

COMMUNICATION - This is from the perspective of working at somebody else's training academy. Unlike what I have demonstrated about elevating your role as an  educator, if you are working in somebody else's academy, the CEO of the academy would be above you, the students below you, and you would be smack bang in the middle! Being in this position can sometimes be tricky, as you may often feel like the liaison between the two… If this is your current position then please be careful; it's often easier to feel closer to the students than your employer/academy owner. As the educator, you may feel like you're the one ‘’in the trenches’’, whilst your boss sits in her/his office all day and is swanning off to lunch meetings. Educators that are hired, are hired to do a job: teach,  manage agreements, and do the job well. A gentle reminder that despite you being an advocate for your students, you are hired, first and foremost, to carry out the role and be loyal to your place of work.

Finally, LEAD BY EXAMPLE! A leader in beauty education should embody the qualities they aim to instil in their students. Demonstrating professionalism, a strong work ethic, and a passion for the industry sets the standard for students to follow. Leading by example creates a positive influence on the learning culture within the classroom.