I had always thought of educational leadership in a formal sense: an assigned or requested position of authority or expertise. I think now, though, that educational leadership comes from a more informal approach of persuing an idea or goal with the ablility to draw in support, organize and manage people and information, and implement a strategy that works the best for the current system.
I think that an informal leader can be very influential. There are still obstacles to successfully leading as an informal leader. I've seen administration take for granted the leadership some faculty members have within their departments, and also try to expand in that leadership without first creating the opportunities for the authority of that person to be accepted. This has put all involved in an awkward battle for ego and pride.
I do think, however, that the improvement of education depends to a great extent on the leadership from within the system. Not only do administrators and assigned teacher leaders have to recognize needs and promote change, but teachers, parents, sometimes community members, and students have to also buy in to the need for change in order for it to successfully occur. A successful change is one where not only the objective is met, but all those effected by the change feel satisfied with their involvement in the process.
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