Sources of Authority for Supervisory Leadership

What are the sources of authority for supervisory leadership?

Bureaucratic Authority relies on roles, rules and regulations to support the authority of the leader. Supervisors provide descriptions of expectations and then manage others toward those ends, following the policy of "expect and inspect."

Personal Authority relies on the motivational skills of the leader, where others want to accomplish the vision of the school for the leader. This form of authority is usually associated with the large leaders and follows the policy of "what gets rewarded gets done."

Professional Authority relies on the expertise and skill of the leader to provide authority for decisions. Professional authority is based on the expertise of teaching and the respect that fellow educators have for the values and skills of the leader to guide the school.

Moral Authority relies on the shared values of the school as a community, where all of the staff feel responsible to the achievement of the vision.