Abstract

You need only scan your local newspaper for a few weeks to find countless stories of organizational and administrative dysfunction. This trend is especially true in public education, where superintendents and school boards frequently clash on a variety of issues. The very institutions they are charged to serve are often rendered ineffective by these public disputes and the internal deficits they reveal. We propose an organizational leadership model utilizing an analogy of levers and wedges to convey related recommendations for positive change. The lever represents a proactive leader who exerts pressure for positive change and unity of purpose. Wedges are divisive employees who misuse and manipulate authority or power to inhibit team spirit and stifle productivity. An application of this model to three school district accounts and one hypothetical case further illuminates its relevancy. The challenges faced in education today require leaders to identify and employ the use of levers, while addressing the destructive effects of wedges. Best employment practices in view of the presence of levers and wedges will also be discussed to address this dilemma which all organizations face.