Education Stalwarts 2022 | Hamsa Venugopal, Managing Director – New Baldwin Group Of Institutions | Leaders in Education
- A visionary is more of ‘we’ and less of ‘I’ – What are your thoughts on this statement in the context of running an educational institution?
I agree with this statement proposed because when we look into the meaning of visionary it is ‘to think and plan for the future’. Running an institution requires rigorous course work. If ‘I’ has the vision then it is the ‘we’ who commits to excellence in all spheres of contribution to enhance learning outcomes.
- As a leader, how do you strive to create more leaders as opposed to followers?
According to Tom Peters, “the great leaders are those who don’t look for followers”. I see myself as a team leader who instructs, directs and guides the group to reach the destination. Playing the role of leader is immensely critical and challenging as we have to be rightly heightened with various strategies, observations, equal participation in the curriculum process which in turn builds an academic morale.
- How does your team look up to you as a leader? What kind of examples do you set?
Being an education leader is highly challengeable to face the nuance curricula but I perceive things in a natural way rather making it complicated and manipulative. I ensure the same quality with my teachers. I also assure them to be at ease in explaining or detailing the concepts, which makes my team to consider and take me as a leader.
- What are some of the unique and effective strategy planning skills that you implemented during the crisis posed by the pandemic?
Our school opted for digital equity with the designation of online learning hub. I placed the respective subject head as mentor to have a quality check with respect to pedagogy followed in virtual classroom. My class coordinators and head wings weaved the smooth balance between the class teachers and students with respect to learning outcome.
- While you are recognized as the face of your brand, what are your thoughts on “the face of the brand is made by the entire team”?
Absolutely, I agree with the statement proposed. My brand and I being the brand face is made by the entire team. I owe my gratitude to my family and institutional team for this. Though the phrase is clichéd one but I stand on it. I propose my path, vision and plan of curricula towards my family for their suggestions towards the subject and my team mates are once who execute it in a right way.
- How do you think teachers should be motivated to perform to the best of their abilities?
First and foremost each and every teacher should be valued as they are the great guru’s. The term ‘value’ might be simple but thanking them for doing something creates the difference. I believe that teachers dominative over their subjects and masters towards the concepts, it just that we need to encourage them by arranging workshops, seminars by great scholars to upgrade the qualities of methodology
- Highlight on the importance of the ‘never give up attitude’ that makes a leader strong and sets an example for the team
The importance of a strong leader depends on his or her charisma. The statement ‘never give up attitude’ makes the leader capable to motivate people to excel. I have my own secret recipe for being a strong leader. I have strong hereditary base of thinking which was inherited by my father Dr. T Venugopal. I have added my determination into this mixture of above recipe and make real goals to achieve it.
- A message you’d like to give to the upcoming professionals in the field of education with regard to the leadership qualities they must possess
The concept of educational leadership then and now as undergone changes across the time with the concept of jugs and mugs. Earlier teachers were considered as jugs full of knowledge and the students as empty mugs without knowledge. This concept as changed in recent pandemic years due to online education. Now the students are not regarded as completely empty. They have some prior knowledge which has enhanced the teacher to act as facilitator.
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