Metaphor as a tool in educational leadership classrooms

As students begin credentialing programs, they usually take a basic course on leadership, and we often invite them to reflect on their own perceptions of qualities, vision, mission and effectiveness. In Fall 2008, in my classes, I discovered that students struggled to articulate thoughts on leadership. Many felt unqualified, not having been leaders. I used metaphor as a vehicle for formulating and expressing their concept of leadership. Students felt more relaxed when comparing leadership to something else such as an orchestra conductor, a traffic cop, a stovetop or a sail. The use of metaphor allows students to relate a concept to something familiar and make it more concrete. Metaphors can be used to describe leadership as well as to explore how this language tool is used within a leadership setting. This article discusses the use of metaphors as a teaching tool, provides examples, and offers suggestions for future uses