Successful School Administration: The Characteristics of Competence in 1976.

Competent school administrators should keep up-to-date on areas of information relating to their field and might find useful the following 12 most important elements in a performance accountability code for school executives: strive for fair and equitable treatment of the staff; make competence and performance the key to promotion; make decisions without undue delay; be consistent and do not vacillate; delegate responsibility and support those to whom you delegate; be understood; keep your word; find time to show concern for misfortune, to commend excellence, and to offer encouragement during stress and difficulty; be warm and human and operate with the smallest possible ego; follow through and remember significant details; admit your errors; and hear all sides when a big decision is coming up. Perhaps the most crucial test of a superintendent.s competence today is his or her ability to resolve issues in the face of hostility ranging from innuendo to threats of physical violence. There are three steps that can be taken to cope with hostility. (Author/IRT)