Eureka! Institutional Repository

The director of a school unit in the modern Greek environment is in charge of many different tasks and is called upon to function simultaneously both as a manager and as a leader. To meet the requirements dictated by modern reality, he must have at his disposal a wide range of skills, which are related to the functions he performs along with his complex and multilevel role. Soft skills are the ones that will make him stand out among other directors, and the ones, which will serve as a determining factor in his effectiveness. Soft skills refer to one’s personality traits and behaviors that are related to the way they interact with others and the way they handle situations as well. The purpose of this research is to record and analyze the views of teachers as far as the essential skills that a school director should possess in the modern Greek educational context are concerned, so that they can be integrated in the same context. The investigation of teachers' views on the development and evaluation of soft skills are objectives of the research. This qualitative research was conducted on a sample of 13 experienced teachers in Chalkidiki and highlighted communication, empathy, organization, relationship building, flexibility, ethics, critical thinking, teamwork and decision making as the most important skills for a school director. The need for training directors in these skills through appropriate practices according to the international literature is evident, as is the consideration of these skills in director’s selection, although their evaluation is deemed rather difficult.