
TROIKA: Tell us about your professional path and how you reached a leadership position in the educational field.
MARCELO BARROS: Like many of us, teaching English was not initially part of my plans. Back in the mid-1980s, I was a student at Cultura Inglesa in my hometown when the academic coordinator asked me if I would be willing to teach young learners there. I had not thought of that before, but I said yes anyway, and I have been in the field for almost 40 years now.
As for my first leadership position, a couple of years later, I was invited to take over as academic coordinator for the local Yázigi school. It was a challenging experience – after all, my former colleagues had suddenly become my team –, but I learned a lot. Since then, I have played many different roles in ELT, almost all in leadership positions
T: You have a solid background in Applied Linguistics and Language Studies. How has this academic foundation contributed to your development as a leader in language teaching?
MB: That is an interesting question! I firmly believe my academic background has helped with my leadership career in many ways. The first one is to gain legitimacy with the team. Solid knowledge also brings authority to negotiation tables. And we cannot forget how much a more extensive intellectual repertoire leads to more creative solutions to all kinds of problems.
T: How would you define your leadership style? What are the most relevant characteristics for a successful leader?
MB: It is hard for me to categorize myself as a leader… I suppose my leadership style lies somewhere between democratic and servant, as I am not someone who likes to make decisions alone – but maybe you should ask people from my team to voice their opinions (laughs).
When I think about the characteristics of a successful leader, I should say they rest on three main pillars: knowing oneself; knowing about the work to be done; and knowing the people in one’s team. All these require a lot of observation and reflection, which will probably lead to more knowledge, further reflection, and better results.
T: How important is leadership in the current post-pandemic scenario?
MB: It is essential. It will take some time before the changes imposed on us by the pandemic simmer down, and leaders are necessary to help their teams navigate this still unstable reality. If I may give some advice here, I would recommend that getting used to this new reality be conducted collectively, not only from the leader’s perspective. After all, we have all been through the same ordeal.
T: How can an educational leader inspire and engage their teaching team? What strategies do you use to keep your team motivated and aligned?
MB: I think I will start by explaining how leaders will not inspire and engage the teaching team: by underestimating or patronizing them. Few things are so deleterious to teamwork as micromanaging and over-supervising.
Trying to be coherent with this idea, my efforts towards keeping the team motivated and aligned hover around providing them with autonomy and room for ideas, which facilitates motivation; and with constant and structured exchange of information and knowledge, which endorses alignment. The occasional happy hour doesn’t do any harm, either (laughs).
T: How can a leader deal with conflict or differences of opinion within their team? What problem-solving skills do you consider essential?
MB: Again, I should say that communication – again combined with much reflection – is the most effective way to deal with conflicts within the team. I believe the best solutions may be reached through a combination of techniques (such as Nonviolent Communication), on the one hand, and a solid sense of belonging derived from team building, on the other.
T: What are the main trends you see in the language teaching market today? How can a leader anticipate and prepare for these changes?
MB: Well, I cannot answer this question without mentioning Artificial Intelligence. It will certainly change the way we deal with many aspects of language teaching (from oral practice to text production to class preparation), and it is in our hands as language teaching experts to guide students towards finding and critically assessing the resources which will be most relevant to their success.
This reality is new to all of us to some extent, so the best way to deal with the changes and trends is to learn continuously about them. Publications from reliable sources and talks by sound professionals, along with testing and experimenting, will help leaders prepare themselves and their teams for what is to come.
T: How important is innovation and the adoption of new technologies in language teaching? How do you encourage a culture of innovation within your team?
MB: Bringing new technologies into the teaching-learning process is necessary, not only to keep up with the world outside but also as a way to make learning more enjoyable and effective – never forgetting that teachers should harness the new technology, not the other way around.
Our approach to innovation is based on two main aspects: room for ideas and respect for the method. In other words, we make sure each and every team member has a chance to voice their ideas and, once the idea is chosen, we apply the best method to explore it.
T: What advice would you give to other professionals seeking to become successful educational leaders in the field of language teaching?
MB: Learn! Learn about the field. Learn about the market and the segment. Learn about ELT locally and globally. Learn about how to become a successful leader. Learn how to observe people. After all, as Stephen Covey would say, leaders must always have new eyes.
T: You have extensive experience in professional associations such as BRAZ-TESOL and TESOL International. How important is this involvement with the academic and professional community for teachers and educational leaders?
MB: Being a member of an association is paramount to broaden a professional’s worldview. This is perhaps the most efficient way to learn about language teaching, make new connections, exchange information, and belong to a thriving community of peers.
My opinion is totally biased, though, considering that I have been a volunteer with the leadership of BRAZ-TESOL for almost thirty years now. BRAZ-TESOL helped me become a better teacher and a better educational leader, allowed for some of the best experiences I have had as a professional, and, even more importantly, gave me some of the most precious people in my life.
T: You have interests in areas such as learning resources, people development and management. How do you integrate these different focuses into your work as a leader in the field of language teaching?
MB: I am fortunate to work with some of the most responsive, skilled, and competent professionals in our field, and that is what makes it possible for me not to drift away from those areas. The leaders who work directly with me are generous enough to share and debate their ideas and plans, and I am grateful and happy about our collective results.

THE INTERVIEWEE
Marcelo Barros has a background in Applied Linguistics and Language Studies, with over 30 years of experience in Education, particularly in the field of language teaching. He is the author of scientific articles and both printed and digital teaching materials, as well as a speaker at national and international events. Marcelo has served twice as president and is a member of the advisory board of BRAZ-TESOL, and has also participated in the leadership of TESOL International. Currently, he is the CKO (Chief Knowledge Officer) of the CNA language school network, a consultant, board member, and – always – a teacher. His interests include learning resources, people development, management, and leadership.