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sector LEADERSHIP
There is, of course, nothing especially revolutionary here or anything that separates a school leadership role from the leadership of any other organisation. However, the more I talked openly and candidly with school leaders, the more they were able to share aspects of the role and their own characters/personalities that were perhaps more surprising. It was, for example, interesting to hear how many of these
seemingly self-controlled, confident, articulate, knowledgeable school leaders were often anything but. Many confessed to suffering from high levels of anxiety – two actually admitted finding every Sunday evening a struggle as they got ready to take on another week in school. As far as self-confidence was concerned, again many of my interviewees talked about putting on an act and preparing a face to get them through certain tasks and aspects of the job. “I may look as though I am in control and not feeling the pressure but rest assured I am!” was how one headteacher expressed it. Another factor that came out strongly was the extent to which
school leaders were prepared to acknowledge their failings and their mistakes. These are just a few of the admissions: I worry too much. I remember thinking for a long time that I was too fluffy
I spend a lot of time thinking I am going to fail I am extremely stubborn and get bogged down in detail too often I get bored far too easily and show it I talk too much and interrupt people. I hear myself sometimes and have to make a real effort to shut up
I’m too volatile. Sometimes I actually convince myself that I like having a row.
Without exception, the most
successful school leaders I interviewed were self-effacing, people-centred and always ready to reflect any success back onto the school and away from themselves
At the end of each interview I asked these school leaders to reflect on their careers to date and pass on something they considered to be of fundamental importance. Their responses included: Never forget how easy it is to be side-tracked, to let things slide and begin to accept lowering of standards
It is never a good idea to accept a headship just because it is a headship. Taking on the wrong school can be a recipe for career suicide
Don’t water the rocks. You will never convince some people to give you the loyalty and support you need
Be true to yourself and never start to believe the legend Remember that reasonable people will always be very reasonable about your mistakes but make sure you learn from them – rapidly!
A common theme arising from my discussions was the rejection of the ‘super head’ model, which gained so much credibility over the last decade – the so-called ‘Clint Eastwood’ model of school leadership where a school is pulled up by its bootstraps by a dominant man or woman of steel with a clear vision linked to a herculean ability to take a failing organisation, transform it overnight and take no prisoners in the process. Without exception, the most successful school leaders I interviewed were self-effacing, people-centred and always ready to reflect any success back onto the school and away from themselves. They were also great coaches who considered it a priority to develop leadership in others and promote a leadership culture in their schools in order that their own leadership became less overt and intrusive. Schools are different from other organisations in two
fundamental respects: their product (the students) is living and breathing and unpredictable and the staff is more graduate- intensive than just about any other place of work. Managing both these challenges requires real skill and high levels of intelligence and street wisdom. There is no doubt that on occasions the pressures and
demands placed on school leaders are immense and the fallout can be significant if you are unable to cope with them. Equally, the rewards can be huge and tangible. Taking on the responsibility for leading and managing an organisation that is tasked with the challenge of taking young people and preparing them effectively for an ever increasing and complex world is a daunting undertaking. But when you get it right there is no more rich and rewarding experience in the world.
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