VIEWS FROM THE PEN OF… ANDREW MORRISH


The importance of a good school culture In our regular series highlighting authors in education,


we hear this month from ANDREW MORRISH, author of ‘The Authentic Leader’.


This book felt very much like that tricky second album. I always knew it would happen but never knew quite from where to draw the inspiration. But of course, a book on authentic leadership had to come from deep down within, so deep in fact that it’s genesis began a quarter of a century ago. It had been brewing all that time as I tried to work out whether or not school culture really was the most important thing when it came to leading a successful school.


It all began with my M.Ed back in 1995, researching the impact culture has on school effectiveness. It was clear from the evidence that culture was key, and that it really didn’t matter what you did, if the conditions for growth weren’t there, impact would not stick. The trouble was, at the time, I was only 27. I’d never led a thing in my life, never mind a school and I really didn’t know whether what I had written was true. So I resolved to found out, such that for the next two decades or so - starting off as a rookie headteacher two years later - I took it upon myself to see if culture really was all that.


The conclusion? It is, and more. Far more than perhaps you would expect. And at the heart of all of this – amidst the chaos and the churn, the endless conveyor belt of change, volatility, and uncertainty - remains you, steadfast and resolute; a humble and grounded leader always trying to do the right thing. Context and school environment are everything, and having expert knowledge of your domain is essential if you are to lead well, mindful always that imperfect leaders know that there is always much to learn and know about.


This is why I wrote the book. I wanted to try and conceptualise the mental model that I had been thinking deeply about for a number of years, mainly as a result of coaching conversations I have had with many headteachers, all grappling with the same problems. Namely, how to meet the paradoxical demands of a system predicated on other people’s bunkum proxies, whilst at the same time staying true to your own core beliefs. My hope is that the book will help you do this.


Based around four classic conundrums, each quadrant of the model helps leaders to reflect on how best to empower staff to cultivate an authentic culture that leads to sustainable impact. There is much that leaders need to know within the context of their school, such as how to align vision, enable trust, drive strategy, and build capacity. These are a few of the baseplates that underpin the model (there are nine in all). Leaders need to know how to secure them. But you can’t do any of this alone. You need to unleash a team of authentic others, mindful that no-one is authentic in your school, until everyone is. The book shows you how.


‘The Authentic Leader’ is available now from Bloomsbury. November 2022 CHARLOTTE ROWLEY ON LEADERSHIP


How good leaders keep good teachers


In her new regular column on leadership for Education Today, CHARLOTTE ROWLEY, Acting Principal at St Maria Goretti Catholic Academy, this month looks at the challenging issue of staff retention.


A culture of kindness


There’s a lot to be said for kindness. We teach children this, but actually these values are vital within any workplace. Creating and building a culture of compassion and empathy are crucial in retaining good staff. If individuals feel valued, heard and appreciated, then the likelihood of colleagues feeling motivated is much higher. I don’t believe in leading by fear, I believe in trust and collaboration. Having an open door, being a shoulder to lean on when needed goes a long way and leads to people wanting to work for you and most of all, with you. Be true to yourself. Even the most difficult and courageous conversations will be appreciated and respected when leaders are transparent and honest.


Pay attention to how people are feeling. Ask them … and mean it! Believe and empower


We entered this profession because we want to instil a love of learning and this should not stop in the classroom. We should always be discovering as educationalists. By identifying strengths among a team and fostering these not only increases confidence, but also challenges people, keeping them enthused, rather than standing still. Appreciating that everyone is different and that we all have our own unique talents and playing to strengths leads to positive productivity and overall, good results.


Effective leaders will ensure that no one is bored, underdeveloped or undervalued, leading to increased retention because the role is interesting and never samey. This does not mean failing to provide time and patience to embedding new ideas. Having sparkly, new strategies every September can be a way of making staff feel as though they want to ‘check out’ because they simply cannot keep up with the array of new initiatives. Be mindful of this too.


Seek feedback


As a leader, I often ask staff for feedback. This may be following a difficult message that I have had to relay, checking the tone of an e-mail, thoughts on a new initiative, school development priorities or simple well-being ‘wins’. This shows people that you value them and their input. Everyone has the opportunity to contribute, rather than staff feeling as though processes are done ‘to them’ rather than ‘with them’.


Model it


Make no apology for having high standards, but make sure that you model these expectations. By inspiring others, it enhances aspiration and ambition. You want to see outstanding teaching and learning? Practise this. You want to maintain high uniform standards? Address this yourself. You want teachers to improve parental engagement? Always speak to families on the school playground. Never highlight policies that you as a leader do not follow. This sounds so obvious, but forgetting these things create a divisive atmosphere among colleagues.


Wellbeing


I believe in staffroom treats. Everyone needs a pick-me-up and it’s usually a Wednesday in the middle of a half-term, when it’s getting darker and it feels like we haven’t seen daylight for a while! Cake always helps … but truthfully, we know that well-being is much more than this (yes, even more than cake!). Showing staff that it’s acceptable not to be working all night is absolutely fine. Leaving a little earlier on a Friday to start the weekend with your family is important and focuses on a healthier work / life balance … and most of all, a thank you for recognised hard work really can go a VERY long way. Going back to my first point, a compassionate culture and living out this ethos grows only positivity.


Always talk, listen and always appreciate. Share your vision, form relationships and take people with you.


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