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Introduction
I’ve been asked to share my ideas on leadership and link them with the opportunities and challenges for leadership for the ASLs in ACCoS.
Recently I was having dinner in a restaurant and a past father of Epsom Girls Grammar School came up to me and asked, “Are you still keeping that ship on a tight course?”
I explained that I was no longer there but his question enabled me to reflect on the similarities between leading a very large school and being responsible for a large ocean liner.
Both involve leading large numbers of people with very different roles and tasks who all have to be working together to keep that tight course. And of course neither the ship nor the school can be stopped or their course changed suddenly - everything has to be well planned and changes made strategically.
If you think about the leader of the ship and the leader of the school, both are very visible at events and presentations which shows their symbolical leadership. I’ve been really touched when past students have come up to me in shops and said “Mrs Gunn, you were my principal.” I’ve never seen myself as the main person of the school but others do and identify the school with the ideas and values you personally present. And of course in times of crisis the media seek you out for their interviews which shows the responsibility of that positional power.
Distributive Leadership
As a leader I was always conscious of that symbolic and positional power when required but it didn’t define my style of leadership. I believed in distributing leadership to other people because I didn’t have all the skills or the knowledge required to run that big ship alone. One of the most important things I did was to appoint excellent people around me, people who shared my goals and style of working but could cover my gaps.
Most important though, as the leader, I was responsible for the direction of the school and for ensuring that everyone was working to achieve that.
The best way to have people on board with you is to listen to their ideas, communicate regularly and make them feel part of the process so they have ownership of the outcome.
It wasn’t just the senior leadership team I worked with in a team situation. It might have been the academic leaders, the pastoral care leaders, the technology leaders, the property leaders, the student leaders and the Board of Trustees. All are different groups who have deep knowledge in a particular area and must be listened to.
I loved the energy created when a group finds a synergy which combines the skills and knowledge of all for a solution which is far better than each individually could have found. Of course I did have to agree with that solution as I would be the one taking responsibility for it.
Values
A leader’s style is driven by their values. For me the most important value is respect.
I always tried to treat everyone with respect, including those I disagreed with. Respect builds trust which is crucial for productive relationships at work. At the end of the day, I also want to be able to respect myself and the things I have said and done.
Integrity is also important to me. I want to be remembered for honesty and doing what I say and ask of others. If I expected staff to work hard, I always showed that I did the same thing.
Compassion is also important to me. We don’t always do the right thing; we all make mistakes and we need to learn from those. If I show compassion for the failures of others, I hope they will do the same for me.
Leadership calls on the emotions as well as the mind. Head and heart together create followers. Without followers you are not a leader.
Another important driving value for me at school was being student-centred. When making any decision, if I could honestly say it was for the good of the students, then it was right. Of course equity also comes in here. Are you considering the needs of all students, are the gifted and those needing support being catered for ? What effect will this have on staff? In introducing a new subject what effect will it have on existing ones? All issues have to be considered but in the end it should be meeting the needs of students which is paramount.
Success as a leader
If you’re successful as a leader, what does that look like? For me it's a happy school where everyone is engaged in learning both students and staff. The important word for me here is belonging. I wanted staff to feel they were valued for what they did and students to feel that they had an important place in the school whether it was in the classroom or in the myriad of extra-and co-curricular activities. I wanted them all to feel they belonged to the school because then they would be confident and learn better.
Achievement is important to me as I see the main purpose of a secondary school is to provide students with the key to open the next stage of their learning journey. Qualifications do that.
I also wanted staff to feel that they were learning and growing. I am very proud of the fact that six of my former staff are now principals of their own schools.
Leadership and ACCoS
How do these ideas on leadership fit with ACCoS?
Jill is the symbolic leader of ACCoS and perhaps we can compare her to the CEO of a shipping line working to bring the captains of a number of ships together. A daunting task but we can see how she works with her Steering Group and distributes leadership for the ASLs through the Champions .
The careful planning and establishment of shared goals to give direction are crucial and are seen in our initiatives.
The working collaboratively in teams is very evident in the Principals’ group, the ASLs’ group and for each ASL, their group of ISLs.
Mahere Tupu
Mahere Tupu, our growth plan, values respect, collaboration, appreciative inquiry and a student centred focus.
Leadership and Across School Leaders (ASLs)
So there are many common links here but how does this apply to leadership for ASLs?
I have provided some personal and practical examples of the capabilities we have listed in our Leadership Framework. I have spoken about leadership in a Principal role and your role as an ASL has many of those same opportunities but also some restraints.
You are working in a variety of different schools and you have to be sensitive to the culture and the goals of each. Your positional leadership role has to be carefully negotiated with those existing leadership roles within each school.
You all know that building relationships of respect and trust are crucial to the success of leading your initiative but this can be difficult when some of your ISLs are not in your own school.
Good luck with those opportunities and challenges ahead and enjoy your journey through leadership growth.
