When I was 21 and doing a student placement year as part of my degree, I had an experience of leadership that told me: “Leaders want ideas”. I had to write a project about my placement as part of my degree. I researched and wrote a detailed document all about the company. My first great bossContinueContinue reading “Leaders Want Ideas”
Tag Archives: leadership
How To Make A Meeting Effective With One Simple Behaviour
Meetings can be useful. I know, I know – sometimes they are the bane of people’s lives. Not only in schools, but in many jobs. They can feel like: wasted time repeated thinking done to keep up appearances (..of ‘listening to staff’ etc. BUT there is one behaviour that can make an immediate difference asContinueContinue reading “How To Make A Meeting Effective With One Simple Behaviour”
Three Ways To Create Respect In Schools
Respect is foundational for schools. It’s something I’ve heard my colleagues and senior leaders around me talk about freqently. Although…as I think about it…I’ve heard more colleagues mentioning how rude an individual pupil was in their lesson. Or how rude a member of senior management was when they asked for something. Is it respectful toContinueContinue reading “Three Ways To Create Respect In Schools”
Why improving weaknesses is a waste of energy
Your approach to developing middle leaders in school is focused on the wrong thing. Just because a particular leadership tactic or classroom management technique worked for you – doesn’t mean it will work for every teacher. No – I’m not saying there aren’t valid techniques and tactics. I’m saying that focusing on improving weaknesses isContinueContinue reading “Why improving weaknesses is a waste of energy”
Before You Take Your Idea To Senior Leadership…You Need These Three Things
Demonstrating leadership in school (and probably in any other organisation) has got little to do with position. Consider that the senior leadership team in your school are desperate for ideas to move the school forward. At least – any decent leadership team would welcome ideas. But not just any old idea. It needs to be a proposal.ContinueContinue reading “Before You Take Your Idea To Senior Leadership…You Need These Three Things”
How can a school’s culture change on purpose?
Headteachers and Senior Leadership Teams in schools across the country are full of committed, talented people. They want to make great things happen for their pupils. Even if they are inspiring and visionary, without a receptive culture, the best ideas will fail to take root with no lasting change. Culture overrides strategy – but culture canContinueContinue reading “How can a school’s culture change on purpose?”
‘Take an interest, not the register’
Being a form tutor is an underrated role in a school. ‘The tutor is the glue that holds together the academic and the pastoral.’ I made that up this week because it articulates an intuition I always knew. The challenge of being a tutor includes conundrums such as: How do I build a relationship withContinueContinue reading “‘Take an interest, not the register’”
How to demonstrate leadership in your school…when you’re not in a leadership position
Consider this: leadership has little to do with position. Yes it might be much easier when you’re a Head of Department or Deputy Head, but leadership is not position, title, or personal qualities. Two definitions of leadership I like say the same thing in different ways. The interesting part is that they were written decades apart.ContinueContinue reading “How to demonstrate leadership in your school…when you’re not in a leadership position”
James D'Souza 