Leading change is one of the key roles of leaders as we constantly look to implement school improvement strategies in our school. Our ability to lead a change process has a significant impact on our effectiveness as a leader, the stress levels of our staff and the likelihood that the change will be successful. Try to avoid the following 7 Sins of Leading Change. Announcing the change is NOT the…

Teachers know Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is important in the classroom. We understand that addressing students' needs at the base level is important to enable them to progress to higher levels of motivation. This leads to more progress and development. I really like the work of Dr Brad Johnson in applying this psychological theory to teachers as well. This hierarchy of needs really resonates with me. Alarm bells start ringing when…

Now more than ever, your staff needs you to be positive and upbeat as they come to the end of the term. The leader’s attitude is contagious and your staff need you to give them some energy (and love) at this time of the year. Nelson Mandela is attributed with the saying, “Be the Change You Want to See in the World!” If you want to see your team finishing the term…

WARNING This is probably NOT politically correct but it is still good advice. Last week I really enjoyed presenting a keynote at the Qld Secondary Principals’ Association state conference at the Hilton Hotel in Brisbane. The set up was awesome! At the conference Principal Lou Oberholzer provided some feedback that one of the videos in our School Leadership Sprints series had really resonated with his leadership team. The video highlighted…

Clearly it is tough working in schools. Staff shortages, tight budget, student and staff well-being and mental health are massive issues that make the work of leaders more important than ever. Leaders set the tone in a school through their attitude and their actions. It is important to resist the temptation to ‘pile on’ to the negative messages. As difficult as it is, staff need leaders to be calm, supportive…

(no it’s not on PISA!) I’m a proud Aussie. I love our lifestyle, our “can do” attitude and how we bat above our averages in many, many areas. For example, I am looking forward to the Olympics to see some awesome performances by some great aussie athletes. I am confident that we will achieve great results for a relatively small population. There is no way Australia will rank 140th on…

The vast majority of people believe that things are getting worse, not better. People everywhere think the world is more frightening, more violent and more hopeless – in short, more dramatic – than it really is. This belief is fueled by the news media. Contrary to this popular belief, the World is actually getting better. Despite what the media would have us believe, we have reason to be optimistic. Step-by-step, year-by-year, the world is improving. Not on every single measure, every single…

Resoundingly the answer is a very strong “NO!” In the bustling halls of schools nationwide, an essential ingredient often overlooked in the pursuit of academic excellence is the element of fun. While the focus on rigorous learning is crucial, integrating joy and playfulness into the school environment can significantly enhance the overall educational experience. It's time for school principals and other leaders to lead the charge in fostering a culture…

There are many expectations placed on school leaders. Setting the direction. Supporting staff. Managing student behaviour. Dealing with unhappy parents. Managing the budget. Recruiting great staff (a heartbeat is a good start in the current environment). I believe the following quote from Kenneth Leithwood captures a key area. Leaders provide the direction and create the environment that promotes good teaching and consistency across the school. I would argue that all students in a school…

I am blown away by the hype surrounding Taylor Swift. The interest in this year’s Super Bowl, her potential influence on U.S. politics and the impact on the Australian economy (60 additional flights from Brisbane to Sydney) to name just a few examples. Here are some leadership tips inspired by Taylor. Embrace Change: Taylor Swift is known for reinventing herself with every album release. As a school leader, embrace change and…

The core principle of the 80/20 rule states that roughly 80% of your outputs come from 20% of your inputs. This can be applied to various aspects of life. If you owned a business, 80% of your sales come from 20% of your customers. 80% of food ordered at a restaurant comes from 20% of the items on the menu. 80% of your results at work come from 20% of…

Attached are FIVE resources to support brand-new graduates in their first five weeks. The resources come from our brand NEW Happy Teacher - Early Career program. This advice is for FIRST year graduates. We also have specific advice for early career teachers in their 2nd and 3rd years as well.  Simply click to download each resource. 1 Congratulations On Becoming A Teacher 2 Setting Up For Success 3 The Keep it Simple Guide to Classroom Management 4 Plan For…

We all know that term 4 is ballistic! It is always a hectic time of the school year and we are inevitably running low on reserves. However, saying or doing something dumb in term 4 wipes out all of the good work that you have done throughout the year. The mantra of all staff in schools, especially leaders, needs to be FINISH STRONG! Attitudes are contagious, especially the leaders. If…

I'm worried about our early career teachers.  Recruiting and retaining good teachers is vital. Staff resignations and retirements have led to shortages and the appointment of many graduates. Working in schools can be challenging. The first three years are especially challenging for early career teachers. We have all heard the statistics of staff turnover in the first years of teaching. If early career teachers don’t have the skills and knowledge…

"Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter" by Liz Wiseman is a book that explores the concept of leadership and how effective leaders can multiply the intelligence and capabilities of their teams. Wiseman argues that there are two types of leaders: Multipliers and Diminishers. Multipliers are leaders who amplify the intelligence and abilities of those around them, while Diminishers are leaders who stifle and limit the potential of their…

“If oxygen is required, a mask like this, will fall from above you. Apply your own mask first, before helping others.” I fly fairly often and can recite word for word almost all of the pre-flight safety message. The key message above, applies to leaders and staff in schools. We need to take responsibility for our own care, if we are going to be in a position to help others…

Whilst we often think of negotiations in terms of sales and agreeing the final price, school leaders are often negotiating shared agreements and establishing common ground. In my work with over 100 school leadership teams on understanding and utilising their strengths, the weakest link or blind side in almost all of those teams, has been the ability to influence. The ability to negotiate is a powerful and important skill as…

I love the title of this book by Swedish psychologist, Thomas Erikson. In a school leadership position it can be very frustrating as we deal with people, all day, every day and at times, I’ve felt frustrated with the views and behaviour of some of those people. Understanding human behaviour is a never-ending pursuit. At times I have struggled to understand why people have made certain choices that have led…

The Gallup group studied the responses of 10000 people to the question, what do great leaders bring to their lives? Four clear themes emerged. People look to their leaders to provide… Trust Compassion Stability and Hope These four themes really resonated with me and are a great framework to reflect against. We have all worked with leaders who frustrated us. Using these four themes we can easily see where some…