How to identify, develop and retain amazing leaders for your school

A long, long, time ago a senior leader saw the potential in a young, enthusiastic, and driven PE teacher, me. What did that senior leader see in me??Was it the way I introduced and ran sporting initiatives as an NQT or the positive connections I made with colleagues beyond the PE department that helped me gain my first leadership position?

Eighteen years later and that same PE teacher is now a proud Head of Secondary who has been passed the baton to identify and develop future leaders. With this blog, I share the lessons I’m learning along the track of ‘talent spotting’. We’ll dive into why some highly qualified, experienced, ticks-all-the-boxes leaders fail and some colleagues, inexperienced, curious but malleable, may have the upper hand.

The focus is on ‘potential’?

Leadership isn’t for everyone (and that’s quite alright). Steve Mundy, in his book Imperfect Leadership, states that “we are all in leadership roles because someone believed in us and encouraged us. The best leaders grow future leaders.”

But how do you spot who will make the cut to become a successful middle or senior leader? What factors contribute to a leader’s gold winning performance? In my experience, there are colleagues who are ready to play in any condition, and foster strong relationships as part of a team that works together they are quick to step up to the plate and build respect with students and colleagues, they throw in a high level of self-motivation to implement initiatives and they are reluctant to chuck the towel in – these traits certainly highlight leadership ‘potential.’

Observing these attributes in colleagues early on will display their ability and ambition to adapt, to grow and to learn. But it’s important to realise that at this stage it isn’t about having the right skills, it is about the potential they’ve shown to learn new ones.

Harvard Business Review identifies curiosity, insight, engagement, and determination as common indicators of talent.

1.??????Curiosity

Education is fluid and frequent changes occur in our school environment due to the human beings in our care. Teachers are lifelong learners, and learning is a journey of discovery, so to ensure our students are getting the best deal possible in our classrooms we strive for continual development and must be open to learning. We try new things, reflect, and make tweaks for improvement.

?2.??????Insight

Leaders deal with complex situation and having the ability to gather information, make sense of it, and problem-solve will provide clear rationale to you, but also your team. Insight allows a clearer picture in a difficult or challenging conversation with a colleague, student or parent. You can show empathy and understanding to often deal with situations effectively.

?3.??????Engagement

Our Emotional Intelligence is key as a leader to help connect with people. Self-awareness and empathy can be learned and develops emotional connections with others. This heightens trust, support, and care. An essential tool to take colleagues on a journey with you.

4.??????Determination

Leading is not about being comfortable and neither is it easy. A high level of resilience is often needed as you step outside comfort zones and encourage others to do the same. Leaders have high expectations and want to challenge perceptions and make change, whilst caring and protecting their team. What if it doesn’t go to plan? Who remains calm and gets the job done in the face of adversity?

Talent spotted…what next?

The school environment is in a constant flux – from the classroom to online, big data, new technologies, and now exam procedures being thrown up in the air. The ability to adapt to and grow into leadership roles becomes increasingly complex and unpredictable.?Spotting potential around you constantly changes. What makes someone successful in a particular role one week might not be the same the next.

In an ever-changing school environment who is able and who wants to adapt, to grow and to learn? Remember, it is not about having the right skills, its about the potential to learn new ones. So how exactly are we doing this?

Talk

Have conversations with your colleagues and know their strengths and weaknesses. International school principal Julia Knight recommends asking where they see themselves in five years time and if they don’t know, they to go back to her when they do, for her support to ensure they can get there. Ambitions and goals change so make this more regular than a one-off dialogue.

Opportunity knocks

Opportunities are always on offer. Do you know who is stepping up to share ideas regularly in the #15MinForum programme? Or who is volunteering to organise a TeachMeet or lead the Marking and Feedback Working Party? Who is shadowing their line manager because they are curious and want to learn more? Remember the introverts who just need a nudge of confidence too, they will also make a positive impact on their colleagues from their experiences.

Keeping hold of them!

A CPD programme that supports growth and development at each level of leadership will help your retention. CPD on the international circuit is one of the top reasons for teachers and leaders choosing to stay - your conversations about ambition and future will help to form a bespoke programme. Get creative and provide options, consider your resources internally, and externally. If you are fortunate to be part of a schools’ group, how could teachers and leaders benefit to support each other?

Attracting the right talent

Perhaps at this stage of the game your pool just isn’t going to make the cut so now recruitment is crucial to diversify and bring in new strategies. ?Asking the right questions to evaluate potential can be difficult at this stage. You want to know their drive, not just to join your school, but how motivated are they? What initiatives did they lead in their current school? Were they beyond their job role? What CPD they have they accessed recently and how are their reflections about the learning along their journey? Consider your questions carefully to help give you an insight into their leadership potential.

When you have colleagues stepping up or volunteering to lead with confidence and they make an impact in your community, you can be confident you have the right structures and ethos in place, and seeing them thrive on their leadership journey is incredibly rewarding. Naturally some colleagues will move onto pastures new, but if you can create a place at the table to nurture the leadership talents in your school, why not?

Thanks to the Olympics 2020 and Julia Knight for the inspiration for this blog! Listen to the podcast here with Dan Worth that explores how our sector can do more to help other women realise their leadership ambitions.