Leadership Lessons 2: The Vision Thing - Always start with the end in mind.

I am developing a workshop for school leaders, or leaders in general, called “Leading like a Champion – What can sports leadership inform us about educational leadership?”

I will examine the critiques of successful leadership by some of the world’s most successful managers and coaches and apply them to an educational setting. As a taster, here are some thoughts on the importance of Vision from Former England, Australia, and Japan rugby coach Eddie Jones in his book Leadership. [i]

I like these ideas because they are practical and evident. All too often, a school vision is a piece of marketing gimmickry placed on a poster and never referred to. From Eddie Jones, we can learn how an effective vision is the starting point for all that we do.

Passing of vision. There are five different stages. First, we must always start with the end in mind. Second, we set the principles. Third, we establish values for free, understand the climate, and finally, know the environment, what I like to call walking the shop floor.

Always start with the end in mind

When setting a vision, it is crucial to consider the growth and development of the organisation, rather than focusing on personal ambitions. In any organisation, it is vital that everyone shares the same end goal. A Chinese proverb states: "Sleeping in the same bed, dreaming different dreams." For a school's vision to be effective, everyone must dream the same dream.

Always start with the end in mind. Your final goal provides the map to help you reach your destination. Begin with the vision of the end goal and work backwards to your starting point, like climbing down a ladder step by methodical step. Once your strategy is in place, you can forge ahead with clarity and precision. It may take time and effort, but accumulating knowledge will be immensely rewarding.

Many people fall into the trap of not stating their desired destination. If you fail to communicate your final destination as a leader, your team's focus may drift, resulting in irrelevance.

After establishing your vision, take four strategic steps: Set principles, establish values, understand the climate, and know the environment. Courage is at the heart of all leadership; hard work, discipline and mental toughness provide a solid foundation for principles and values. However, without courage, these qualities are rendered useless.

When giving voice to your vision, drip-feed ideas and test reactions to create a collaborative process involving senior team members and other staff. Work diligently on your observations; the best leaders always gauge the mood and canvass opinions from teachers and students about their organisation. Understanding the climate within your school is essential for the success of the vision.

In conclusion, always keep walking the shop floor. The best school leaders are those who remain connected with their environment and continuously adapt to new challenges to fulfil their shared vision.

As educational leaders, our vision must be selfless. It should not be solely about where we want to go as leaders but rather where our organisation needs to go. By adhering to these processes, we aim to benefit students and school leaders alike by helping them develop our shared school vision.

In the next article, I will discuss the importance of surrounding oneself with the right individuals and fostering a sense of togetherness. This is crucial because a vision cannot be implemented by a leader alone – it requires a dedicated team.

[i] Jones, E. (2021). Leadership: Lessons From My Life in Rugby. Pan Macmillan.