School Leadership- Post Pandemic

With little warning and preparation time, the pandemic forced teachers to provide an education to their students in very unfamiliar ways. Accordingly, school leaders faced and will face challenges that are unprecedented.

Post-pandemic leadership will look very different than September 2019. This is a good thing, especially with a large percentage of school leaders approaching retirement in the next decade. 

The pandemic has thrusted school leaders into what many have been contemplating for a long time- implementing pedagogical innovation. Roadblocks have been lifted, allowing school leaders, often, the freedom to implement change. This freedom to implement and innovate has shifted us quickly to imagining the School Leader of the Future. 

The pandemic is also having a devastating impact on independent school enrollment. Neil McClusky of the CATO Institute says that “the worst‐ case estimate I have seen is from the Gallup poll… with data suggesting that private schools would go from an 11 percent share of students last year to just 8 percent in 2020–21. He continues to say that “in terms of total enrollment, that would be a drop of 1.5 million students: from roughly 5.7 million to about 4.2 million. That’s a 26 percent loss – pretty devastating.” Post-pandemic school leaders will need to steady the ship, while at the same time move their schools forward.

What will be the post-pandemic qualities of great school leaders?

·     Ability to delegate and trust the outcomes of those they delegate to

·     Ability to drive school growth

·     Ability to communicate changes and admit wrongs. 

·     Ability to use technical language in a compassionate and comprehensible manner

·     Ability to manage the short game while leading with a forward-leaning vision

·     Encouraging of teachers to explore the incredible possibilities

·     Innovative implementation of new pedagogical methodology, such as competency-based learning

·     Creative exploration of time, looking at its use as an asset, not a constraint

·     Fostering empathy and social responsibility for the students and teachers and being attentive to the social, emotional and ethical learning of the students

·     Networking and collaborating with colleagues, not just in independent schools, but higher education as well

·     Adaptability that will inspire innovation

·     Inventiveness and courageousness to help students, teachers and aspiring school leaders reach their dreams

Rich Odell, Founder and President of HeadsUp Consulting, as adds that being a good listener and being patient will be essential qualities for the leader of the future.