Welcome New Head of School: 7 Tips for Your Head of School Transition: It’s Not About You, and It's All About You!

Congratulations on your new leadership opportunity! I’ve studied head of school entry and transition for over twenty years, and we at Educational Directions have contributed to the last two head of school search handbooks, writing the chapter on transition. It’s been a continual process assisting, observing, and supporting heads beginning their leadership at a new school. Julia Russell Eells who recently retired after her successful second, long-tenured headship, assisted me in updating our research on navigating the head of school transition, which included interviews and observations from recently appointed heads. In any given year, there are nearly 200 leadership transitions in independent schools. Some are experienced heads, while most are beginning their first headship. We thought we’d share a few ideas we’ve picked up along our journey working with heads and their new schools:

1.?Start slow to go fast. William Bridges was considered to be the foremost authority on transition, identifying the three stages of transition, which includes ending, the neutral zone, and the new beginning. While the change happens quickly, the head of school leaves, and the new head of school arrives, the transition often takes time, and people in the community move through the three phases of the transition at different paces. As the new leader, you and the board may be ready to hit the ground running. Before you do that, make sure you start slow to bring everyone along to the new beginning. We have all seen examples of leaders who get too far in front of their communities only to be seen as someone attacking or changing what was. Start slow so then you can go fast.

2.?Take the time to learn the school's founding story, history, climate, culture, mission, community values, and current initiatives. Work through with the administrative team, the faculty, and the board what Patrick Lencioni refers to as “The six essential questions:

-???????Why do we exist?

-???????How do we behave?

-???????What do we do?

-???????How will we succeed?

-???????What is most important, right now?

-???????Who must do what?

As you work through the six questions, acting as both anthropologist and archeologist, understand the founding story, begin sharing what you’re learning, and ask your questions for a deeper understanding of where the school has been and where it is at this moment in time. If you observe or sense a misalignment, start by clarifying the mission, core values, founding vision as it currently exists, and organizational philosophy. A school’s mission and core values are the foundation for future vision and strategy.

3.?Culture does eat strategy for breakfast! This often-quoted truism is often attributed to Peter Drucker, though it most likely came from Mark Fields, former CEO of Ford, who said, “You can have the best plan in the world, and if the culture isn’t going to let it happen, it’s going to die on the vine.” Culture is more important than strategy; culture is the foundation of a good strategy. Working to explore and understand the school culture and building community is essential during a head of school transition.

In his book, The Culture Code, Dan Coyle states “ …that being smart is overrated, that showing fallibility is crucial, and that being nice is not?nearly?as important as you might think…While successful culture can look and feel like magic, the truth is that it’s not. Culture is a set of living relationships working toward a shared goal.?It’s not something you are. It’s something you do.”

You’ve already begun to understand the school’s culture through the search process and in the liminal space between the announcement of your appointment and July 1. Keep scheduling those conversations and building relationships with the board, professional staff, students, parents, alumni, and the administrative team.

4.?Built Your Team by being More Yoda, less Superhuman, is from Jonathan Raymond, author of “Good Authority: How To Become the Leader Your Team Is Waiting For,” and a reminder that you need to have a good team around you. Use the pronouns, We, Us, Our as a way to build your team. Create clear expectations for the administrative team, and ensure each member understands their role and responsibilities in the school and to the team. Be more coach-like, clarify understanding by asking more questions, and be more curious than certain. As the leader, it is your role to make each member of your team better. Use Raymond’s “The Accountability Dial” to develop a sense of responsibility for each team member and their role in improving each area by aligning with the school’s mission, values, and vision. Build a high-performing team using Lencioni’s “The Five Behaviors” of building trust, mastering conflict, achieving commitment, embracing accountability, and focusing on results.

5.?The Board of Trustees: It’s about being a strategic partner, not an employee. Too often, I hear heads of schools, and board members, state, “The board is my boss!” Well, technically, yes; however, practically, the board of trustees and the head of school have a much more complicated interdependent relationship and need to be strategic partners. The role of the board is to govern and “hold the school in trust,” and individual trustees should support the school and the head of school in ways that build the capacity of the organization. As a strategic partner, you, as the head, need to take responsibility with the board chair to organize, focus, and lead the board. You’ve already begun establishing a relationship with the board chair and trustee members of the search committee. Build on that relationship by considering having a “User Manual” exercise or what Michael Bungay Stanier refers to as a “Keystone Conversation” in his new book, “How to Work with Almost Anyone.”

Soon, after a few weeks on the job, work with the board to clarify the collective expectations for you as the new head of school. Create a shared document that you share with the entire school community in the form of big-picture expectations in the form of shared goals and objectives or a transition plan document that you can follow up on later in the year to share what you have learned and what you, the board, and the administrative team accomplished.

6. ?Communicate, communicate, communicate, then communicate some more. This cannot be overstated, it will be important for you to communicate clearly, concisely, and consistently. You will want to share with the school community what you hear on your listening tour (building relationships one conversation at a time) and what you’ve learned through research and studying the founding story, mission, values, vision, philosophy, and history of the school. Build the school's story today, and begin framing the vision (the story) of the future. Learn to speak clearly, and concisely. Be consistent in the frequency and the top three to five subjects you talk about. Get a public speaking coach if you’re not consistently clear and concise. Remember, people may not always remember what you say, but how you said it and how it made them feel.

7. ?It’s not about you, and it is all about you! Always stay grounded in why you are at your school; to serve something greater than yourself, and to leave the school better for you having led it. Hold onto the Beginner’s mind and stay curious a while longer. Create a true learning organization dedicated to continuous improvement.

Remember, people are watching you! Block out time on your calendar to “manage by walking around” (MBWA) where you can be seen, and have brief encounters with students, faculty, staff, administrative team, parents, and prospective students and their families. ?And, so you can keep learning some more stories!

I hope these ideas, thoughts, and reflections will be helpful to you as you begin this wonderful opportunity to lead your new school community. Stay curious, continue to learn, and be more coach-like. One last thought, just as we have learned when we travel, in case of loss of cabin pressure, be sure to put your oxygen mask on first, or as I heard an Octogenarian once state as one of the most important things they have learned in their lifetime, “..when your computer or smartphone don’t seem to working the way they should, unplugging it and letting it sit for a moment usually does the trick once you start it up again.” So don’t forget to take some time for yourself and your family, and enjoy this fantastic journey you are embarking on, making a difference in the lives of students, their families, and the educators that serve them.

P.S. Tip # 8 Be sure to change your location on your LinkedIn profile. Peace.

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