Leading schools was tough when I started in 2006. But with recruitment and retention crises, mushrooming workload, high-stakes accountability, parental complaints on the rise, attendance on the decline, budgetary concerns and much, much more, starting out now is a whole new level of challenge.
Little wonder then that over one-third of secondary leaders and one-quarter of primary leaders leave within five years of their appointment, or that so many potential leaders have no desire to take on what they see as a burn-out job.
But there is still so much to love and enjoy about headship, and if there’s one thing that can make the difference to a leader’s career, it’s a good start with strong support.
I did not have as much support as I needed at the start. I had great colleagues I could call on for advice and guidance, but none of that focused on how headship felt.
Leaders need that more than ever. So based on years of coaching new leaders, here are my top five ways to help them on the road to lengthier, happier careers.
Confront imposter syndrome
We all suffer from a lack of self-belief sometimes, but it’s important to take the pressure off yourself by recognising that everyone is still figuring leadership out. No one has the all the answers, and we all get things wrong all the time.
We also hear those negative voices that tell us that we can’t or that we are not good enough. If you are (or if you are supporting someone who is) feeling this way, look for the evidence to the contrary.
I refer to this as finding the ‘affirming rationale’ that combats imposter syndrome. It takes a bit of practice, but it is doable – especially as part of a coaching conversation.
Maintain perspective
This is critical. When things are stressful, every problem can feel like a major one. However, the reality is that the vast majority of problems are not. We have to find ways to assess just how big an issue is.
We can do this by zooming out and considering things from a distance. I recommend creating a checklist of questions that you can ask yourself. It varies from person to person, but questions like this can help:
- If I got a call to tell me my child was hurt, how important would this issue be?
- If I sleep on this, will it feel different in the morning?
Embrace the difficulty
Leadership is difficult. That is never going to change. We have to accept and embrace that it is supposed to be. The easy stuff should be dealt with long before a leader has to give it their attention.
Leadership is difficult – and it does not get easier. However, it can feel so because you get better. This means that you need to focus on self-improvement as a priority.
Be humble
The best leaders know leadership is about giving service, not about their ego. But humility doesn’t mean self-effacement. Acknowledge that you don’t know everything (why should you?) creates opportunities for growth, and growing leaders stay engaged, energised and focused for the long term. Humble leaders make good listeners and good learners.
Be yourself
Having said that, there is a place for your ego too. There has to be. No one can do what you do in the way that you do it, so embrace it (with humility).
Ultimately, we can listen to and learn from others, but we can’t be them or replicate their successes. Know who you are, understand your values and the purpose that you serve, and stick to this throughout your leadership journey.
The ability to maintain a sense of self in thinking through problems and making decisions relieves so much of the stress of the job because you feel aligned and authentic.
Above all, try to enjoy it. Leadership is something we get to do, not something we’ve got to do. With the help of the above, I hope many more get to do it for much longer.
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