Leadership In Education Settings

The most dangerous leaders I know are rarely incompetent. They’re deeply convinced. BlackBerry had confidence. Kodak had history. Blockbuster had scale. Nokia had talent. Until they didn’t matter anymore. That’s the price of certainty. I’ve seen the same pattern up close. Smart leaders. Respected leaders. The ones everyone listened to. Then they stopped listening themselves. Meetings where questions disappeared. Feedback got “acknowledged” - then ignored. Concerns labeled as resistance. New ideas dismissed with: “We’ve tried that before.” That’s when things quietly broke. Not all at once. But slowly. Predictably. And that’s the danger in turbulent times like these. Because certainty feels safe - right up until it isn’t. What works now isn’t louder conviction. It’s faster learning. This is what keeps leaders relevant 👇 1. Questions before conclusions Curiosity first. Certainty later. 2. Dissent earning airtime Pushback is treated as signal, not friction. 3. The last word isn’t theirs Decisions stay open long enough for truth to surface. 4. “We’ve always done it” = red flag Familiarity gets challenged, not trusted. 5. Quiet voices get amplified Insight isn’t mistaken for volume. 6. Mistakes aren’t audited in public Learning stays safe. Fear stays out. 7. “That’s weird” isn’t the end Unconventional ideas get explored, not buried. 8. “Let’s test it” replaces “That won’t work” Stop debating. Start testing. The leaders who last aren’t the loudest. They’re the most curious. They don’t win by having the best answers. They win by asking better questions -  again and again. And in a world that won’t slow down, the most powerful move a leader can make is simple: Stay teachable. ♻ Repost if you believe curiosity is a leadership strength. ➕ Follow Mike Leber for daily leadership insights that challenge the status quo. — 📌 I’m creating a free Leadership Readiness Assessment  to help leaders spot blind spots before they turn into breaking points. Join the waitlist to get it first 👉  https://lnkd.in/dM8Ks7Ns

Struggling teams don't need another framework. They need a leader. I've taken over bad teams filled with good people. I learned to embrace three themes for a successful reset: ✅ Change requires honoring the past and building the future ✅ Trust is rebuilt through actions, not just words ✅ Culture lives in daily micro-decisions Here are the 8 lessons that make it work: 1/ Honor the Past ↳ Don't play the blame game ↳ Value those who stayed through hard times 2/ Name What Stops Here ↳ Be specific about what changes ↳ Get them to help rewrite the new rules 3/ Own Your Role ↳ Acknowledge where you fell short ↳ Build trust through self-accountability 4/ Reset the Target ↳ Paint a clear 6-month vision ↳ Define what excellence looks like 5/ Define Winning Behaviors ↳ Skip empty corporate speak ↳ Make expectations crystal clear 6/ Create New Rituals ↳ Build sacred team habits ↳ Engineer connection, especially remote 7/ Embrace Iterations ↳ Progress isn't linear ↳ Celebrate small wins, learn from setbacks 8/ Rebuild Trust Daily ↳ Start from trust at zero ↳ Do what you say you'll do 9/ Catch Them Winning ↳ Be specific about what you see ↳ What gets recognized gets repeated Want more detail?  Flip through the full playbook below. Remember:  Your team likely knows the path forward. They're just waiting for you to walk it first. If this was helpful: 📌 Please follow Dave Kline for more ♻️ Share to help other leaders turn things around.

Years ago, I worked under a school leader whose team never missed a deadline, never waited for reminders, and always had a spark in their eyes. One day, I asked him the secret. He smiled and said, "I don’t manage performance. I manage people. Performance follows." And then he scribbled three letters on a board: KPI Not the usual Key Performance Indicators, he said. But something far more human: Keep People Informed – Because silence breeds doubt. Clarity breeds trust. Keep People Involved – Because when people build it, they believe in it. Keep People Interested – Because curiosity is the fuel of consistency. Keep People Inspired – Because when hearts are lit, results ignite. That day I realised— Great leaders don’t just chase numbers. They build environments where people feel seen, heard, and fired up from within. So the next time you sit down with your team, ask yourself: "Am I just reviewing charts… or am I lighting a fire?" Because numbers may impress, but inspired people — they perform miracles. Credit for matter mentioned in Image and original idea: @Robertson Hunter Stewart

Many senior leaders I work with care deeply about innovation. And still, they experience a tension they don’t always state out loud. Control vs. curiosity. Alignment vs. disagreement. They know innovation doesn’t come from everyone just doing what they’re told. But they also believe that too much freedom, without enough structure, can quickly turn into chaos. What they often do not realize is that they do not need to pick a side. Instead, they need to learn how to hold both at the same time. In my work, I’ve seen that innovative teams don’t try to get rid of dissent. They embrace it and shape it. And they don’t just tell people to “be curious.” They use practices that make curiosity possible, every day. Here are a few principles that help leaders navigate this tension: 1. Keep dissent about ideas, not people. The best debates focus on the work: the data, the assumptions, the trade-offs. Not egos, titles, or who’s “right.” When leaders stay open (especially when they’re being challenged) it gives everyone else permission to do the same. 2. Give curiosity clear boundaries. Curiosity actually works better with structure. Be clear about where experimentation is encouraged, what constraints matter, and when decisions are final. Too much freedom without clarity is overwhelming. Clarity creates room to explore. 3. Don’t mix learning moments with performance moments. If every conversation feels like a test, people stop taking risks. Say out loud when the goal is learning, reflection, or trying things out. And protect those spaces. 4. Reward contribution, not agreement. If people get ahead by agreeing, that’s what they’ll do. If they get ahead by improving thinking, raising risks, and expanding options, you’ll get better decisions. 5. Remember: culture follows behavior, not demands or promises. Curiosity isn’t what leaders say they want. It’s what they notice, what they ask about, and what they act on, especially when things get tense. To me, innovation does not mean letting go of control. It’s about using control more thoughtfully, in ways that leave room for learning, challenge, and discovery. Leaders who get this right build teams and organizations that keep learning long after today’s problems are solved. #teams #collaboration #control #innovation #rules #practices #tension #learning #leadership

Unlocking the potential of emerging talents isn't just about providing opportunities – it's about creating an environment that fosters growth and innovation. Here’s how you can create that environment! 1. Mentorship Magic: Offer guidance and mentorship to new talents. Sharing your experiences and insights can be a game-changer in their journey. 2. Learning Playground: Create a space for continuous learning. Encourage curiosity, provide resources, and support their thirst for knowledge. 3. Freedom to Innovate: Give them the freedom to experiment and innovate. Allow them to contribute their fresh perspectives and ideas without fear. 4. Constructive Feedback: Constructive feedback is gold. Help them identify strengths and areas for improvement, paving the way for growth. 5. Collaboration Culture: Cultivate a collaborative environment. Encourage cross-functional interactions that spark creativity and build connections. 6. Recognition and Appreciation: Celebrate their achievements, no matter how small. Recognition boosts confidence and motivates them to excel. Remember, empowering new talents doesn't just benefit them – it enriches your team and organization with fresh energy and diverse viewpoints. Together, let's build a community that nurtures and uplifts the next generation of leaders. 🚀🌟

Does the School Teach Morality? Earlier this year, a parent asked whether our school teaches morality and what we would do if a student wanted to work on something he considered “questionable.” I asked for an example. He said, “What if my daughter wanted to build a gambling or sports betting idea?” It was a great question. At the time, I did not have a perfectly crisp answer. I knew a "no fly list" of bad ideas sounded terrible. But I didn't know what we would do. Here is what we do not do ▪️ preach a moral code ▪️ dictate what is right or wrong aka "the no fly list" ▪️ project our beliefs onto students There are good reasons for this. It is a slippery slope, adolescents resist dictates, and you do not build judgment by telling students what to think. At the same time, I would not be proud of a school where students built extractive ideas instead of value add ones. So the real question was how might we nudge students toward better choices without moralizing. To attain my Montessori adolescent teaching diploma, we had to do a research paper so I made this the topic of my research As part of my research, I discovered this is called "others-oriented reasoning", It is the ability to make decisions by considering the impact on others, not only yourself. And so I went to identify how we might foster others-oriented-reasoning in students. I identified 8 strategies For those interested in those, I've summarized my research and those strategies into the attached deck In short: We will not teach morality. We will teach judgment. And judgment comes from reasoning, not rules. I'm sure we'll keep refining, but building a school where students pursue ambitious goals that are valuable to others feels like it should be central to our mission. I'd love to hear your thoughts

Telling a board their school wasn’t going to make payroll--the hardest day of my career. And here’s the thing, it wasn’t the only time I had that conversation. Turnaround work is rough. - You sit across from board members who already feel like they’ve failed. - You cut programs that students and parents love. - You ask staff to do more with less. It’s painful. It’s messy. And honestly it’s mostly avoidable. Every time I’ve seen schools get into that kind of trouble, the pattern was the same: 1. They waited too long. 2. They thought they could fix it themselves. 3. They hoped the problem would just pass. It never does. What was missing from that particular instance wasn’t just money, it was clarity and expertise. That’s the same lesson I carry into all the work I continue today. Whether it’s a $4M deficit, a $40M deficit, or a risky new AI rollout, the danger is the same: Leaders making decisions in the dark, without the right expertise beside them. Here’s what I know now: - Waiting = panic, paralysis, shutdown. - Acting early = stability, confidence, growth. Presidents, superintendents, boards your people don’t want you gambling. They want you moving first, seeing clearly, protecting the future of the school. That’s why schools should never put off bringing in expertise. Not for finances. Not for governance. Not for AI. #SchoolLeadership #Superintendents #SchoolTurnaround #Governance #FutureOfEducation

Leadership Insights by Dr Paul Teys Stepping into the head of curriculum role at a school renowned for its 70-year tradition of academic excellence, I encountered a steadfast belief - university placement as the singular success metric post-year 12. The challenge was clear - to broaden the narrative and champion multiple pathways to success. This was more than a vision; it was a mission to diversify our students’ prospects in an evolving job market. Resistance from alumni and scepticism from parents, who prized our school’s university placement record, were hurdles I had to navigate with care. The staff were a challenge as well, given their focus on university placement as the outcome of year 12. To pivot the school's perspective, I introduced: ·      Forums with professionals from varied fields, ·      Parental discussions emphasising the value in diverse educational trajectories, and ·      Workshops and TAFE programs that celebrated career diversity. The transformation required a cultural shift and a curriculum overhaul to celebrate every form of success, including apprenticeships and traineeships. Leading by example, I became an advocate for all success paths, demonstrating that education is about equipping students for life's varied possibilities, not just university preparedness. Our results, over time, blossomed. The school now prides itself on the diversity of graduate pathways, embodying a holistic and adaptable education system. It did wonders for our enrolment as well and for the morale amongst the year 12 cohort. This journey underscored a valuable leadership lesson - visionary leadership often involves disrupting the status quo and patiently guiding the community through change. For me, it was also about fostering a future that honours every student’s potential. This was a celebration of inclusivity and diversity and daring leadership. Have you ever had to challenge long-standing beliefs to create change? #EducationLeadership #InclusiveEducation #ChangeManagement #Success #principals #emergingleaders #holisticeducation https://lnkd.in/gaECddbK

As a Headhunter, when I place executives and professionals as Global Leaders, I see that the ability to lead across cultures is no longer a luxury—it's an imperative for sustainable success in our hyper-connected global age. As markets transcend borders and teams span nationalities, the most forward-thinking leaders are cultivating a strong core competency: Cultural Intelligence. More than just intellectual knowledge of world cultures, Cultural Intelligence (CQ) represents a holistic mastery of the multidimensional skills required to collaborate, innovate, and drive performance in today's rich tapestry of diversity. At its core, CQ development enhances inward reflection and outward integration. It begins with leaders securely grounding themselves in the values of their own cultural identities while simultaneously developing deep self-awareness of how their backgrounds shape perspectives. This potent combination of cultural self-regard, self-knowledge, and self-management allows leaders to project an authentic presence that cultivates trust across cultures. It's a crucial foundation - but just the first step. To ascend to true CQ mastery, introspection must be complemented by cultivating a profound respect and adaptive mindset towards cultural diversity and inclusion. This expansive social-regard, social-awareness, and social-management attunes leaders to navigate nuanced cultural norms, traditions, and relational patterns. By attuning to diverse "languages" of human interaction, leaders can deftly harmonize dynamics, resolve conflicts, and inspire innovative synergy by skillfully integrating many voices. Yet developing transcendent CQ is more marathon than sprint. It requires perseverance, resilience, and adaptability to overcome adversities when bridging cultural divides. This grit and a steadfast commitment to continuous learning empower leaders to stay grounded yet adaptive as they forge collaborative unions across cultures. While this journey of holistic CQ development is profoundly personal, organizations play a pivotal role. Beyond just providing training, top companies are embedding CQ into the fabric of their talent and culture. They evaluate for it, nurture it through immersive experiences, and ensure leadership models aspirational behavior. In our era of unprecedented global connectivity, transcendent leadership capability is predicated upon mastering Cultural Intelligence. Developing multidimensional CQ through committed personal growth interwoven with robust organizational support can unlock new frontiers of innovation and growth. Those leaders and companies prioritizing developing this holistic skillset won't just survive the multicultural age - they will be the architects who thrive by uniting the world's rich cultural diversity into a collaborative, competitive advantage.