As Principal, You are the Head of a Village
As a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, 37-year-old principal, I was not aware of how significant community leadership would be. Managing relationships and stakeholder influence would weigh heavily on me as the principal. It would wear on my energy and resources to engage positively and productively with all the groups in each of my schools. Just like […]
Successful principals are the right fit
“Right Fit” The foundation for a successful principalship, or tenure as a CEO, starts before the first day on the job. Boards have got to get this aspect of the recruitment right – the successful applicant must be the “right fit.” Right fit means the principal’s leadership compatibility and affinity with the context of the […]
Principal as CEO
Being a principal in an independent school in Australia is a complex and demanding role, multi-faceted and carrying responsibilities akin to that of a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a medium-sized, not-for-profit company, or corporation in Australia. There are no shareholders in not for-profit companies, but in these school-businesses, there is a multitude of stakeholders. An […]
Principals as brand managers
Brand. Principals in independent schools are responsible for establishing their school’s point of difference and sustaining this in the market-driven context which is independent schools in Australia. These principals are building an image of the child’s future. The whole management of the brand/image is an integral part of the role of a principal but adds […]
The principal as CFO, know it!
Independent school principals in Australia are CEOs. They must run their schools as large businesses, just like a CEO of a large not-for-profit company. If they fail to manage the financial performance of the school and manage whole school operations effectively to meet the financial bottom line, their schools are at risk, and can become […]
Independent School Principal – CEO
CEO. Independent school principals in the common vernacular in Australian schools and chief executive officers (CEO), as understood in not-for-profit businesses and corporations. As in the corporate world, principals in independent schools sign a formal contract of employment with the board which stipulates the terms and conditions of appointment; duties and responsibilities; the principal’s relationship […]
Effective (independent school) principals are very good at managing the school’s image and reputation
Effective principals are keenly aware of why parents seek their school to educate their children. They are aware of the school’s reputation, the heritage, the strengths, aspects of school culture that are to be nourished and developed. Managing the school’s image and reputation is an important aspect of the role of independent school principals. Appearances […]
For a Principal to be effective – context matters
The foundation for the effectiveness of the principal in large, P-12, autonomous, independent schools in Australia, hinges on the Board making a quality decision about the person they appoint to lead the school. The board’s most important role is to appoint and work with the Principal and this relationship is crucial to the school’s success. […]
Relationships, rather than authority or superiority, are at the heart of leadership.
A principal fosters connections, trust and collaboration between all groups within a school community. In this way, people work for each other. The principal ruthlessly protects people, encouraging connection, collaboration and collective ownership, nurturing a safe environment of trust, respect and family. He recognises leadership wherever it occurs; it is not restricted to a single […]
Staying calm under pressure tells a lot about a leader
Joyce E.A. Russell (the Senior Associate Dean at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business) writing in the New York Times, June 19, 2016, reminds us of what we can do to better control our emotions when life throws us a curveball?
