You can mandate adequacy, you can’t mandate greatness, it has to be unleased. – Joel Klein
How can we make a sustained and profound impact on/in the schools through our leadership? Sian would suggest the impact we seek must come from within the profession, that ‘we’ need to unleased?
Sian challenged the receptiveness of the profession. Arguing that the profession must make a more concerted, collective effort, to bring about a better education, the “very best” education for pupils. That the effort also requires courage, capacity and creativity. That as a profession we must show “reason and passion” (repeated). I do not have further clarification for you “reason.”
We have a new government, we have our government for the next five years. The reform path may be challenging, the navigation through the reform may be challenging, however, the Government can not achieve their aims without us. One would argue that this is where we will need to show courage, capacity, creativity and be reasonable.
What type of leadership will be required?
One of the greatest strengths of good leaders is a strong sense of moral purpose. – Fullan, 2013.
A sense of equality and collectivity, within the diverse set of organisations in which we work and between organisations, is also required. We need to have a sense that we are a part of “the whole system.” Sian commanded advised we maintain our moral purpose. She hinted that there is room for both moral purpose and excellence.
Leadership counts. The quality of teaching and learning counts. Leaders, leading on the quality of teaching and learning is paramount. In my interpretation of Sian’s view, therefore, Senior Leaders, should move ever closer to the classroom, supporting professional learning. That is this connected era, Sian hinted that leadership needed to be connected leadership.
Repertoire of leadership practices
- Building visions and setting directions
- Understanding and developing people (know the people, behind the roles)
- Redesigning the organisation (rethinking how the school operates – it’s shape)
- Managing teaching and learning (fed by the previous three)
Personal Leadership
Openness, humility, flexible (holding onto the core), “utterly, utterly persistent,” attention to detail, optimistic (the third time this quality has been highlighted) and resilient.
[At this point, I need to point out the calmness and assuredness with which Sian delivers her message. The conscious emphasis and pacing, and the purposeful use of repetition. This audio would make such a fantastic resource for established and aspiring leaders.]
Collaboration and connected leadership features heavily in Sian’s call to action. To foster and get a sense of the ways in which collaboration can support your organisation and your wider locality. Let’s do some connected thinking, to find the best solution, not only the solution. Technology can facilitate – unsurprisingly, Twitter gets a mention.
The future is one in which we look way beyond our organisation, and more than one partnership. Sian Carr (2015)
Building pedagogy for our staff and building social capital within our pupils, both get a mention.
I have to dash to set up my workshop… but I hope you enjoy this summary.
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