“Ko ngā pae tawhiti whāia kia tata, ko ngā pae tata, whakamaua kia tina.”
The potential for tomorrow depends on what we do today.
Module Objectives:
- Enhance self-awareness: Develop a deeper understanding of personal values, beliefs, and leadership styles.
- Develop emotional intelligence: Identify and manage personal emotions, and understand and respond effectively to the emotions of others.
- Identify personal strengths and areas for development: Conduct a comprehensive self-assessment and identify key strengths, weaknesses, and areas for professional growth.
- Build self-reflection habits: Develop and implement strategies for ongoing self-reflection and professional development.
Section 1: Exploring Self-Awareness
Resource 1: “Taking off the armour and showing up authentically“
According to a study in the Leadership and Organization Development Journal, employees’ perception of authentic leadership serves as the strongest predictor of job satisfaction and positively impacts work-related attitudes and happiness. Watch this video on authentic leadership from Brene Brown – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9669oUfqbDU Consider what this means for your leadership – how do you show up at school authentically?
Section 2: Developing Emotional Intelligence
Resource 2: “Emotional Intelligence for School Leaders”
Explore this podcast on why emotional intelligence is imperative for school leaders – https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/edcast/24/03/why-emotional-intelligence-matters-educators
Section 3: Identifying Strengths and Areas for Development
Self-review can take many forms and be carried out in a number of ways, but the underlying principles of effective self-review require it to be:
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- Purposeful – leading to action for improvement
- Meaningful – not reviewing for reviewing’s sake
- Manageable – realistic in terms of time and human and financial resources
- Systematic – programmed so it doesn’t get overlooked
- Reliable – based on relevant and valid evidence
- Collaborative – involving key stakeholders
Task:
Step 1: Reflect on your personal leadership style and identify areas for self-improvement.
Step 2: Discuss with your kaiarahi the most effective strategies for gathering feedback from others on your leadership strengths and weaknesses.
Consider options such as:
- 360-degree feedback surveys: Involving staff, students, parents, and other stakeholders.
- Informal feedback: Seeking feedback from trusted colleagues, mentors, or external coaches.
- Observations: Observing your own leadership in action and seeking feedback from trusted colleagues.
- Reflection journals: Regularly reflecting on your leadership experiences and identifying areas for growth.
Step 3: Develop a plan with your kaiarahi for gathering feedback from multiple sources and document your plan in the online forum. This can be discussed at your first coaching session.
Step 4: Post on the forum a brief summary of how you will collect feedback, from who and why.
Step 5: Implement this plan and, at your second coaching session, reflect on this.
Assessment:
- Completion of all readings.
- Participation in the online forum discussion.
- Development and implementation of a plan for gathering feedback on leadership strengths and weaknesses.
- Reflection on personal leadership style and development of a personal development plan.
35 Responses
Kia ora koutou, I loved meeting with Murray and couldn’t have asked for better timing too. We talked about my current acting principal role and how it was going, our school environment and the many challenges we have faced over the last two years due to the cyclone and flooding – moving our school three times, teaching out of a marae, and staff burnout. It was refreshing to have a new perspective outside of our school community. It was also reassuring that in my leadership journey having high expectations, respectful behaviour, courageous conversations, and wearing my heart on my sleeve all contribute to becoming a great leader. Thank you Murray for your insight and words of wisdom.
I am a product of my whānau who are my role models. Past teachers/principals are my role models too and were major supports for me in my schooling. My goal is to grow kids as whole people, and my purpose is to grow future leaders, and support work colleagues with their endeavours.
Robin Stern mentions, “being aware that you are a role model for all the teachers in the school, and ultimately for the students as well… And it’s in the small moments, not just the big moments, that emotional intelligence show up.”
For me, emotional intelligence being present every day (presence matters and sets the tone for the day). Our staff always greet tamariki as we see them or they walk in the front door and we receive a lot of hugs. We always have open communication where we foster a safe and supportive environment. School is our safe place to talk with colleagues about challenges we may have. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength. We are great at reading each other’s emotions and body language. In some instances in the Acting Principal role, I have had to have the hard conversations with staff members due to being worried about their health and mental wellbeing, therefore, sending them home for a wellbeing day. We have a lot of laughs too, honestly, our staff is one big whānau.In addition, emotional intelligence is about building a positive rapport with our school, whānau, community, and iwi. Since working at Nuhaka School, going on 10 years now. I have fostered positive relationships with not only our community but the surrounding communities too. It helped that I grew up nearby and had already developed these relationships with whānau throughout my primary schooling. My role as a teacher, DP, and working with whānau and the community have been a lot easier because of this. It has been hard letting go of some of the hats (roles) I wear and love, especially sports. But it is becoming easier as we encourage and nurture the strengths of our staff, letting them discover their potential in additional roles too.
I have been receiving a lot of positive feedback from staff and whānau being in the Acting Principal role. I just need to learn to accept praise and compliments as I find this hard to do. It has been an overwhelming experience but a good learning experience for me. Having the support of my colleagues, whānau, community and iwi made the experience more enriching. So the challenge now will be in how I present and use this feedback to shape my leadership journey and provide me with new goals. In no way am I perfect, and I have many weaknesses that I need to improve on but I am learning.
Love this post 🙂
You say, “Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength”, 100% agree. I encourage this with my staff all of the time but tend to not be overly mindful of it for myself. This is something I need to work on to ensure I don’t fall into burnout.
It is great you recognise that you need to work on accepting praise. Often as leaders we are good at giving it out but not so great in accepting it. In the text “Quiet Leadership” it talks about how “people get on average a couple of minutes of positive feedback every year versus thousands of hours of negative feedback”. I think in our profession of teaching, leaders are far better at giving positive feedback to staff because we see how it impacts students too. But as far as us as leaders taking it, hmmm I don’t think some of us do that well. Myself included.
Kia ora everyone
I am really late to the party, but definitely part of the party!
I have enjoyed reading everyone’s thoughts and only just sat down to record my own, I need to make sure this term I get into a more regular habit of making time along the way.
I loved the readings for this module, Breneé Brown certainly sums me up at the moment in terms of having to be brave and having courage to step out of my comfort zone. I have been at my current school for nearly 21 years, it’s really comfortable here. When she talked about taking off the armour I really felt that comment, I think being brave and stanch is something I have become really good at.
The second one I really liked how it talked about emotions being information for us and learning to be in control of them. Being aware of our impact on people as we walk through the door, we are the weather within our circle of leadership.
My korero with Murray was really insightful and I walked away feeling revitalised and refreshed, I love a good conversation which really pushes you to think about your own journey, where you are in it and look for what possibilities could be out there in front of you.
We also had an honest chat about my goals, strengths, and areas I want to grow in. Having a genuine and outside opinion of where I am at in my leadership journey was really enlightening.
I am looking forward to continuing my journey within this course.
Kia ora koutou,
Aroha mai, I’m joining the kōrero a little later than planned, but I’ve appreciated reading through everyone’s reflections. It’s been inspiring to see the honesty, thoughtfulness, and depth in the leadership journeys across our different kura. There’s something quite powerful about learning in community with others navigating similar paths.
My hui with Murray was refreshing and affirming. His ability to whakawhanaungatanga created a space that felt safe and genuine. It reminded me just how important connection is in our work. That kind of relational leadership, calm, intentional, and deeply human, reflected many of the ideas from our readings in action.
The readings themselves, I thought, were such a well-matched pair. Brené Brown’s whakaaro around authenticity, especially the idea of “taking off the armour,” offered an invitation to lead with heart, rather than perfection. It’s not always easy to show up without the shield, but doing so can strengthen relationships and build trust. The podcast on Emotional Intelligence reinforced how we manage and express our emotions has a direct impact on those around us. That ripple effect on staff, tamariki, and whānau is something to be constantly mindful of.
As our kura experiences ongoing growth and change, I’ve been reflecting on how I can best serve our team. I don’t see leadership as a position of power, but as a responsibility to support, uplift, and enable others. I’ve always believed that every role in a school holds value, and my focus has been on building strong, collaborative relationships where everyone feels heard and valued. I’m continuing to learn how to hold space for others while also managing my responses with emotional intelligence.
Being grounded in kaupapa Māori continues to shape my leadership. I’m committed to collective approaches, reciprocal relationships, and open, honest kōrero. To support my growth, I’ll collect feedback through a staff survey, and while I may attempt to keep a journal, I’m aware that might not be sustainable long-term. I’m looking forward to the more direct, kanohi ki te kanohi conversations, which often offer the deepest insight. These moments of shared reflection help me grow in meaningful ways, aligned with my values, and centred on what’s best for our tamariki.
I’m grateful to be part of this learning rōpū, and I look forward to what lies ahead.
Ngā manaakitanga,
Danielle
Hi everyone,
Apologies I am super late to the reply party!!
I’ve really enjoyed the readings for this part of the course—especially anything by Brené Brown (honestly, I’m a bit of a fan!). Her focus on courage really stood out to me, and the Four Pillars of Courage was a new model I hadn’t come across before. I love the idea that courage can be built, and it’s something I’d like to bring more of into my leadership.
One big takeaway for me was the section on Emotional Intelligence. The quote “A leader’s ability to regulate their own emotions can have a positive effect on the entire school” really made me pause and reflect. I know how much of an impact I can have on the vibe of a team or a room, and I want to keep that in mind every day—especially in those tricky moments when things feel a bit chaotic.
Transparency was another concept that made me think. I do value being open and honest with my team, but this reading helped me consider how I show that in the day-to-day and where I can be even clearer.
One of the more fun parts for me was reflecting on the kind of leader I am. I jotted down all the things I tend to do (and not do), popped it into ChatGPT (AI fan over here!), and it came back with names like relational leadership, people-first leadership, and leading with heart and purpose. That really resonated. I then had a great chat with Murray, who—after listening to me talk about my leadership journey—said that it’s clear people come first in everything I do. That meant a lot and really reinforced how important relationships are in my leadership style.
Murray and I also had an awesome, honest chat about my goals, strengths, and areas I want to grow in. It was refreshing to get such a genuine and unbiased perspective.
We didn’t talk much about feedback gathering, but since then, I’ve been thinking a lot about it. I’ve decided to start by collecting feedback from my team (I’m currently leading our Year 7/8 team), which feels like a good starting point to reflect and make changes where needed.
I am excited about the terms ahead!
I to am such a fan of Brene Brown 🙂
I designed a google form and sent to my team, as well as a handful of parents. Asked some questions to gather some feedback and then used that to come up with a couple of goals. Can be quite confronting to do, but like Brene Brown says, vulnerability is important.
Let me know if you want some of the qs for ideas for your own gatherining of feedback.
Kia ora Everyone,
I feel like I’m a little slow to posting in here as well but I hope that everyone is having a positive end to the term. Like you Maria, I cannot believe how fast this term has gone but it has been full of amazing things for us at our kura here (Evans Bay Intermediate in Wellington).
I was lucky to have my korero with Murray on Wednesday when he stopped in to visit. We had a good chat about my leadership experience and the background behind my education journey. It was really eye-opening to have a different perspective from someone that does not know me, but had the chance to see the environment I work in. Murray shared an analogy with me about each of us being a Freight Train, rather than simply talking about what we carry in our backpack, or the monkeys on our shoulders. This resonated a little more strongly with the emotional intelligence aspects of our readings and the types of people and scenarios we face in this type of Leadership. More often than not, we get to the situation when it’s more a crash between two trains rather than two monkeys fighting over a banana (purely metaphor).
One of the big things for me with Murray was being honest. That is how I am going to get the most out of this journey and I want to share part of that with the group. I started my teaching in 2014 when the market was flooded. At the end of 2013 on completing my training, I sent out 100 CV’s and had only 2 interviews, neither of which in Wellington. I was unsuccessful so went to the UK for two and a half years. I still struggled to find a job in 2017 on my return, but got a fixed-term one year contract in Martinborough. I was lucky to start at EBIS in 2018 and have had an amazing experience since. I was diagnosed with depression in 2019, following a couple of hard years where I was not monitoring my balance. Since then, I have done a massive amount of work to know myself, know my triggers, and know when I need to take a step back. The main reason I share this is because of the readings that we have been doing. Emotional Intelligence training and understanding is key for when we are preparing for those big moments, rather than only thinking about it when we are thrust into that situation. The work I have done for myself has transferred into my leadership so much more than I would have realised if it weren’t for Murray’s insights. This then applied to the Authentic Leadership readings as well and the relationships I have developed with staff, students and our wider community. I really appreciated the person- focused aspect of Murray’s ideas and style, which you mentioned as well Michelle.
Moving forward, I am going to be collecting feedback from staff through a Google Form as well. There were some good keywords in the ‘Entrepreneurs as Authentic Leaders’ reading that I’m going to use. Claire, I really like the idea of sending this to parents as well so I might create a version that whanau can do together during the break so that I can get some parent and student voice.
A long message from me, but I loved reading a lot of your replies and reflecting on your ideas alongside what I’ve been thinking of following both Modules One and Two. All the best to everyone going into the final week and I hope you are all having a warmer day than Wellington is blessing us with today.
Paul Chalk
Kia ora koutou,
I hope everyone is doing well. I also hope that you, the students, staff and community of the kura you work in have had a successful and productive start to the school term, it is hard to believe that there’s only two weeks left!
Like others, I appreciated meeting Murray and having a chance to share, reflect and capture pearls of wisdom. Our discussion focused around values, beliefs and balance. Thank you Murray for reiterating for me the importance of believing in what I do and living key values everyday. As well as discussing my leadership journey thus far and my aspirations for the future, our discussion about the importance of people particularly resonated with me. I care deeply about being trusted, being seen as authentic, as well as encouraging and supporting growth in others.
I have been subtly gathering feedback on my leadership style by asking questions and seeking improvement suggestions in relation to my actions as I work in different areas of my portfolio. As well as seeking feedback from others I am balancing this approach with my own reflection journal.
Ngā mihi
Michelle
Thank you for sharing your reflections. It’s inspiring to hear how you’re actively seeking feedback and balancing it with personal reflection—such a valuable approach to leadership growth which I also know well. Your focus on authenticity and supporting others really resonates with me. Ngā mihi!
Kia ora everyone
A little slow to the posting here! It has been really wonderful to go through what has already been shared though and hearing about your journeys, values, challenges and drive for leadership. Beautiful!!
My school has just had ERO last week (week 9). My first time as a leader (Deputy Principal of only a couple of years here). I have had ERO multiple times through my career but gosh, very different as a leader.
Emotional Intelligence is something that I feel is extremely important as a leader. Knowing your own feelings, how you react to them and what your own strategies are for dealing with them is super important. Having ERO was a good time to practice this. In the Harvard podcast we listened to they make a clear point about your own emotions and how “you need to manage them. You are a role model. For staff and students.” They also state you can be “feeling one thing on the inside and you’re showing a different emotion on the outside” and if you are in that state too often in it can cause burnout.
I think a big learning curve for me while having ERO (EVEN IN THE LEAD UP TO IT) was I was being mindful of the state of emotion I was projecting to staff and for my Principal, who was also going through his first experience with ERO as a leader. The intensity of the days of questioning with my many hats (classroom teacher as well, SENCO, DP) really pushed my feelings and emotions to another level. What I didn’t do is unpack this or look at it later at the end of each day. The podcast also strongly suggests – so that we avoid burnout is “take note of what you are feeling and ensure you actually deal with it later!! Don’t just put it on the “shelf” as it will pile up.” It is fair to say by the end of last week it all piled up. I hadn’t kindly acknowledge my feelings or challenges I’d faced and I did let them “pile up”. By Friday I had no genuine empathy or patience left for my staff or students because I had completely ignored my feelings in this. I was flat and didn’t engage as I usually would. This was because I hadn’t acknowledged in myself what I needed to to then best meet everyone elses needs.
Compassion fatigue is a real thing. We need to be mindful of how our empathy, compassion and concern for others is balanced with the same kindness for ourselves.
Brene Brown’s work around vulnerability is something that I connect to strongly. As leaders we don’t always need to “armour up”. I started to get pretty down on myself for being low the end of last week and I reminded myself, it is also VERY good for my staff to see that I to struggle with the pressures sometimes. That I found it confronting having others in my class observing just like they did. That when it comes down to it we all were just trying to do a good job for our kids and our school.
Just working through those feelings on this platform has really helped me clear a bit of fog me guys. THANK YOU. I will use today for some self care, so I am not pouring from an empty cup.
Take care everyone and enjoy the last 2 weeks of term.
So glad you talked about compassion fatigue, Lisa. It is real and creeps up on you quite suddenly. After a few challenging years with young students affected by COVID-19, lockdowns and cyclones (in Hawkes Bay), we had some very challenging behaviours and stressed out parents at their wit’s end. It was halfway through 2024 that the idea of compassion fatigue came up and suddenly everything became clear – I was exhausted by looking after the social and emotional wellbeing of students, whānau and staff. The label allowed me to identify how I was feeling, recognise it was normal and move through a process to come out the other side……Yes. Compassion fatigue – so important to be aware of it.
YES, Claire. So easy to get caught up in looking after everyone else. We can’t pour from an empty cup and. I to am in Hawkes Bay :-). No doubt we will catch up over the time of this course!! Take care
Kia ora, I completely relate—having been through three ERO reviews (All quite different) as a leader, I know how varied each experience can be! Your reflections on emotional intelligence and the pressure of the process is something that I agree with. It’s a great reminder of the importance of acknowledging our emotions rather than letting them build up. Thanks for sharing your insights!
Hi Lisa,
I loved reading this and found that managing our emotions is an important aspect of being a leader. Our staff are attuned to each other and our tamariki and we can tell when someone is not their normal self. Even our teacher aids pick up on it too, especially as we all work closely together in class, and at whole school level. I feel I am in a safe environment when unpacking my feelings and emotions with work colleagues and they can do the same. We have a lot of laughs afterwards reflecting on situations and experiences. Honestly, our staff of 14 (including our 2 bus drivers) are like one big family.
I have learned a lot from our Principal too and how she carries herself positively across our school. I am in awe just watching her in meetings, PLD workshops, mediating hui, community hui, and being the amazing supportive leader she is. But compassion fatigue does creep up on you, I experienced a bit of it in the Acting Principal role. And I know it happens because I used to see it a lot in our Principal – We have a close friendship so I would give her the hard word and tell her to go home as her well-being is important to us. I think having that one person, or a group of work colleagues/friends that you have a positive rapport with is something everyone needs – to talk about challenges, feelings and emotions, and to help prevent those burnout moments.
We have ERO near the end of Term 2 during the time we will be moving our school from the Chapel back to our New School. The readings will definitely help prepare us as leaders during what will no doubt be a challenging time.
Thanks Lisa for your post, take care x
I had a highly positive and insightful discussion with Murray, covering key aspects of leadership growth and effectiveness. Murray shared insights on effective mentoring approaches, fostering a growth mindset, and practicing consistent leadership habits. In my third year as Assistant Principal at Taumarunui High School, I serve as the Pastoral Lead, overseeing PB4L (Positive Behaviour for Learning) and restorative practices. I focus on creating a supportive environment for both students and staff, fostering strong relationships, and ensuring consistency in behaviour management. I am highly collaborative, working closely with colleagues, students, and whānau to address individual and collective needs. Constantly reflecting on and seeking to improve my communication and leadership strategies, I aim to enhance outcomes and adapt to the evolving needs of the school community.
Hi Fraser, I’m interested to hear about PB4L practice in your school. It has been a while since we established it in the primary school that I was working in at the time, but I have worked in schools since where I joined after they had established the practice, and I am now in a school that has never had PB4L. It’s an interesting social observation. One thing I would say is that PB4L (whether a good system or not) certainly brings all staff to a common understanding of expectations and a united culture.
Fraser, I really appreciate your focus on fostering strong relationships and consistency in behavior management—it’s such a crucial part of effective leadership. I’ve also completed PLD with Margaret Thorsborne around restorative practices, which I highly recommend. Your commitment to collaboration and continuous improvement through PB4L and restorative practices is inspiring.
It’s hard to imagine we are this far into the term. I’m not sure where it has all gone but at the same time I feel like we’ve run a marathon because the term has been packed with so much. Having my meeting with Murray was a real breath of fresh air and I felt really inspired and affirmed. I shared my vision to build a positive school culture and the journey our school is on this year. I know that being on this programme will help me be a better leader, but more importantly, learn how to ‘show up’ for my staff everyday.
Ha! Interesting Maria, my staff were just saying the other day that this term 1 feels like the busiest and is more comparable to the packed in term three we usually have. I hope all our staff are looking after themselves – 2025 is a lot!! I love the “showing up for your staff every day”. It is so important for us as leaders, and yet it takes a huge emotional toll as we carry some of their stresses onto ourselves. I think for me this year – in a new school environment – I need to make sure that I am taking care of myself as well as my staff so that I can ‘show up for my staff every day’. Leaving early after school to walk the dogs is a very valid expectation for our leaders in schools!
Thank Claire, I totally agree with your assessment of self care. Coming to the end of Week 9, I am definitely seeing the need to remind my self that it is important to set those boundaries and stick to my self care goals. I enjoy walking my full of beans 3 year old. He helps me to reset and focus on the important things in life. People, family, self.
Maria, I completely agree—it feels like the term has flown by, and with staff sickness at our kura, it’s definitely been a challenging one (This term for us is 11 weeks too). Despite the hurdles, it’s great to hear that your meeting with Murray was inspiring and affirming, as it was for me too. Building a positive school culture is so important.
My recent meeting with Murray was a positive and growth-focused experience, providing an opportunity to reflect on my leadership journey while gaining insights from my mentor. A key realisation from our conversation was the importance of staying connected, as my relationships with former Principals continue to inspire meaningful discussions and guide my leadership practice.
With extensive experience in middle leadership as a Head of Department, I am now in my second year as a strategic leader, overseeing the Kāinga program and the school values initiative. This role has reinforced the significance of relational leadership, fostering school culture, and creating an environment where staff and students feel valued and supported.
Currently, I am reading Leading to the North-East by Russell Bishop, and I find it fascinating. His emphasis on agentic leadership and the power of relationships aligns with my leadership philosophy. As Bishop states, “When teachers reject deficit theorising and take an agentic position, they develop relationships that are fundamentally transformative.” This perspective resonates deeply with my work in Kāinga, where relationships and high expectations drive positive student outcomes.
The reflections of others highlighted key aspects of leadership that resonate with me—building trust, addressing inequities, and ensuring leadership is culturally responsive. I look forward to further developing my leadership through continuous reflection, collaboration, and meaningful engagement with my colleagues.
I enjoyed reading your post, Ashok. I am interested to hear your thoughts on Russell Bishop’s thinking within the secondary sector. At my primary school, we have read Russell Bishop as a staff (Teaching to the North East) and the secondary school where I am Presiding Member has just begun this journey this year. I feel this would be more challenging thinking in the secondary sector as relationships with students and whānau is so different at secondary compared to primary. I hope to see you at the seminar days in Auckland to discuss this further.
Kia ora Claire,
Thank you for your comment! Teaching to the North-East by Russell Bishop has been a fascinating and thought-provoking read, particularly in the secondary sector. While I agree that building relationships in a secondary setting comes with different challenges than in primary, I believe that high-expectations relationships and culturally responsive pedagogy are just as crucial at this level.
From my personal experiences, I have taught accelerated, tail-end and bilingual classes, and I cannot emphasise enough the importance of building effective relationships that also target high expectations. I believe that if we, as kaiako, master this approach, we will see a significant shift in our students’ academic achievement. However, as we embark on this journey, we need to be mindful of how we mentor our teachers. Some may view this as a competency test and may be reluctant to step outside their comfort zones. It is crucial that we acknowledge their strengths while also providing the right level of challenge and support to help them shift towards the principles outlined in North-East, with targeted guidance to move them forward.
In my experience, secondary students thrive when they feel genuinely heard and valued. Bishop’s emphasis on agentic teaching strongly aligns with the shift we are making towards student-centered, data-informed instruction. At Aorere College, I have been reflecting on how we can embed these principles within our Kāinga initiative, as well as in our approach to mentoring and collaboration. I would be interested in hearing from the secondary colleagues about their Kāinga programs.
Although our school is still in the early stages of this journey, I have been fortunate to explore Bishop’s work through a mentoring program, where I was first introduced to his ideas. Leading to the North-East has been an insightful read—I’m still working through it while juggling other course materials, but I am already finding it highly relevant to my leadership and practice.
I would love to stay connected and continue this discussion. Feel free to reach out at akumar@aorere.ac.nz or 0211795459—I look forward to catching up at the seminar days in Auckland!
Ngā mihi,
Ashok
Your reflections on relational leadership and the importance of connections are really inspiring. It’s great to see how your leadership journey is shaped by meaningful relationships and a strong commitment to fostering a positive school culture. Leading to the North-East is a fantastic read—I’ve also read and used Bishop’s work, and his insights on agentic leadership have been valuable in my own practice and at different roles-Team Leader, Kahui Ako-Across School Leader, Assistant Principal to Associate Principal/SENCo. His emphasis on relationships and high expectations truly makes a difference. Thanks for sharing your journey!
My hui with Murray was extremely affirming that I’m on the ‘right track’ in terms of my leadership.
Our discussion was centred around my passion and commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, addressing inequities, the journey for schools to be culturally responsive/sustaining and how trauma-informed practices play out currently in education. I talked about my previous leadership development through Te Akatea – Māori Principal’s association and how that changed my ideas of success and what success looks like for me leading as wahine Māori (leading authentically, particularly not leaving my culture at the door and supporting others do the same). We reflected on my strengths as an educator, particularly around relational leadership and how my experience in primary, intermediate and college settings benefited ākonga – knowing where students have come from and what they are going to.
I’m looking forward to gathering feedback from my colleagues whilst sticking true to the values that drive me – equity and integrity.
Sounds fabulous, Whitney, I can hear in your post the passion and heart you have for this work. And so crucial for our beautiful tamariki from all cultural backgrounds but more specifically Māori. I, too, am focused on Trauma Informed Practice for all children, but especially those who do not find the education system a safe and trustworthy environment. I plant my feet firmly in the sand by saying that children who are consistently in the fight, flight or freeze status are unable to access learning no matter what improvements we make to our curriculum. The social and emotional piece comes first. Thanks for your contribution, it spoke to my heart!
Whitney, Your hui with Murray sounds like a powerful and affirming experience. It’s inspiring to hear how you’re integrating your passion for Te Tiriti o Waitangi and culturally responsive practices into your leadership. Leading authentically as wahine Māori, and encouraging others to do the same, is such an important approach. One of my colleagues, who I work closely with, is also familiar with this and we both share your commitment to these values.
I enjoyed my kaiārahi meeting with Murray. We reflected on my education journey so far which has been varied. I feel blessed and lucky to have had the experiences that I have had so far.
I am DP at a specialist school, being over 6 different sites this has its complexities that I have not had to deal with in previous roles.
Through various projects over the years, I have looked at my leadership style. I am amiable and expressive – energetic and upfront. I’m a big-picture thinker and have to work hard to really focus on the details. I am good at making connections with others but have realised that people may view me as insincere if this is not something that they find easy. I’m a positive person and need to be mindful that others aren’t always ready to hear the positive.
Last year part of our PD was focused on Brene Brown’s book “Dare to Lead”. As a team (teachers and therapy team) we worked through the workbook – there was a huge shift within the staff around having ‘courageous conversations’ and showing vulnerability. We often refer to her work and hold each other accountable.
I will seek feedback from my Principal, Therapy Leads and teaching staff. I have included our Therapy Team as our work has to align in a specialist context. As a Lead Team, we offer honest feedback ‘as and when’ which I appreciate.
If any of you have the opportunity to have Keith Vaughan run PD at your school – it is well worth it. “Ruthless with Standards, Gracious with People” is his key phrase, this is what I strive to uphold.
Sioned, I really enjoyed your post and appreciate the diversity of your role—working across six sites must bring unique challenges and opportunities. As the SENCo at my school, I can relate to the importance of aligning with different teams and ensuring collaboration supports student needs. Dare to Lead is such a powerful resource, and it’s great to hear how it has influenced your team’s approach to courageous conversations. Thanks for sharing your insights!
I really enjoyed my conversation with Murray last week. I feel like it gave me a good opportunity to really articulate and clarify, how I lead (my personal leadership style) and then some of the areas I would like to improve on for myself and my school. Brene Brown’s thinking is very close to my heart and ‘leading authentically’ sits comfortably for me. I firmly believe that no leader is perfect and if we pretend to be perfect, we very quickly lose the trust and confidence of our staff as we ‘fake it til we make it’.
I have been a DP for 8 years in two different schools and recently moved to a new, much bigger school, still in the role of DP. My new job makes it glaringly obvious how much my relationships and my trust-building has always played a major part in my work; creating staff culture and supporting teachers into the waka to row alongside. At my last school, I felt my staff were supportive of me and respected my decision-making but at my new school I am back at square one as the staff there are still wary – fair enough – but it’s a lot harder to work with! The other change is that working with a bigger staff means Emotional Intelligence needs to be extra sharp with more emotions to understand and respond to. Understanding my own emotions is a big part of recognising where I am at too – I am pretty ambitious (for both myself and my school) so giving myself a chance to settle in and get my feet under the table, rather than giving myself a hard time for not being over everything all at once, is important for my leadership and my relationships with others.
In seeking feedback on my leadership strengths and weaknesses I have opted to send out a Google survey to parents and staff giving them opportunity to feedback anonymously. This will go to my last school (where I still work 0.2 to support them through the change over). I will also survey parents and students who I have worked closely with in a pastoral role to gain some understanding of their perspective of my work with them. At my new school I will work with an external appraiser who I have worked with previously and I have asked my new Principal to offer honest observations of my journey into this newer, bigger role.
My transformational leadership style means high trust and empowering others but this also means that I can trust too much and let others do things their way which can mean I don’t scaffold others into their roles well enough (anti micro-managing!). At times the lack of details might look like I dropped the ball as I sit too much in the ‘big picture’. This is something I have asked my new principal to observe specifically and comment on. Also as I start this new position I think a personal reflection journal might also be a great way for me to regularly reflect on what I am seeing and feeling and watch the change happen along the way.
In any case, I’m really looking forward to the year ahead, the new challenge and a thorough process of learning about and developing myself as a leader through Growth Culture and this group.
I am also a ‘Big Picture Thinker’ and have a high trust model, so I understand the blind spots as I have experienced them.
A few years ago I did a course through Monash University – one of the modules focused on the four people styles. I used the survey with our team leaders who then used them with their teams. We had very positive feedback. We also looked at how to recognise styles and how to communicate with people that communicate differently. I can share it with you when we meet for coffee 🙂
I’m also really looking forward to going through this learning process. Thank you Claire and Matthew for starting the process.
“Courage is contagious” Brene Brown.
Claire, I completely agree—building strong, high-trust relationships is essential for effective leadership. It’s great to see how much thought you’re putting into fostering trust in your new role, especially in a larger school setting where relationship-building takes time. Your approach to seeking feedback from multiple perspectives is really valuable, and I admire your commitment to continuous growth. Wishing you all the best in this new challenge!
I had a great initial coaching session with Murray, where we engaged in whakawhanaungatanga, reflected deeply, and discussed my journey in education so far. This session reinforced the importance of intentional reflection and strategic leadership development.Through this reflection, I have identified key areas to enhance, particularly showing up as my authentic self and looking after my emotional intelligence. We discussed previous feedback methods, such as 360-degree surveys and external appraisals. This year, I will continue using my external appraiser, along with feedback from my Principal and key colleagues at my school. Additionally, participating in this PLD will provide invaluable insights into my leadership journey and connections with the wider profession.A key part of this process will also involve engaging with the online modules and documenting my reflections along the way. This will help track my progress, deepen my understanding, and ensure I am applying what I learn to my leadership practice.One concept from my reading on EI that I found particularly helpful in our first session is how, for Catholic school leaders, EI aligns with the values of compassion, service, and community. By prioritising social-emotional growth, associate principals can strengthen school morale, improve student outcomes, and contribute to a more inclusive and nurturing educational experience. This perspective reinforces the importance of self-awareness and emotional intelligence in effective leadership.I also found Brené Brown’s perspective on authentic leadership particularly powerful: “Taking off the armour is about leading with heart, courage, and self-awareness. It’s about being real, embracing imperfection, and fostering meaningful connections—because the most effective leaders are the ones who dare to show up as themselves.” This resonates deeply as I reflect on how I want to grow as a leader—by being courageous, vulnerable, and true to my values.I look forward to continuing this journey with Growth Culture & Murray, refining my leadership practice, and becoming a more effective and reflective leader.
Thanks for being the first to post Matthew – A nice show of courageous leadership! It will encourage the rest of us to post too!
I liked what you said about EI aligning well with the values of compassion, service and community and prioritising social-emotional growth. I feel very strongly that building schools as inclusive environments, that lead with emotional intelligence – empathy and resilience create much improved student outcomes. Our children can’t learn in a vacuum of academics – people, relationships and a sense of belonging are crucial parts of a school’s kaupapa.