8 Responses

1. Kia ora,
   On the back of this module I’ve reflected on how I could further develop how I lead up — using trust, competence and strategic influence to create alignment and advocate for the needs of both staff and students.
   The readings made me reflect on how trust isn’t just about peer-to-peer relationships — it’s about how we operate across all layers of a school or organization. Trust is built through both character and competence and maintaining it — especially with those in leadership positions — requires clarity, consistency and credibility over time. I’ve found that by leaning into my experience and consistently delivering support and advocacy for our students, I’ve built a foundation of trust not only with junior colleagues but also with senior leaders. This has positioned me to influence decision-making from the middle — helping to shape conversations, raise concerns and bring forward practical insights from the day-to-day realities of the team.
   At the same time, I’ve seen more junior staff seeking me out for support. I’ve really valued these opportunities to mentor and guide — not by creating dependency, but by helping them build confidence and capability. Watching them grow and rely less on direct support has reinforced that trust and empowerment go hand in hand.

   Expected Impact:
   By continuing to lead from the middle — advocating upward and mentoring downward — I expect to help build a more aligned, empowered and cohesive team. Trust at all levels fosters psychological safety, which is essential for people to take initiative, share ideas and issues and adapt to change. The more we can model and maintain trust across the organization, the stronger our overall culture and performance will become.

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2. This module has made me reflect on how central trust is to leadership. Covey’s idea of trust being built on both character (integrity, motive, and intent) and competence (capabilities, skills, results, and track record) really stood out to me. It’s not enough to show up and mean well—people also need to see that I have the necessary skills and can follow through.

   With my time as an ASL limited, I have realised that pushing ahead with tasks isn’t as important as building genuine trust with our ISLs. My role is to show up regularly, listen actively, acknowledge their expertise within their schools, and tautoko them in achieving their goals. As the readings reminded me, trust is reciprocal, and it’s built through consistent, respectful engagement. Viviane Robinson said that relationship-building and doing the important work shouldn’t be separate. This has helped me identify how I can better support the function of our initiative and gives me clarity when planning sessions ahead. This requires personalisation for each school and finding connections outside that may be of use too.

   At school, I’m leading the whakanui and whakamana of Te Aō Māori, but that comes with challenges, like people’s prior experiences, time pressures, and whakamā. My role is to continue creating safe, low-pressure opportunities and to model learning alongside them. This needs to be a slow, consistent, fun, and trust-based approach.

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3. For me, the readings discuss the importance of sustaining trust by navigating difficult conversations with honesty while keeping a collaborative problem-solving approach.  I was interested in the idea that sustaining trust can be harder than building it, especially in middle leadership. Open and honest communication plays a big role in maintaining trust, as well as knowing your team well enough to know how to approach difficult conversations. As middle leaders, it’s about not ignoring the small issues but having those difficult conversations when necessary.

   Moving forward, regular check-ins and getting to know my team deeper will help me to understand what inspires them to do better and what their goals are. 

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4. When reflecting on the readings, one statement that stood out for me was “Trust motivates individual behaviour, shapes social exchanges, and influences collective performance.” (Noonan, 2008). Trust requires confidence in a leader’s character and in their competency. Bryk and Schneider identified four facets that underpin trust, and Tschannen-Moran five:
   Bryk and Schneider – respect, personal regard, competence, integrity
   Tschannen-Moran – benevolence, honesty, openness, reliability, competence

   Respectful exchanges were identified as essential in building relational trust. In my role as Whanau Leader of our Specialist Teachers, I will endeavour to have regular 10-minute one on one ‘catch ups’. A lot of the members in my team do not work full time and it is difficult to have the opportunity to actually catch up and have a conversation. Even though we do have team meetings, I would like to make a point of initiating 10-minute catch-ups. This will allow me to talk about any concerns or problems they may have and vice versa.

   During these meetings, I will:
   Actively listen without interrupting
   Foster an environment where my team feel safe to collaborate and contribute their ideas.
   Be open and honest ( if I want to be able to make a positive change, I need to be able to talk honestly with my colleagues about what’s working and what’s not. Even when we may disagree, they must know that they are valued and that I respect their opinions.)

   The impact that I hope to achieve:
   I am hoping that as trust starts to build up, my team are more likely to be open in their communication, share ideas freely, and collaborate more effectively. By creating an environment where honesty and vulnerability can be freely expressed in a productive way, sets the tone for my team, which helps create an atmosphere of trust, collaboration, and growth.

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5. One key takeaway from the reading of Robinson, Hohepa, and Lloyd (2009) is the importance of modelling the four critical components of relational trust—especially respect for others, which is identified as foundational. In my role as Whānau leader one actionable step I can take to improve the function of my team is to intentionally and consistently demonstrate respect in all interactions, particularly during moments of tension or disagreement.

   What I Would Do
   I would create regular opportunities for open dialogue—such as brief weekly check-ins in the form of hallway huis —where team members can voice concerns, share progress, or ask for support without fear of judgment. During these huis, I would focus on:

   Listening actively without interrupting
   Acknowledging contributions openly and specifically
   Responding to concerns with empathy and follow-through
   Additionally, I would reflect on my own communication patterns and seek feedback to ensure that I am showing consistent personal regard and respect for each team member’s role and perspective.

   Expected Impact
   By modelling respect and encouraging open communication, I would expect to see:
   Increased psychological safety, where team members feel valued and more willing to take risks or share ideas
   Stronger collaboration, as mutual trust fosters better teamwork and problem-solving
   Higher morale and engagement, since individuals are more motivated when they feel respected and heard

   Ultimately, this should lead to a more cohesive and high-functioning team, better able to support one another and stay focused on our shared goals.

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6. • Giving transparent explanations of reasons for differential treatment of staff – not giving similar affirmation and voice to staff, regardless of their commitment or breaches of trust. (Robinson, 2009, p190)
   I am responsible for the duty roster which staff expect to see an equitable distribution of responsibilities. The above suggestion is an action I can use to ensure people know the reasons for the differentiation in the number and type of duties assigned to staff. I could explain why people may have reduced number of duties (e.g.unit holders with extra responsibilities that impede on time before school). I plan to rotate duties and change the option of choice to a simple rotation of duties so that everyone has a turn at the less popular areas of duties. Will be transparent about why I am doing this and explain this to colleagues collectively.

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7. One key action I could take as a team leader to improve the function of my team is to create a culture of psychological safety by modeling vulnerability and encouraging open, courageous conversations.

   What I would do:
   I would initiate regular “check-in” sessions during team meetings where members can share not just updates but also personal wins, struggles, and moments of uncertainty. I’d lead by example—sharing my own challenges and asking for feedback—demonstrating that vulnerability is not a weakness but a strength that fosters trust and connection.

   This aligns closely with Brené Brown’s “Dare to Lead” framework, particularly her emphasis on rumbling with vulnerability and building trust through empathy and transparency. It also supports one of the key elements of high-performing teams: psychological safety.

   Expected Impact:
   – Increased trust and connection among team members.

   – Greater collaboration and innovation, as people feel safe to share bold ideas or admit when they need help.

   – Faster conflict resolution, as issues are addressed openly rather than avoided.

   – Higher engagement and morale, because team members feel seen, heard, and valued.

   Ultimately, this shift can transform a team of individuals into a cohesive, high-performing team where accountability, creativity, and mutual respect thrive.

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8. Building a stronger team is based on fostering deep trust, which comes from confidence in both a leader’s character and competence. This trust grows through increased familiarity and understanding, and its reciprocal.
   As a leader I will continue to extend trust first by being vulnerable and interdependent.This means actively engaging with team members through 1:1 meetings to understand their aspirations and offer support, setting clear goals collaboratively, and openly discussing progress. To help my team perform better, I want to create more chances for us to share what we know and what we’re good at. This is really important for teams that work well together. Right now, even though we work on things together, we don’t always get to see the details of what everyone else is doing, the problems they run into, or all the different skills we each have.Where relevant and appropriate,I would be more open about my own challenges and learning journey. I will focus on making critical decisions collectively, while clearly explaining acceptable boundaries. This will create a positive and trusting team environment where everyone can thrive.
   By embodying personal integrity and treating everyone respectfully, tackling difficult situations head-on, and being open to learning conversations is another way I can build trust .I will continue to be optimistic, focusing on individual strengths. By doing this I can model vulnerability and create a safer space for others to do the same. I would consciously practice active listening, ensuring I truly understand my colleagues’ perspectives and responding with empathy and humility, as highlighted in the Educational Leadership Capability Framework.
   I propose implementing a regular “Knowledge Share” initiative. This would involve team members taking turns to present newly acquired skills, or interesting challenges in an informal discussion format. We would also introduce short skill-sharing slots for individuals to highlight their strengths and offer practical guidance. I anticipate that this open exchange will build stronger trust and mutual respect, fostering a more positive and learning-oriented culture. When team members trust each other more, they are more likely to be open in their communication, share ideas freely, and collaborate more effectively. Hopefully this will enable them to feel safer to take risks and discuss challenges openly, as noted in the readings on trust.
   When everyone on the team knows more about what others are doing and we feel more connected, I think we’ll work faster and better, come up with more new ideas, and everyone will feel more confident and supported.

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