He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero.
What is the food of the leader? It is knowledge. It is communication.
Module Objectives:
Upon completion of this module, participants will be able to:
- Understand the key elements of high-performing teams.
- Develop strategies for building trust and fostering collaboration within teams.
- Understand and apply the principles of shared accountability within a team context.
- Identify and address potential barriers to team effectiveness.
- Develop and implement strategies for creating a positive and supportive team culture.
High Performing Leaders are ‘Networked Leaders’ who build leadership capacity in individuals, and in institutions, through enhancing professional relationships. Partnerships are based on the importance of maximising potential, and harnessing the ongoing commitment and energy needed to meet personal and professional goals.
High Performing Leaders follow a process of reflection, introspection and then connection. Through coaching and guidance, they decipher their strengths, areas for development and focused improvement.
As school leaders reflecting on your own leadership, and ways in which you can more effectively facilitate learning, the goal of this korero is to work with each other as coaches and mentors, creating deep learning relationships within professional practice.
One of the essential ingredients of high performing individuals, teams and organisations is creativity (Basadur, 2004). Being creative means releasing talent and imagination. It also means taking risks and, in some cases, standing outside the usual or accepted way of doing things. High performing leaders push boundaries; they seek new ways of seeing, interpreting, understanding and questioning.
Relational Trust
“High trust relationships exist when leaders are respected for their deep educational knowledge, their actions and values, and the way they engage respectfully with others with empathy and humility, fostering openness in discussions. Leaders have good emotional intelligence and self-awareness.”
– Educational leadership capability framework, Education Council, 2018.
Trust provides a strong foundation for effective working relationships which, ultimately, has a positive impact on student achievement. Trust has been shown time and time again to have a huge benefit in leading change and in creating great teams. Teams and schools with trusting relationships have staff who are open to sharing practice, taking risks and sharing what is and isn’t going well in their teaching. However, it does not happen by accident and it is not built in the same way for every person, depending on their personal narrative. As a middle leader, it is important to intentionally work to build trust with colleagues, whānau and community.
- Reading 1: Trust in educational leadership settings – https://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/Leadership-development/Professional-information/Leadership-capability-framework/High-trust-relationships#:~:text=High%20trust%20relationships%20exist%20when,emotional%20intelligence%20and%20self%2Dawareness.
- Reading 2: “Trust in Schools: A Core Resource for School Reform” B. Schneider. – https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/trust-in-schools-a-core-resource-for-school-reform
- Reading 3: “How the Best Leaders Build Trust” S. Covey. – https://www.leadershipnow.com/CoveyOnTrust.html
Collaborative Teams
Reading 4: https://www.arts.on.ca/oac/media/aire/Documents/IdeasIntoActionBulletin3.pdf
Reading 5: Collective teacher efficacy – https://visible-learning.org/2018/03/collective-teacher-efficacy-hattie/
Additional Resources:
– Working effectively with iwi and hapū, Melanie Taite-Pitama: https://vimeo.com/242861287
– Legacy – 15 Lessons in Leadership, by James Kerr (2013). Chapter 6 pp 74-83
– Open-to-Learning Conversations- Relationships and Trust, Viviane Robinson, 2014: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_l5-HKIR1s
Optional Resources:
– Connecting with Māori Communities; Whānau, Hapū and Iwi, Mere Berryman and Therese Ford, 2014:
https://kep.org.nz/assets/resources/site/module8-v20a-up-16Apr15-w-image_5Jan16.pdf
– Robertson, J. (2015). Think-piece on leadership education in New Zealand. Leadership for communities of learning: Five think pieces. https://teachingcouncil.nz/assets/Files/Leadership-Strategy/Leadership-for-Communities-of-Learning-Five-Think-Pieces.pdf
– “Five Faces of Trust: An Empirical Confirmation in Urban Elementary Schools.” – W. Hoy and M. Tschannen-Moran. – https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NBTBXVSjokVr_RPx3Qlze-Ao3E1m6XWI/view?usp=sharing
Task:
Reflect on the readings and identify one thing that you could do in your role to improve the function of your team. What would you do and what impact would you expect that to have?
Assessment:
- Completion of all readings.
- Participation in the online forum discussion.
- Submission of reflection on the forum.
63 Responses
This year I’ve put a lot of energy into building relational trust within my team. Stephen Covey’s economic take on trust really clicked with me—especially the idea of a ‘hidden tax’ on low trust versus the high dividends of a high-trust workplace. It made me reflect trust isn’t static; it’s built or eroded in our daily interactions depending on how people feel when they walk away. It reminds me of the Pacific concept of Vā—the idea that the relational space between us is constantly shifting and needs intentional nurturing to thrive.
My biggest hurdle right now is maintaining that trust during tough conversations. I really struggle with feeling like I’m being critical or ‘telling off’ fellow adult professionals when their behaviour misses the mark. But I also know that avoiding these moments isn’t an option if I want a strong team. I love Viviane Robinson! She really nailed it when she said the real challenge isn’t just getting along with people, but doing the hard work while keeping those relationships intact. Mastering that balance is my next big step.
I can also relate to this Shelley – especiall the challenge of maintaining trust when difficult conversations need to hapen. I think you’re right that avoiding those conversations can actually undermine trust over time, even when our intention is to protect the relationship.
When reflecting on all the readings above what stands out for me as a teacher is that working in a high trust environment improves performance for both students and teachers. Leaders set the tone by laying down the foundations and expectations whether that is the teacher in the classroom, team leader for the syndicate, assistant principal or the principal.
This stood out for me.
High trust relationships exist when leaders are respected for their deep educational knowledge, their actions and values, and the way they engage respectfully with others with empathy and humility, fostering openness in discussions. Leaders have good emotional intelligence and self-awareness.”
– Educational leadership capability framework, Education Council, 2018.
As a teacher I value having good emotional intelligence and self – awareness. It is a good gift to have to be able to read body language and emotions, tone of voice and the look in someone’s eye. Also, as a teacher it is important for me to create a high trust environment for my children to work in. They become more settled and at peace, willing to share their ideas and opinions.
I liked this quote “Trust is a way of reducing uncertainty (Holmes and Rempel 1989) and having confidence that our expectations of others will be met. Trust not only reduces uncertainty, but it maintains order.
One thing that I would like to do to improve the function of my team would be to strengthen the relationships between home and school. I meet regularly and informally with some parents (apart from formal parent/ teacher interviews) after and before school. So, I would like to send home a fortnightly newsletter of some of the rich and wonderful learnings that is happening in the classroom. I would really like to give parents a clearer view of what the children are learning in the classroom. I would hope that by sharing photos and funny or clever things the children say would give parents/caregivers, especially those who can’t get in to speak to me so regularly, more of an insight into classroom learning.
With the fortnightly newsletter the direct impact I would expect it to have would be to give parents a moment to sit down with their child to chat about the learning experiences they have had over the past two weeks. This will strengthen the partnership between school and home. It is also a great way to see how we use Te Reo and Maori culture in the classroom.
The quote you highlighted resonated with me too Naomi. Coming from a school where, for a time, leadership did not display those qualities it really hit home how important they are to the life of the school. The fortnightly newsletter is a great idea – we did something similar when I was teaching in Germany – the parents loved it because it doesn’t matter where you are in the world, if you ask your child “what did you do at school today”? The answer is alway “Nothing” :-))))
One thing I am intentionally working on in my role to improve the function of my team is building trust through transparency, and honest communication.
A significant part of my role involves making decisions that are not always popular. These can include increasing staff duties to help mitigate student safety concerns or deciding which classes and students receive Learning Assistant time. I know these decisions can have a real impact on staff, so I have been working hard to be as transparent as possible. Rather than simply communicating the decision, I try to explain the reasoning behind it, the information it is based on, and the intended outcome. While this does not always change how people feel about the decision, I hope it helps build trust because staff can see that decisions are informed, considered, and made in the best interests of students.
Another area I am continuing to develop is “talking straight.” This is something I value strongly, but I have found it challenging in a leadership role because much of the information that would provide context is confidential. Balancing openness with confidentiality can feel like walking a tightrope. I have become more intentional about being clear when I cannot share information, saying things such as, “That’s not something I can provide information on at this stage,” or “Can I suggest you speak with the Principal about that?” I believe being honest about what I can and cannot discuss is better than avoiding the conversation or appearing evasive.
At the same time, I am trying to strengthen relational trust within the team by checking in more regularly with individual staff members. My aim is to provide a confidential space where they can discuss concerns, frustrations, or challenges before these issues are aired more broadly and potentially grow into something much larger. I have seen how unresolved concerns can create ripple effects across a team, so I see these conversations as an important part of maintaining a positive and trusting team culture.
This is still an area in which I am growing. There are times when I do not connect with people as quickly as I would like, and I recognise that consistency is important. However, I believe that continuing to communicate transparently, speak honestly within the boundaries of confidentiality, and invest in relationships will strengthen trust within the team. In turn, I would expect this to lead to greater collaboration, improved morale, and a team that is more willing to work together through difficult decisions because they trust the process and the intent behind it.
One thing I could do in my role to improve my team’s function is to create more opportunities for collaborative professional learning. The readings emphasised that trust and collaboration are essential for high-performing teams and ultimately improve student achievement. In my school, teachers often work independently, and recent curriculum changes have left many feeling overwhelmed. By facilitating regular team discussions to share ideas and solve problems together, I believe we could build stronger relationships and increase trust. This collaborative approach would allow staff to draw on each other’s strengths and expertise, making change feel more manageable. I would expect this to improve staff confidence, team cohesion, and consistency of teaching practice, leading to a more positive school culture and improved learning outcomes for students.
Reflecting on the readings, the one thing I would intentionally do to improve the function of the Puhoro team I lead is to strengthen our culture of relational trust through more regular courageous conversations. Cambridge Middle School already has a strong collaborative culture, and within the Puhoro team we bring diverse personalities, experiences and strengths. While this diversity enriches our practice, it can also mean that challenging conversations are sometimes avoided in the interest of maintaining harmony. The Educational Leadership Capability Framework highlights that high-trust relationships are built through empathy, humility and respectful engagement. As a middle leader, I believe it is my responsibility to intentionally create opportunities for honest professional dialogue where different perspectives are genuinely heard, valued, and used to strengthen our collective practice.
I would facilitate courageous conversations by balancing Stephen M. R. Covey’s trust behaviours of Talk Straight, Listen First, and Demonstrate Respect. This would enable us to challenge current practice in a constructive rather than critical way, ensuring that even when we disagree, everyone feels their opinions are respected and valued. As relational trust grows, I would expect us to draw more intentionally on each other’s different strengths and experiences and move beyond simply collaborating towards genuine collective learning. As Kruse and Louis suggest, trust is the “glue” that enables authentic joint work, ultimately strengthening our practice and improving outcomes for our learners.
I think you have identified a key aspect of leadership “to intentionally create opportunities for honest professional dialogue where different perspectives are genuinely heard, valued, and used to strengthen our collective practice” I’ll be interested to hear how you are going to be more deliberate in doing this with your team.
Ngā mihi nui
One action I could take to improve the function of my team is to establish regular, structured opportunities for open reflection and collaborative problem-solving. This could involve brief team check-ins where colleagues share what is working, identify a current challenge and agree on one collective action to trial.
For these conversations to be effective, I would need to model openness, listen with empathy and ensure that all voices are valued, not only those who are most confident or experienced. I would also follow up on agreed actions so that accountability is shared and the conversations lead to meaningful change.
I would expect this approach to strengthen relational trust, reduce professional isolation and build greater collective responsibility for student outcomes. Over time, it could create a safer and more supportive team culture in which staff feel confident sharing challenges, taking risks and learning from one another.
Kia ora, Dimpi. I really like your focus on ensuring all voices are heard and valued. Creating regular opportunities for reflection is such a practical way to build relational trust and shared accountability. I can see how this would strengthen both team culture and student outcomes 🙂
Kia ora Dimpi,
I agree this action would be valuable to your team especially if the opportunities are regular and structured. It would benefit all team members to know there is an opportunity to reflect and collaborate and share information on reflect on challenges. The structure of openness, empathy and valuing all voices will ensure the meeting are valuable and that all members contribute and grow your teams culture.
One thing I could do to strengthen our team’s function is to move beyond visible practice-sharing toward deliberately building our collective efficacy and lifting everyone’s capacity for reflective practice. Currently, staff share practice well informally, and does this strongly by seeking out our in-team experts when they need support. But this happens as-needed rather than as a deliberate discipline, and it doesn’t consistently build reflective capacity or cross-pollinate between our Kerikeri and Whangarei sites. An earlier attempt at structured buddy conversations failed because prescribing specific pairings was too narrow and disconnected from how staff naturally seek out relevant expertise.
Rather than designing a new structure myself, I plan to take this question directly to the team: what would make dedicated time for sharing practice actually useful to them, in a way that builds genuine reflective capacity rather than just swapping tips? This reflects an open-to-learning approach, testing my own assumption rather than imposing a model, and recognises that genuine collaboration differs from mere cooperation, since staff co-designing the structure makes it more likely to build real reflective skill, not just compliance.
I’d expect two impacts. First, embedding structured reflection should strengthen collective teacher efficacy, since research shows this belief is built through experienced, shared success, not informal goodwill alone; regular reflective practice would give staff repeated, felt evidence of solving problems together. Second, involving the team in shaping this should protect the trust we’ve built, since asking rather than prescribing signals I still see reflective practice as theirs to own and develop.
Kia ora, Tasma. I really liked your reflection on the buddy system and how you’ve used that experience to shape your next steps. Inviting the team to co-design the process feels like a respectful way to build both trust and genuine engagement 🙂
Great reflection and planning Tasma, and effective action. I look forward to hearing how this implementation plays out
This module’s given readings truly resonated with me and it was hard to pick only a singular aspect 🙂
The one thing I can do to improve the function of my team is to facilitate a collaborative “brain dump” session centred around Louise Anaru’s five strategic questions, and then translate that brainstorming session into a visual mind map.
Because I work in a smaller school, I have the privilege of connecting with my colleagues frequently and knowing their strengths and growth areas well. Capitalising on this closeness, this exercise will deepen our relational trust and align our department’s daily work directly with the Senior Leadership Team’s overarching strategic plan.
This initiative will most likely look like the following in practice:
Next scheduled meeting: A – The Brain Dump: We will get together to openly answer five core questions: Why are we here? What are our successes? What do we value? What are our aspirations? What are our suggestions for improvement?
B – The Visual Mind map: I will capture this brainstorm visually. This mind map will become a living document that guides our future meetings, shapes our goal-setting, and keeps us focused on delivering the best solutions for our students.
C – How I Will Lead It: To ensure this improves our team function, I will ground the process in three core behaviours:
Respect: By genuinely listening to my team and actively integrating their diverse views into our plans.
Competence: By effectively accessing and interpreting our learners’ achievement data to lead meaningful change.
Personal Integrity: By “walking the talk,” maintaining an unwavering belief in our ākonga (learners) and their potential, and ensuring every decision we make is rooted in what is absolutely best for student success.
I love how you’ve combined Louise Anaru’s strategic questions with a highly practical mind map—this is a brilliant way to turn regular communication into deep, collaborative learning. Thank you for sharing 🙂
One of my key professional priorities is to build strong, relational, and high‑trust connections with students, staff, and—most importantly—their parents and whānau.
A quote from the readings resonated deeply with me: “Many schools do not acknowledge this responsibility as a crucial aspect of a teacher’s role—to recognise parents’ vulnerabilities and reach out actively to moderate them.” As teachers, our daily focus is often centred on the learners in front of us. However, genuine and sustained success for our students requires meaningful partnerships with the adults who support them at home. Parents and whānau need to see that the school is committed to working alongside them, and likewise, the school must feel supported by home. When both environments are aligned, students benefit academically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually.
To understand a parent’s concerns or vulnerabilities, a foundation of trust must already exist. Without relational trust, parents may hesitate to share their worries, as showing vulnerability is never easy. They need confidence that their perspectives will be respected, taken seriously, and followed up with clear communication about next steps to support their child.
I intend to strengthen these relationships by keeping parents well‑informed about learning goals, topics, events, and focus areas throughout each term. This communication will occur through multiple channels—email, face‑to‑face conversations, messages in homework books, and other accessible methods. It is essential that parents recognise that we share a common purpose: doing everything we can to support their child’s success. Reaching out proactively, especially to families with whom contact is less frequent, helps ensure all parents feel valued, included, and aligned with the school’s goals.
As these relational and high‑trust partnerships continue to grow, I expect to see positive impacts on student engagement and achievement. Students will feel happier and more secure in their learning, parents will feel comfortable approaching the school early when concerns arise, and both home and school will maintain clear expectations of one another. Ultimately, this collaborative approach ensures we are collectively doing our best for every learner’s success.
Tēnā koe! Your focus on actively mitigating parents’ vulnerabilities is a beautiful reflection of empathetic leadership, perfectly capturing the essence of building true relational trust.
One thing I could do as a Unit Leader to improve how my team functions is to put more focus on building trust through regular, genuine conversations with staff.
The readings really reinforced for me that trust sits at the heart of effective teams. I think one of the readings said that trust is not a “soft” extra. When people feel respected, listened to, and valued, they are more willing to share ideas, ask for help, take risks, and work collaboratively. Trust is built through everyday interactions and through leaders being consistent, transparent, and authentic.
A practical way I could do this would be to create more opportunities for staff to talk openly about what’s working, what’s challenging them, and what support they need. Rather than meetings being mostly about operational matters, I would like to make more space for professional discussion, reflection, and shared problem-solving.
I think the impact of this would be that staff feel more connected to one another and more confident in contributing their ideas. It would help in continuing to build a culture where people feel safe to be honest, seek support, and learn from each other. Over time, I would expect this impact to strengthen collaboration, improve morale, and create a more cohesive team. It makes sense that when staff work well together and trust each other, we are in a better position to support our students, whānau, and partner schools effectively.
What stood out most for me from the readings was the idea that trust is not something extra that sits alongside the work—it is actually a key factor that enables improvement and positive outcomes. Building and maintaining high-trust relationships is something I want to be much more intentional about as a leader.
Great reflection Edward, and a very sound plan for the way forward in building both trust and resilience your team
In a lot of ways, my role within the school is simply to effect the changes that the Principal/Rector wants and to ensure that teachers and students are scheduled correctly so that the school runs smoothly. In many respects, settling for that would certainly make my life easier – especially if the school were static and didn’t change from year to year. However, this is most certainly not the case. Our school, like all schools, is facing significant change with each passing month as the Ministry of Education continues to reshape education (whether well advised or not!). Therefore, it becomes apparent that my role as Timetabler is not just to build a timetable, but to help manage those changes wherever I can.
Over the past decade or so I have been rather reactive to any directives from the Rector – he wants something to happen and I make it happen. In that regard I have earned his trust through delivering results, righting wrongs, being transparent, and demonstrating respect. However, I do not wish to remain passive with these changes looming, so I need to change my approach to timetabling. Previously, my conversations with HODs were largely transactional: What do you want? Who do you want teaching it? When do you want it? Now I need to understand what is happening within each subject area so I can prepare the timetable for any eventual changes.
This will mean continuing to build on those relationships of trust while also using that trust to propose solutions rather than simply respond to requests. I will need to balance this against creating solutions for problems that don’t, and may never, exist, because the school’s resources are both scarce and finite. Maintaining strong relationships with all stakeholders based on trust is therefore paramount. I will also need to manage change by developing a clear vision of where the timetable should be headed and staying true to that vision, even when others may not yet see it. That vision is not entirely clear at present, but through ongoing conversations with HODs about the changes they anticipate, I expect it will gradually come into focus.
One thing I could do to have a greater impact would be to begin timetable construction earlier and use that time to consult with HODs at a deeper level than simply planning for the coming year. Instead, I could cast the net wider and think about the next two or three years and plan accordingly. This would also provide an opportunity for me to share my vision and attempt to create greater alignment between the HODs and, ultimately, Senior Management. Through my role linking these groups, I can distil the needs of multiple departments into a small number of key priorities and communicate them to Senior Management in a meaningful way. Rather than producing a timetable that is constantly being pulled in multiple directions, I would hope that, over time and through several iterations, it becomes increasingly aligned with the school’s strategic needs—a clear, robust system that supports the effective delivery of educational outcomes for our students.
Greetings Anthony, thanks for sharing a comprehensive response. I’m looking forward to discussing this response with you online.
Thanks
Something that has definitely been worked on at the Northern Health School is developing relational trust, and I feel as though we have done a good job of this in the Northland Unit, with strong relational trust in our team. Our staff are very willing to collaborate and support one another, however, after reading about collaborative learing cultures and collective teacher efficacy, I have realised that we could be more deliberate about sharing what is working well for students within our team and across our units. We currently provide opportunities for professional dialogue during our staff meetings where teachers can discuss successful strategies, engagement approaches or transition strategies, but creating time to do this more often would be of benefit to our teachers and students. This would help to make our collective expertise more visible and encourage staff to see challenges as a shared responsiblity rather than something to solve individually.
I would expect this to strengthen our collective teacher efficacy by increasing staff confidence in their ability to positively influence student outcomes.
Good to have an existing strong culture of sharing to build on and great insight into how to go deeper into collaboration and sharing
This is great reflection Kelly and resonates with a fellow NHS-er! It is so hard making time for everything, but I can see what you mean about having that intentional time dedicated to collaborative practice would be so beneficial for building staff capacity.
Trust is exceptionally key to the functioning of an effective and successful team, and has been a particularly important aspect of my own leadership. Having been the HOD of two subjects, both at times of significant curriculum changes, has meant that my team has relied on me to have a clear vision and direction, understand the curriculum and what these changes mean, and to be able to provide them with the support needed to move forward. This requires a two-way trust model, where I also have to trust in the skill and capacity of my team as professionals. Early in my role as HOD, I felt the need to prove my worth as a leader, especially as I was “in charge” of teachers far more experienced than I was at the time – this meant I often took full responsibility for all tasks, and didn’t give my team the opportunity to develop their own skills and contribute their own wealth of knowledge to the team. My focus on building a collaborative environment, trusting my team, and sharing tasks and power amongst the team were really instrumental in building my leadership to where it is now.
The discussion of vulnerability was something that really resonated with me. I have a natural tendency to want to appear in control at all times, and it has always been hard for me to accept that I don’t have all the answers at all given times. This is definitely something that I need to develop further, as it is harder for my team (especially new members who don’t know me as well, and haven’t worked with me prior to my leadership roles) to actually build professional trust in me if I am not willing to display vulnerability in an honest and professional way.
Kia ora Braden-Lee,
Thank you for your honest reflection which struck a cord with me. This was especially around feeling leading was about doing it all yourself in the early stages as a leader. It is great to see your growth as a leader in trusting others, sharing tasks and power.
I agree with your comments about vulnerability and the importance of developing this as our relationship with the team grows.
A core value of my leadership is always being willing to do what is asked of our team. By modelling this, preferably before I initiate a task, I am able to see potential problems, or ways that we would complete the task. Firstly, this offers operational support that allows opportunity for discussion, but also gives me insight when other want to add their own style to completing a task, or show understanding if they push back on certain parts. Secondly, by showing I am willing to, and able, I build trust and connection to my team that we are in this together.
Coming from a sporting background, I understand clearly that I don’t always have to agree with a coach or a captain, but through built respect, trust and explanation I can understand their vision. I believe this is very important in education as each classroom or area within a school is like a small eco-system, therefore the variables will be slightly different. If the vision is present, clear, and connective, the buy in will be greater and the opportunity for slight change from team members is based off something tangible, not just I don’t think this/you, I want to do it my way.
One thing I already do to strengthen how my team works is to make sure our team meetings include regular, structured time for reflection, rather than only focusing on updates and planning. I create space for us to pause and think about what is going well, what is not working as effectively, and what changes we may need to make in our teaching practice. I use simple guiding questions such as “what impact is this having on our ākonga?” and “what will we try next?” to support these discussions. I also encourage the sharing of evidence from the classroom so our conversations are based on what is actually happening for our learners.
Alongside this, I include a “What’s On Top” focus, which is a shared goal between my colleague and me. This helps us prioritise key areas in our professional practice and stay focused on improving outcomes for our ākonga. It also supports us to track progress and hold each other accountable in a positive and supportive way. The impact of this has been stronger collaboration and a clearer shared direction within the team. It helps us stay aligned, supports more consistent teaching practice across classrooms, and builds open communication and trust. Most importantly, it keeps our attention firmly on improving outcomes for our ākonga.
Tēnā koe! Elevating your team meetings from standard admin updates into structured, evidence-based reflection is a brilliant way to build collective efficacy and keep ākonga at the absolute centre of your work.
Kia Ora Whaea Emma
Here is the link for my Module 5 unit
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1x_kO7bK8YAOJZ8hM-9TN9pLZqcWN6qoq-4tcZatvQz0/edit?tab=t.0
I strongly believe that trust plays a huge part in the relationships you have with your team. I feel that my team and I have a great working relationship that involves trust (in the past, I have had team members where this was a challenge). We are only a small team of 3, including myself and we check in with each other multiple times a day and know that we can be supported by anyone of us. Currently I am having a hard time with some extreme behaviors in my class and both my team members are their for me, we can have conversations about what is happening and not only how I feel but they feel about these children/ what is happening, and it is in a safe space where we don’t feel judged. As a team leader, I used to think I had to have it together but during this term I have learnt that I don’t and it is okay to go to my team for support. I don’t need to suffer in silence and think that because I am team leader that I can’t have issues in my class.
Your reflection beautifully captures the shift from thinking a leader must have all the answers to embracing the strength of vulnerability—that is where true relational trust is forged. By opening up about the challenges in your classroom, you are creating a safe, non-judgmental space for your team.
I really enjoyed readign more on this. Within the NHS we have doen extensive work around Relatinal Trust in the last, mabye 6 or even more years. And with that I have been able to do some of this within my own Taupō team. But sometimes things come a bit to a ‘she’ll be right’ attitude, and it was great to actively think about continuing to grow trust, but in this case specfically on growing a stronger colleborative team. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dCVdO4oRsYLor1qjxZTG2fKYgR5XcovNqzdv9iAbjwM/edit?usp=sharing
is my work (I kept going a bit, so thought better to put it in a google doc.)
Evening everyone,
I know I’ve shared this view before—and I think many of you agree—that a high-functioning team relies entirely on relational trust. My current leadership challenge is preparing my strong, collaborative team to integrate a new member who is stepping back into the classroom after over a decade in a different role. While they bring valuable experience, they tend to overcomplicate tasks, hold idealised expectations, and struggle to see things through a different lens. Naturally, my original team is anxious about how this will affect our smooth, established dynamics.
To navigate this shift, the main action I will take is to intentionally co-construct “collaborative norms.” The goal here is to protect our existing efficacy while building mutual respect with our new colleague.
I really resonated with the Trust in Schools reading, which notes that relational trust stands on four pillars: respect, competence, personal regard, and integrity. To build that respect and lower anxiety, I’ll facilitate an open dialogue where the team defines how we communicate, share workloads, and make decisions. This gives us a framework where the new member can learn to listen to all colleagues equally, rather than letting an overly complex lens dominate.
As John Hattie points out, collective teacher efficacy is the number one driver of student achievement. By proactively managing my team’s worries, I can maintain our current momentum before anxiety erodes our confidence. The start of next term will be vital for setting up this culture of open listening and mutual vulnerability. This aligns perfectly with the NZ Leadership Capability Framework’s definition of a high-trust environment.
Done right, the new teacher will feel valued without needing to overcompensate, and the existing team will know their workflows are respected. As a team leader, I am extremely lucky to work with such experienced teachers. I know that, ultimately, they will all support this transition to further grow our team.
Well done on identifying a significant leadership challenge and planning the actions you will take to manage this challenge whilst retaining the efficacy of the existing team. I do like the structured approach you will put in place and look forward to hearing how this is going?
Ngā mihi nui
‘’When trust is low, in a company or in a relationship, it places a hidden “tax” on every transaction: every communication, every interaction, every strategy, every decision is taxed, bringing speed down and sending costs up’’- Stephen M. R. Covey
Unfortunately, in our current school climate I can often feel the ‘hidden tax’. This is due to trust being low across the school. With a small staff several of us wear many hats and it can be difficult at times to remember/trust which hat is to be worn at what time and who should be engaging in what narrative. In a recent guidance meeting we had an opportunity to lay our cards on the table. While this was a useful exchange, I left feeling deflated. I have decided that I want to be the one to push forward with positive thought and do this by walking the talk- trying not to get bogged down in ‘hidden tax’ conversations, that are not productive. I often feel like staff have a negative lens. This comes from workload, curriculum changes and ultimately low trust. We have a beautiful school, with great students. It is my job to continually remind my colleagues that we are lucky to be here.
“school leaders need to move beyond the current pressure to focus on curriculum and instruction”- https://www.arts.on.ca/oac/media/aire/Documents/IdeasIntoActionBulletin3.pdf
Another way that I could improve trust is ensuring my knowledge of the curriculum changes and reporting is up to speed. As I have recently taken on the role at HOD PE and Health, I have staff who rely on me to know what is current. I am hoping to attend Tuia ki tawhiti in the school holidays to help with my knowledge growth.
I found the Module 5 readings support my long-term goal of creating high-trust relationships and holding courageous conversations. Trust is an integral part of what makes a team successful. Your team needs to trust that the decisions you make and the direction you take are considered and intentional and align with the schools’ goals.
Relational trust within a team can be eroded by constant change, uncertainty, and a lack of depth of understanding and knowledge. In turn, a lack of trust can culminate in a ‘grizzle’ culture, fueled by the more vocal staff that becomes insidious within a team. My aim is to create space and opportunity to reflect, connect and communicate honestly and positively, rather than negatively. Knowing that the team as a whole are experiencing the same concerns, providing the opportunity to collaborate honestly and problem solve together develops, fosters and creates relational trust. I am focusing on creating a safer environment for honest conversations
Covey’s behaviours such as “Talk Straight,” “Right Wrongs,” and “Keep Commitments” align closely with this. If I want to strengthen trust within the team, I need to lead by example and demonstrate that I can be relied upon. Follow through, follow up and cycling back around ensures importance and accountability to show the importance of tasks.
Reading ‘13 behaviours’ gave trust a practical sense, something built through everyday actions. One of the things I can do in my role to improve function in my team is the behaviour of “listen first.” If I encourage and support people to feel more comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas and develop solutions, this will build stronger trust over time. I need to consciously not respond immediately, or problem-solve, as is often expected from the leader. This reading also made me think more about being clear, more open, and to make sure people feel respected and trusted themselves. Trust is something I need to actively work on every day.
Tschannen-Moran’s dimensions of trust: honesty, openness, reliability, and competence resonate with me. By demonstrating these qualities, I hope to create an environment where my team feel safe to share and contribute. I try to intentionally encourage others to lead, contribute their expertise, and take ownership of aspects of our work. I hope this strengthens trust within our team. When people feel trusted and supported, they are more willing to collaborate and embrace new challenges, in turn building a collective efficacy.
Wow Nic, I really appreciate your stance on honesty at the forefront of your trust strategy. You would be a great leader to have! I have been in a workplace situation where there was division, dishonesty and distrust around leadership which created a very toxic environment. However I am sure that this situation could have been alleviated by a more honest approach from leadership at the time.
After reflecting upon the readings for this module, and being in the trenches of Term 2 with staff absences due to illness, students out sick, reports and just the general bleh that is winter – Convey’s 13 behavioural habits of a leader has really resonated with me. ‘Talk straight’. “Right wrongs”, and “Keep commitments’ was a really important one for me to model to my team, especially in the lead up to parent-teacher meetings, and report writing.
For me, what is a key area to work on is balancing the ‘trust’ of my team, students and whanau. It is easy for me to get caught up wanting to advocate for my team and the students in my team as they are who I work with and see on a daily basis. Looking at ways to build on the trust with our whanau community outside of school-wide events is something I want to focus on. How do I as a leader, and my team build relationships with the whanau we never see or hear from. Is there a way that we could involve them more, or build on establishing more of a rapport. I am finding with the new attendance requirements that a lot of our communication as a team with the whanau we have not seen or heard from is closely aligned to ‘negative communication’ around lack of attendance (legal requirements).
My focus moving forward into the second half of the year, is how can I lead my team to ensure we have established great working partnerships with all of the whanau in our Syndicate to ensure that trust is established and we can work towards the best possible outcomes for our students.
Hi here is a link for module 5 Cheers Leonie – https://drive.google.com/file/d/11Y_2L7DwKnsMAg5Q4BOBdYiIj4PQVxZ-/view?usp=sharing
Hi here is a link to my experience of relational trust 🙂
https://drive.google.com/file/d/11Y_2L7DwKnsMAg5Q4BOBdYiIj4PQVxZ-/view?usp=sharing
One thing I could do in my role to improve the function of my team is to be more intentional about building the confidence and leadership capability of others. While trust is an essential foundation for high-performing teams, I believe its greatest impact comes when people feel empowered to contribute their expertise, take initiative, and share responsibility for achieving positive outcomes for our learners.
I feel fortunate to work within a team that is collaborative, supportive, and committed to our tamariki. As a team leader, I want to continue creating opportunities for team members to share successful practices, contribute to decision-making, and take ownership of areas where they have strengths and expertise. Rather than feeling that leadership sits with one person, I want all team members to feel that they have an important role to play in shaping our collective success.
The readings reinforced the importance of relational trust in creating the conditions for this to occur. Bryk and Schneider (2002) describe trust as a key resource for school improvement because it enables people to work together, take risks, and engage in professional learning. Similarly, the Educational Leadership Capability Framework (Education Council, 2018) highlights that high-trust relationships are built when leaders demonstrate expertise, empathy, integrity, and humility. When teachers feel valued, respected, and trusted, they are more likely to contribute ideas, seek feedback, and support one another’s growth.
I would expect this approach to strengthen both trust and collective efficacy within the team. By creating opportunities for teachers to lead, share their expertise, and learn from one another, we build confidence in our collective ability to make a difference for learners. This develops a stronger sense of shared accountability and encourages a culture where everyone feels responsible for the success of all students, not just those in their own classroom.
Ultimately, supporting my team is not only about helping people manage challenges or navigate change. It is about helping individuals recognise their strengths, develop confidence in their expertise, and see themselves as leaders who can positively influence outcomes for our tamariki. I believe this would contribute to a stronger team culture and, most importantly, improved learning outcomes for the children we serve.
Kia ora Sherelyn, Thanks for sharing a comprehensive reflection. I like how you’ve identified what you can focus on in your role, and captured this in your final paragraph. I agree that this is a key aspect of being a leader.
One thing I could do in my role to improve the function of my team is to continue building relational trust by creating space for honest professional conversations, especially during times of change/business/sickness and an 11 week term! Reading Covey’s reading, it made me think about high-trust relationships, and made me reflect on how important it is for leaders to listen first, talk straight, and extend trust. I would hope that I do this.
As a learning leader, I think it is important that my team feels heard and supported instead of being kept in the dark/just get on with it. I want to be intentional about checking in with people daily, listening to their concerns without jumping too quickly into problem-solving, and advocating for their perspectives when needed. At the same time, I also need to help keep the team moving forward and connected to our school-wide goals.
I think this would strengthen trust because people are more likely to engage with change when they feel respected, valued, and included in the process. By listening carefully, being clear in my communication, and following through on what I say I will do, I hope to build a team culture where people feel safe to share honestly, collaborate, and support one another.
Grace, I like your focus on continuing to build relational trust be creating space for honest professional conversations. The actions you have listed will support this focus.
One thing I could do in my role to improve the function of my team is to continue fostering a culture of trust where team members feel confident to take initiative, share ideas, and support one another. Reflecting on the readings, particularly around relational trust and collaborative teams, reinforced the importance of creating an environment where people feel valued, respected, and safe to contribute.
I feel fortunate to work within a team that already collaborates openly and communicates well. However, during periods of significant change, such as the introduction of new reporting expectations, assessment requirements, and increasing workload, it becomes even more important to intentionally maintain those strong relationships and ensure people feel supported. As a team leader, I want to continue creating space for professional dialogue, celebrating successes, and checking in with team members to understand how they are managing the demands of the role. At times, this may also mean stepping back and allowing others to lead, contribute their expertise, and take ownership of aspects of our work.
I would expect this to strengthen trust within the team. When people feel trusted and supported, they are more willing to collaborate and embrace new challenges. Ultimately, this contributes to a positive team culture and better outcomes for tamariki, as everyone feels invested in Milford School’s strategic goals and committed to supporting one another’s success.
Reflecting on Kruse and Louis (2009), it’s clear that building true relational trust across the school and the wider community requires a lot more than just deliberate intention. When trust is low, changes like the ones we are currently facing with reporting and curriculum tend to bring on a lot of stress and anxiety, whereas high trust feels like a safety net. In my role as a learning lead, I want to actively build this safety net by creating a genuine space to share. I would like my team to know their concerns and feedback are both valid and valued. I want to make sure I am giving voice to their perspectives and actively advocating for them at our learning lead meetings, which fundamentally serves to acknowledge and uphold their mana.
By proactively addressing their concerns/areas of friction, I hope to iron out any frustrations before they grow into something deeper. Ultimately, my goal is to lower our collective anxiety and replace it with a strong sense of security. When a team feels safe, secure, and backed by their leader, the perceived risk of change drops away. Once that safety is there, they are far more willing to embrace and experiment with new practices, allowing us to build a cohesive, open culture that lifts our collective mana and directly supports our tamariki.
Thanks for sharing Emma. I like the way you have reflected on the reading and then related it to your context of yr 2 lead at Milford School. I also like the way you have outlined the role of the leader in growing security and willingness to be open to trying new things and sharing.
After reflecting on the readings in this module, I feel that trust is an integral part of what makes a team successful. Your team needs to trust that the decisions you make and the direction you take are legitimate and have no ulterior motive and that there is a reason for them. Especially in the current climate of constant and inconsistent change from the Ministry, your team needs to trust that the leadership team are doing the best with what they currently know.
The 13 behaviours identified by Covey breaks down how to develop and maintain a high trust model. My everyday actions affect my team’s trust in me. Something that stood out from his 13 behaviours was “listen first”. As someone who likes to “lead from beside” I think I already do this, but probably try to problem-solve too quickly, without potentially hearing the full issue. Being a classroom teacher alongside my team helps to give perspective on what they are dealing with, and they also get to see that I am probably having the same issues, so that we can work through them collaboratively.
Moving forward I aim to keep modelling the 13 behaviours as best I can and as Covey seid “make deposits into a “trust account” of my team.
Heya Murray, I 100% get your point about jumping to problem-solving too quickly! It’s so easy—especially when you’re working right alongside your team to immediately want to help fix the issue or offer solutions.
Reflecting on Covey’s ‘Listen First’, I realized I need to do the exact same thing: intentionally slow down, listen fully, and just hold space for the whole issue before moving into fix-it mode.
Your perspective on leading from beside during such an unpredictable time with Ministry changes is spot on. Being in the trenches together builds such natural empathy, and making those intentional ‘trust deposits’ through active listening will only strengthen that foundation.
One thing I could do in my role as a STEM leader, particularly with a focus on mathematics, is to intentionally build a high-trust team culture where teachers feel comfortable opening their classrooms and sharing their practice with one another. To do this, I would begin by modelling vulnerability myself, inviting colleagues into my classroom to observe my teaching and openly discussing both successes and challenges in my practice. At the moment, we have lots of different programmes being integrated which are very isolated to individual classrooms.
This approach aligns with Tschannen-Moran’s dimensions of trust: honesty, openness, reliability, and competence. By demonstrating these qualities, I hope to create an environment where teachers feel safe to share strategies that are working well, as well as areas where they are seeking support. Rather than viewing teaching as an isolated practice, staff can learn from one another and collaboratively address challenges.
I would expect this to strengthen professional relationships and encourage greater collective responsibility for student learning. As trust grows, teachers would be more willing to engage in professional dialogue, analyse student needs together, and develop effective responses to improve mathematics achievement. This would be particularly important for the beginning teachers at our school, who are feeling overwhelmed with implementing the new currciulum. I would hope to foster a collaborative culture where continuous improvement is driven by shared expertise and a common commitment to student success.
Great idea, Shannon! Your plan to lead by modelling vulnerability—inviting colleagues into your own classroom to observe both successes and struggles—is a great way to break down classroom isolation.
Although I have been working hard on building and sustaining high trust relationships with my current team, I now have another opportunity to build this relationship in a more challenging setting with a new teacher coming into my team mid-year. This is why the reading ‘Trust in Educational Leadership Settings’ stood out to me, as well as the reading by Covey on ‘How the Best Leaders Build Trust’. These readings, along with the other readings also support my goal in creating high-trust relationships and courageous conversations.
Halfway through this year, one of my team members is leaving and a Beginning Teacher is taking her position. I understand the challenges this brings for her, having been in a situation where I have started at a new school and taken over an already established classroom myself. The teacher taking over is currently at our school on her final Practicum, therefore I am lucky in the respect that I can already begin to form a high-trust relationship with her in-person. What stood out to me in the reading ‘Trust in Educational Leadership Settings’ was the importance of building high trust relationships before moving onto anything else. Building that trust with her, so she feels supported coming into an already-established team will help to create stronger foundations for an inter-dependent trusting relationship.
I think in my role, to support her, as talked about in Covey’s reading, my job first of all is to extend trust first. Covey talks about how you cannot be an effective leader without trust, making it a foundation of success. Moving forward for me as a leader, I need to reflect on Covey’s 13 behaviours that allow you to build and maintain trust and ensuring I am practicing these consistently with all of my team members, as just because there is one new person joining, doesn’t mean I ‘forget’ the rest of my team – I need to continue to build and maintain the relationship with all team members. The ones that really stand out to me are ‘talk straight’, ‘listen first’, and ‘extend trust’. By working to create a high-trust relationship, it will help to hopefully increase the new teacher’s confidence and willingness to seek support, it will work to encourage open communication within the team, to support our collaborative environment, and ultimately lead to better outcomes for our students.
This is a great reflection that applies the trust frameworks to a real-time leadership challenge really well. Your focus on building strong, high-trust foundations before jumping into operational tasks is exactly how high-performing leaders foster open communication, encourage people to seek support, and ultimately lift student outcomes.
Reading Covey’s work on trust made me stop and think. At first, I was surprised by the idea of actually measuring trust, but then I realised we often just assume it’s there without really questioning it.
I think I’ve probably assumed my team trusts me, but now I’m wondering what that really means. Is it trust, or is it more about people complying because they have to? Those don’t feel like the same thing.
I also thought about whether things like student engagement or achievement reflect trust in the team, but I don’t think they fully do — there are too many other factors involved that we can’t control.
Looking at the 13 behaviours made it feel more practical. It helped me see trust as something built through everyday actions. The one that really stood out to me is “listen first.” I think I can be quite quick to respond or problem-solve, and this has made me realise I need to slow down and really hear people before jumping in. I think my default is to try and problem solve, rather than support the person to develop their own thinking and solutions.
I think if I do focus more on listening, it could help people feel more comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas, and build stronger trust over time. Even small changes, like taking a bit more time to listen, might lead to more openness and a better sense of teamwork.
It’s also made me think more about being clearer, more open, and making sure people feel respected and trusted themselves. Overall, it’s shifted my thinking — trust isn’t just something that exists, it’s something I need to actively work on every day.
As Year 4 Team Leader, one thing I want to focus on is building trust through greater integrity and vulnerability.
Bryk and Schneider highlight how relational trust depends on respect, personal regard, competence, and particularly integrity, keeping your word and prioritising the best interests of the children. Covey’s behaviours such as “Talk Straight,” “Right Wrongs,” and “Keep Commitments” align closely with this. If I want to strengthen trust within the team, I need to lead by example and demonstrate that I can be relied upon.
What I would do is become much more transparent when handling decisions and commitments. I would openly acknowledge when things do not go as planned, take responsibility without shifting blame, and provide clear, honest updates on next steps. I would also make it a regular practice to follow up on all commitments (big or small) and report back to the team so they can see that my words are consistently matched by actions.
I believe this approach would have a meaningful impact. By openly acknowledging setbacks rather than trying to appear infallible, I would create a safer environment for honest conversations. Trust would grow as team members see that I am not avoiding responsibility or shifting blame. Over time, I expect more open professional dialogue, greater willingness to experiment with new strategies together, and a stronger team culture. This should enhance our collective teacher efficacy and support more consistent, high-quality teaching and learning in literacy, mathematics, and across the curriculum.
Ultimately, it is about walking the talk and fostering a team where we trust one another because we know we are all acting with integrity and vulnerability, while genuinely supporting each other.
Thanks for sharing your reflection Duane. I look forward to discussing how becoming more transparent when handling decisions and commitments is going? Is it achieving what you had hoped for in regards to more open professional dialogue, greater willingness to experiment with new strategies and a stronger team culture?
I think one thing i could do to improve the function of my team is in line with building high trust relationships and that is to do with sharing the workload/delegating tasks to my team.
We have a great system with our collaborative planning and sharing the planning load across the team, but at the moment i take on a lot of tasks that are not strictly ‘team leader’ jobs, but historically have always been done by team leaders. I have been doing this, probably for the same reason many team leaders have, because it is easier to do it yourself, and surely as team leader you just do all these extra tasks.
I think at a long term though this does leave both myself and my team at a detriment, as i have a large workload, trying to get through everything while also still trying to appear like i have everything under control, while my team is less informed on everything happening, as they have not been involved in its organisation.
By sharing these tasks out with my team, I am showing them that i trust them to have the knowledge and skills to complete the task, or that i am am there to teach and support them if they don’t. It means i have more time to support my students and my team with the important stuff, and my team is more involved and feels a sense of ownership over our systems and processes as well.
This is a good reflection, Arima. Stepping back from doing everything yourself is a good leadership move, but it requires careful framing so the team doesn’t just see it as extra work. How can you position this delegation so they truly feel empowered? What specific language can you use to ensure they know you are doing this because you trust their capability and want to give them genuine ownership of our school systems?
In my team, I try to lead from a place of vulnerability by being open about the fact that I don’t have all the answers and by asking others to bring their strengths and ideas in. I actively ask for their thoughts around the execution of things and share my own thinking too, rather than pretending I’ve got it all figured out, when I genuinely don’t. I think that helps build trust because people feel heard and valued, rather than just being told what to do.
One area where I think there’s still a gap in trust is with the “clients” – the parents and students. Teachers often feel like they are communicating with parents through notices, apps, emails, conversations etc but sometimes it still feels like things aren’t being read or passed on, or that some parents aren’t really hearing what their child is saying about school. Rather than sitting in frustration about it, I think one actionable thing would be to actually pull the parent in and try to understand what the barrier is. Is it overload? Language? Time? Confidence? I think sometimes we assume disengagement when there may actually be something else underneath it.
More broadly across the school, I think a lot of staff (including myself) are feeling really under the pump at the moment. There’s this constant pressure to churn through content because the goal posts around curriculum expectations and standards keep shifting, while also trying to meet every achievement objective. A lot of teachers feel like they’re skimming the surface just to get coverage rather than actually teaching for depth, understanding, and mastery. Then on top of that, extra expectations or changes get added in last minute, which means reworking plans all over again.
I can see a small way forward in terms of communicating this honestly with curriculum leaders and senior leadership and advocating for more intentional backward mapping when forward planning. Also, in understanding that planning for a term and all the events that happen within a school as well as inter-schools, takes a lot of time and has a domino effect, which may or may not be in our court to control at times. At the moment there feels like a mismatch between the push for integrated learning (to ensure we fit everything in) and deep understanding, while also expecting full coverage across every learning area. Teachers are trying to integrate authentically, but often at the cost of depth because there simply isn’t enough time to do everything well.
At the same time, I also recognise that some of this sits far beyond our school itself and comes from a government and system level, so it’s not something I realistically think we can fully “solve” as a team.
So for me, improving the function of the team isn’t necessarily about pretending everything is fine or forcing toxic positivity. I think it’s more about creating a space where people can vent when needed, feel heard and know others are sitting in the same reality. But also helping each other move forward instead of getting stuck dwelling in the parts we can’t change. At the end of the day, sometimes just knowing you’re not carrying it on your own makes a big difference (at least to me it does) – which will hopefully mean that we are much more likely to collaborate honestly, problem solve together and keep showing up for each other and for the kids.
Your reflection beautifully captures the essence of what it means to lead a team through complex, high-pressure times. By intentionally creating spaces where staff can honestly share, feel heard, and problem-solve together without getting stuck in what they can’t control (or just moaning!), you are fostering a resilient and collaborative team culture.
I think you are right in your idea to come from a place of vulnerability and include your staff in the process to help find answers or solutions. I agree that this really helps to build relational trust and make your team feel valued which is so very important. Communication is another important area and your idea of pulling parents in to discuss their concerns rather than remotely through emails, newsletters and apps to discuss the barriers that may be causing them frustration is key to not only giving them a voice but also strengthening connections and creating sense of whanau belonging.