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Tuesday 26 February 2019

Leadership - some initial thoughts

This year my inquiry is around leadership due to my role as a School Leader in the cluster.

I love my role as School Leader. I get to work with brilliant, thoughtful teachers from around the cluster who challenge my thinking. We are led by the amazing Kelsey, who doesn't just let us sit around and have a chat but challenges us, supports us and helps us to be the best we can be. What more can you ask from a leader?

Which brings me to my inquiry ... or in fact, some pre-questions around leadership because after our first meeting where we went over the things we were to present at our PLG's I left feeling overwhelmed, unsure and a bit lost. Admittedly the information did go at breakneck speed and there were many voices in the room ... but it was more than that. I felt unsure as to whether I could actually lead a group of adults who know as much as I do, if not more. And that's a challenge and a question. Or two.

How do we lead if we feel insecure about our own leadership abilities?

How do we lead if we know the same as the people in the group?

As I've approached today (our PLG day, where I would have to lead) I have continued to feel unsure, but it seems that others do too. And that is reassuring. I think.

The PLG's went well. My group seem nice and listened to me. I think they are as unsure about what we are doing as possibly I felt last week. We worked through the slides and everyone was on the things they needed to be and people shared well. Which brings me to the next group of questions.

How do we know if we are doing a good job as leaders?

How do we measure our ability to lead?

I know what it feels like to be lead well and to be lead poorly. Maybe my next step is to write these things down and process what these things look like. Once I know these things, perhaps I can make sure I do/avoid these things when I'm leading. Maybe I should read some things around leadership. Might be time to raid my husband's leadership books.