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Whilst women make up 76% of the teaching workforce, according to the 2023 DfE school workforce survey, only 70% of school leaders are female. In primary schools, women made up 85% of the workforce in 2020 but only 74% of headteachers were women. In secondary schools, women made up 63% of the workforce but only  40% of headteachers were women.

This statistical imbalance gives us all the more reason, on International Women’s day and all year round, to celebrate some of the amazing women in leadership.

We can all think of women leaders who have inspired us, we can probably also think of many men for whom we can say the same. We may have encountered poor leaders of both genders. This is a celebration of women in leadership, not a denial that some may be less strong and also not ignoring the many great male leaders out there too.

Them picture at the top is me, on my wedding day with the senior leadership team from my school when I was a headteacher. Some fantastic women leaders, and you will notice Paul, a superb male leader too.

Benefits of Women in Leadership

There is a range of evidence showing the benefits women leaders bring to the world of business. It is reasonable, I believe, to suggest that this research would be relevant to the world of education as leading teams has similarities across sectors. This research is not always new, a meta-analysis of 61 studies completed by Eagly et al in 1992 concluded that female leaders demonstrate more transformational leadership style and that women are more likely to model what’s good in the organization and inspire people to go along with its mission.

A study into team effectiveness (Woolley et al 2010) showed that team collaboration is greatly improved by the presence of women in the group. The research showed that groups that included more women or that were led by women exhibited greater equality in conversational turn-taking, which enabled the group members to be responsive to one another and to make the best use of the knowledge and skills of members.

In a national survey by the Pew Research Centre, (Taylor et al 2008), women ranked better than or equal to men in seven of eight traits relevant to leadership. Women were also ranked as being more compassionate, outgoing, and creative.

A social psychology study (Mansi P. Joshi, 2022) showed where organisations had a female leader, there was a perception and anticipation of fairer treatment amongst members of the organisation. They also found that female leaders generated organizational trust in both male and female dominated industries.

Research also shows that where female leaders were appointed to posts such as CEO and board members, stereotypes were less likely to be expressed through language within the organisation (Lawson et. al 2022). The research found that female representation can systematically change gender stereotypes and overcome the trade-off between women being perceived as either competent or likeable.

Celebrating Women Headteachers

It was a privilege to talk to two inspirational women leaders in my Teachers Talk Radio Show on International Women’s Day this year. I spoke to Caren Earp, Head of Henlow Academy in Bedfordshire and Jess Pather, Headteachers of Lea Manor High school in Luton. Both are leading their schools through phases of transition and significant change. Both show strong, purpose driven leadership, care and nurture.

Caren is also a mum, her daughter now in year 11 has been her first priority and has been an interested visitor to her schools. Caren spoke about how she has been inspired by Stella Rimington, former Director general of MI5, who spoke openly about balancing motherhood and leadership at a high level.

Caren spoke with genuine pride of the growth in her school, the role that her team have played in this. She shared some wise words too which she hopes will inspire female leaders to step up. Caren says, “Sometimes the opportunity that is in front of you may not be the one you had in mind”. This has been true for Caren, who stepped in to lead Henlow Academy, growing it form a small Middle School to a flourishing Secondary School – with their first year 11s this academic Year. Congratulations Caren on this journey and for the support you continue to provide to other women in leadership, as a role model to women, including your own daughter, I celebrate you. You are a true example of a woman in leadership championing other women.

https://teacherstalkradio.podbean.com/e/celebrating-women-leaders-in-education-on-international-womens-day-the-twilight-show-with-maxine/

Jess spoke of her own journey and her purpose driven leadership and desire to change lives for young people and the communities she serves was clear. Jess also spoke with genuine pride of the leaders who she has seen grow, particularly from her previous school, who are now taking on major roles and whose influence on the communities they serve is significant. The change in her current school has been phenomenal and continues at a fast pace. She has a broad and diverse team, totally bought into her vision and continues to drive these improvements forward. Jess spoke about her own belief in seeing colleagues as people first and professionals second, of prioritising her people in this way. This is clear in her work too. Jess also advised women to be confident in our abilities, and to pursue your dreams with integrity.

Caren shared a quote from Elbert Hubbard that feels like a common theme in the conversations with both these women leaders, “It is a fine thing to have ability, but the ability to discover ability in others is the true test”. Whether we are talking about women in leadership or leadership in general, this is an important quote.

Celebrating Women in Leadership

I’d like to give a mention to some other women in leadership. Sue Teague, she was headteacher where I was deputy head and taught me a lot about distributed leadership, strategy and giving people the space and skills to do their job. I would also like to give a mention to Anna Rogers, her integrity, determination and purpose, always wanting to ensure the best for the children is a real inspiration.

And Finally – Celebrating The Most Important Woman to Me

Finally, I want to give a mention my first teacher, before I had got as far as school – my mum. My mum taught me to read and write before I had even started school. She didn’t have the opportunity to stay on at school for any further study, leaving school to work in Leicester’s hosiery industry as a factory worker at 15. She was a bright lady and was determined for things to be better for me, she was a talented artist, (much of her work ended up displayed around my primary and secondary schools) and she wrote beautifully. She devoted so much of her life to looking after me and my dad and taught me to work hard, reinforcing key messages like if you want something, work hard and you can achieve it. She taught me to be confident and to speak up if something isn’t right. So my final biggest shout out, for International Women’s Day and for Mothers day this Sunday is my mum, Helen Warner. My biggest inspiration. Thank you. You may not have been around on Earth for some time, but to me, you’re still here, inspiring me every day.

References

Eagly, A. H., Makhijani, M. G., & Klonsky, B. G. (1992). Gender and the evaluation of leaders: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 111(1), 3–22. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.111.1.3

Eagly, A. H., Nater, C., Miller, D. I., Kaufmann, M., & Sczesny, S. (2020). Gender stereotypes have changed: A cross-temporal meta-analysis of U.S. public opinion polls from 1946 to 2018. American Psychologist, 75(3), 301–315. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000494

Mansi P. Joshi https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8780-4612 joshimp@iu.edu and Amanda B. DiekmanView My Fair Lady? Inferring Organizational Trust From the Mere Presence of Women in Leadership Roles Volume 48, Issue 8
https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672211035957 personality and Social Psychology bulletin

Lawson M.A, Martin A.E, Huda I, and Matz SC, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA; received December 30, 2020; Hiring women into senior leadership positions is associated with a reduction in gender stereotypes in organizational language
February 22, 2022

Paul Taylor, Rich Morin, D’Vera Cohn, April Clark, Wendy Wang, Pew Research Center 202 419-4328 http://pewresearch.org AUGUST 25, 2008 A Paradox in Public Attitudes Men or Women: Who’s the Better Leader?

WILLIAMS WOOLLEY A , CHRISTOPHER F. CHABRIS, ALEX PENTLAND, NADA HASHMI, AND THOMAS W. MALONE Evidence for a Collective Intelligence Factor in the Performance of Human Groups
30 Sep 2010, Vol 330, Issue 6004 pp. 686-688

What is Positive Thinking?

Positive thinking means making the most of potential obstacles, trying to see the best in other people, and viewing yourself and your abilities in a positive light. Seligman (1990) defines positive thinking as “approaching life’s challenges with a positive outlook.” Positive thinking doesn’t mean seeing the world through rose-coloured lenses by ignoring or glossing over the negative aspects of life, equally, it doesn’t mean avoiding difficult situations.

Positive thinking is similar in many ways to Positive Psychology and indeed, the terms are often used interchangeably. It is important to understand, however, that they are not the same thing. Positive thinking is about looking at things from a positive point of view. It is a type of thinking that focuses on maintaining a positive, optimistic attitude. It comes from Positive Psychology; a branch of psychology that studies the effects of optimism, what causes it, and when it is best utilised. Martin Seligman is credited as the father of Positive Psychology and its efforts to scientifically explore human potential.

Why is Positive Thinking Important?

Research tells us that positive thinking helps us to manage stress and can even improve our health. Park et al (2016) found a range of health benefits of positive thinking, including:

• Better stress management and coping skills
• Enhanced psychological health
• Greater resistance to the common cold
• Increased physical well-being
• Longer life span
• Lower rates of depression
• Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease-related death

The exact reason for the physical health benefits is not always clear, it may be that those who think positively would be more likely to have healthier lifestyles, or that healthier lifestyles enable people to think more positively. We know there is a link between diet and mood, as well as the mental health benefits of exercise. It is also likely that those who think positively would be less likely to partake in unhealthy pursuits such as heavy alcohol or drug use or smoking and may be less likely to comfort eat and choose less healthy foods.

There is also evidence to suggest that people who think positively tend to be less affected by stress. Research suggests that having more positive automatic thoughts helps people become more resilient in the face of life’s stressful events. People who had high levels of positive thinking were more likely to walk away from stressful life events with a higher sense of the meaningfulness of life (Boyraz & Lightsey, 2012).

Positive thinking also helps promote greater feelings of happiness and overall satisfaction with life.

A word of caution about toxic positivity

It is important to create a distinction between positive thinking and toxic positivity. The latter is unhelpful, it involves insisting on maintaining a positive mindset no matter how upsetting or dire a situation is. It means ignoring more difficult emotions, and this type of excessive positivity hampers communication and can lead to feelings of guilt or shame in people who feel they should only be positive all the time. An acceptance of difficult emotions is important for mental wellbeing.

Positive thinking doesn’t mean that you ignore life’s less pleasant situations, it means that you approach unpleasantness in a more positive and productive way. It also means that you think the best is going to happen, not the worst.

The Challenge of Positive Thinking

Whilst we may be aware of the benefits of positive thinking, our brains may not be naturally wired this way. There is significant evidence showing that adults display a negativity bias, or the propensity to notice, learn from, and use negative information far more than positive information. This bias will have helped enormously through evolution, highlighting dangers and prompting adaptive functions which have enabled the survival of the species, but may be less helpful in the modern world.

Negativity bias explains why the media is so focussed on bad news; we are more likely to watch bad news than good. We also notice the bad so much more than the good.

The Key(s) to Positive Thinking

Whilst some of us are more naturally positive in our thinking, may be more optimistic as a result of our genes and past experiences, it is possible to shift our mindset and think more positively. We can learn positive thinking skills.

So how can we do this? It is all about building up habits over time and taking a number of small steps.

Awareness

The first step is to establish an awareness of our natural negativity bias. To know that it is normal and natural to recall the one thing that hasn’t gone so well so much more clearly than all the successes and positive things. To be aware that we may dwell on the negatives, and to ask ourselves the facts. How many times has that really happened? Balance that against the positives that we don’t recall so easily to check for a more balanced picture.

Self-talk

Self-talk is the endless stream of unspoken thoughts that run through our heads. These automatic thoughts can be positive or negative. Some of our self-talk comes from logic and reason but other self-talk may arise from misconceptions that you create because of lack of information or expectations due to preconceived ideas of what may happen. It may be based on beliefs, assumptions and biases, all of which, due to our natural negativity bias are more likely to be negative.

Checking on these thoughts for facts as opposed to assumptions is important in order to create a more balanced and positive outlook.

Some common forms of negative self-talk and ways to address them are:

• Filtering. You magnify the negative aspects of a situation and filter out all the positive ones. For example, your day at work was good. You completed your tasks ahead of time and were complimented for doing a speedy and thorough job. That evening, you focus only on your plan to do even more tasks and forget about the compliments you received. Once you notice this, look at all the things you have achieved, write them down or list them in your head. Create a balance and make sure you are aware of all the positives – now think logically about the best course of action.
• Personalising. When something bad occurs, you may automatically blame yourself. For example, you hear that an evening out with friends is cancelled, and you assume that the change in plans is because no one wanted to be around you. Again, once you are aware that this is a possibility, look for the facts. Why else could it be? Realistically, how likely is it to be because of you? What are the other possibilities?
• Catastrophising. You automatically anticipate the worst without facts that the worse will happen. Look at the evidence, what realistically is the worst that could happen, how likely is that? What else might happen?
• Saying you “should” do something. You think of all the things you think you should do and blame yourself for not doing them. Who says you” should” do these things? Which are important? What have you done? Remember, you are likely to be ignoring all the things you have done.
• Magnifying. You make a big deal out of minor problems. Again, look at the facts. How much of an issue is it really? What is the worst that could happen? Will this still matter in 5 weeks? 5 months? 5 years?
• Perfectionism. Keeping impossible standards and trying to be more perfect sets yourself up for failure. Who is setting these standards? What is “good enough”?
• Polarising. You see things only as either good or bad. There is no middle ground. Again, here look at all the possibilities, write them down, look logically for facts and evidence.

If you examine your self-talk and look for any of these forms of negative self-talk, you can challenge them, check for facts, and hopefully move to a more positive view. An awareness is an important first step. From here, sense check and take a conscious move to reframe to something more positive.

Journalling or talking to someone neutral, like a coach can be a good way to identify and challenge unhelpful, negative thinking, helping you to think in a more positive way.

A simple rule is also to imagine, when you are talking to yourself that you are talking to a friend/respected colleague or someone you care about. Don’t say anything to yourself that you wouldn’t say to them. Be gentle and encouraging with yourself. If a negative thought enters your mind, evaluate it rationally, check for accuracy/facts and respond with affirmations of what is good about you.

Follow a healthy lifestyle. 

You are more likely to think positively if you engage in physical exercise, eat well, and get enough sleep. Exercise can positively affect mood and reduce stress, you should about 30 minutes on most days of the week as this can bring about real benefits to your thinking. Techniques to manage stress will also help, mindfulness and meditation, bringing yourself to the here and now rather than fretting about what has happened and worrying about the future is very beneficial for our thinking.

Positive Company

Being around positive, supportive people you can depend on to give helpful advice and feedback will also help your thinking. People who demonstrate negative traits may increase your stress level and make you doubt your ability to manage stress in healthy ways.

Gratitude

Gratitude is associated with optimism and has been determined that grateful people are happier, receive more social support, are less stressed, and are less depressed.

Think about things you’re thankful for in your life. This doesn’t mean that toxic positivity of “at least you have X, Y or Z….”, but taking a moment to pause, think about what is good and appreciating it.

Simple things, noticing beauty in your surroundings, a sunrise (or sunset), a flower, painting, pet or something else you appreciate. Draw this into your consciousness, as our negativity bias draws the negative things. This creates a balance.

Professional Context

Thinking of the profession I know the best; we know that teaching and school leadership is tough. We also know that our negativity bias and the negativity bias in the media will bring all the worst parts into focus and emphasize them, often ignoring the good parts.

This is true of other professions too, although they may not get the same negative media attention. It may be that when you have evaluated, looked at the facts that you decide it is time to move on and to have a change, and that’s fine too. As I have written about before, jobs for life are a thing of the past and a change is fine.

Whatever choices you make, looking to the facts, an awareness of negativity bias and potential unhelpful thinking and reframing this into a more positive view will bring immense benefits.

References

Boyraz G, Lightsey OR Jr. (2012) Can positive thinking help? Positive automatic thoughts as moderators of the stress-meaning relationship. Am J Orthopsychiatry. 2012;82(2):267-77.

Park N, Peterson C, Szvarca D, Vander Molen RJ, Kim ES, Collon K. (2016) Positive psychology and physical health: Research and applications. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2016;10(3):200-206.

Seligman, Martin E.P.  (1990) Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life Vintage Books

Did you know that Humphrey Bogart never said, “Play it again Sam” in Casablanca? Or that Alec Guinness, as Obi-Wan Kenobi, never says “may the force be with you” in the original Star Wars movies?  In other famous misquotes, Paul Drucker, never said “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”.

Here, I will look at what culture and this famous (mis)quote means, why culture is important, and how a strong culture can be developed.  

Culture may be described as the guiding beliefs and values evident in the way an organisation operates. It is the written or the unwritten rules that influence the behaviour of those involved in the organisation at all levels. It may be about ambition and it will almost certainly influence the amount of effort people put into their work, how they speak to and treat each other each other and how they feel about going to work.

Paul Drucker was born in 1909 in Austria, moving to Germany and then the UK before settling in the USA in 1937. He had a distinguished career, first as a professor of politics and philosophy at Bennington College from 1942 to 1949, then twenty-two years at New York University as a professor of management from 1950 to 1971 before moving to Claremont Graduate University, California in 1971, where he developed one of the country’s first executive MBA programs for working professionals at and established the Drucker Archives (which later became the Drucker Institute). Drucker taught his last class in 2002 at age 92 and continued to act as a consultant to businesses and nonprofit organizations and stayed actively linked to the university up to his death aged 95 in 2005.

Drucker’s writings about management and organisations are wide ranging with many well renowned theories influencing businesses today. A key theme is a focus on relationships among human beings, as opposed to statistics or technology.  His books contain many lessons on how organizations can bring out the best in people, and how workers can find a sense of community and dignity in a modern society organized around large institutions.

The famous (mis)quote “Culture eats strategy for breakfast, was popularized in 2006 by Mark Fields, president of Ford Motor Company. What Drucker actually said, in an article for the Wall Street Journal (March 28,1991) was “Culture, no matter how defined, is singularly persistent.”  

Shortly before this, one of Drucker’s professional contemporaries, Michigan Institute of Technology psychology professor Edgar Schein wrote a similarly themed quote in his book from 1985 “Organizational Culture & Leadership.” Schein wrote, “culture determines and limits strategy,”.

Neither quote is as catchy and memorable as “culture eats strategy for breakfast” but both describe the importance of organizational culture, that it is always present and that it can determine the success or failure of strategy.

Misunderstanding, as well as misquoting is also common, specifically interpreting this as a view of culture versus strategy, believing that that culture and strategy are somehow separate, competing forces, and that perhaps a good culture replaces the need for a good strategy. Or that you can only have one or the other, which is clearly wrong and not at all what either Drucker or Shein are saying.

I have heard culture described as the habitat in which a company’s strategy lives or dies. While the organization’s strategy critically provides direction, it is culture that creates the environment in which people are either enabled to effectively execute the strategy or are held back/prevented from doing so in some way. It is in this way that culture eats strategy for breakfast. Culture determines how individuals work and function within an organization, enabling (or preventing) the organization’s success at carrying out its mission and achieving its strategic vision. No matter how well-crafted a strategy may be, it will prove very hard to effectively implement if the organization’s strategy and culture are not well aligned or if people feel unempowered or unsupported and resist the very change the strategy is intended to bring about.

This helps us to understand why culture is so important. The way we do things in an organisation, the ambitions and beliefs are all crucial. In schools, a culture of aspiration and high expectations of all children is vital.  Conversely, a culture where assumptions are rife, limiting beliefs based on social class, prior attainment, gender, or race would be extremely problematic to say the least.

A culture where communication is strong and there is clear respect, will almost certainly provide the conditions a strategy needs for success and will be more likely lead to the best outcomes. Feeling involved, empowered and being treated with respect will also have significant wellbeing benefits for employees too.

A negative culture can be damaging to all. Bad for the leaders, employees as well as those they serve. A culture of extreme resistance to change, of poor communication may be understandable and may be a result of historic events or as an impact of past leadership but means that a school or other organisation is unlikely to be able to provide the best outcomes.

So, seeing the importance of culture, and the impact positive and negative, how is culture creates and who defines culture?

Who Creates the Culture?

Leaders play a pivotal role in the culture of the organisations they lead. In a school context, school culture is central to the the Headteachers’ standards.  It is vital for leaders to be aware of the impact of their influence on organisational culture for them to ensure their team will deliver on their vision and strategy.  Strategy is important, but alone cannot achieve the leader’s vision. Those who are responsible for driving the strategy, for implementing it, doing the work, need to be passionate about the vision. They need to have buy in, and culture is crucial there. If they are doing something because they must and don’t know wholeheartedly agree or feel passionate about the cause, their actions may be half hearted actions, or less sustained.

Leaders need to create a culture where those doing the work are enthused. Key elements of strong cultures are ambition and high expectation for all, in schools this is particularly important, a genuine belief in everyone and their potential, of ambition for students regardless of their backgrounds leads to strong outcomes. Other features of effective cultures include growth, respect, and where people think for themselves and feel confident to try new things without fear of reprisal.

When there is poor leadership in an organisation, the impact on culture can be significant and felt by all involved. People will not feel involved or empowered, may lack clarity and wellbeing will often be low, morale low and trust almost totally lacking.

Visiting several schools in the past few weeks, it has been a privilege to see some where leaders have transformed the culture. One, where staff morale had been low, and formal complaints had been frequent, a new senior leader has worked hard to build relationships, empower others, be open and honest creating a more harmonious environment where middle leaders are clearly passionate about their roles and everyone is pulling in the same direction. The culture is visible as soon as you walk into the school, happy faces (where frowns and avoiding eye contact had been the norm), positivity and a wealth of new opportunities and examples of people stepping up and showing confidence in their roles. In another school , seeing a culture of trust growing between senior leaders and staff, pupils and parents, created by strong leaders being highly visible, demonstrating integrity and building relationships again shows the impact leadership has on culture.

Research shows that a strong culture is also impacted by others in the organisation, in schools, this relates specifically to teachers, but I would argue that support staff play a vital role too. Specifically, the benefits of teacher collaboration in promoting a positive school culture, improving instructional practices, and fostering a supportive community for both educators and students is clear (Hargreaves & Dawe, 1990; Ingersoll & Strong, 2011). A positive school culture is built on trust, shared values, and a sense of collective responsibility. Teachers who actively engage in collaborative efforts contribute to the creation of a harmonious and positive working environment (Louis et al., 2010). Research by Little (1990) highlights that collaborative relationships among teachers are linked to increased job satisfaction and a greater sense of professional fulfilment. By working together, teachers can establish a culture of mutual support and encouragement. When colleagues collaborate, they become resources for one another, sharing insights, strategies, and innovative practices. This sense of camaraderie contributes to a more vibrant and inclusive school culture. A study by Ronfeldt, Farmer, and McQueen (2015) found a positive correlation between teacher collaboration and instructional quality. Teachers who engage in collaborative planning and reflection are better positioned to adapt their practices to meet the diverse needs of their students.

Professional relationships among teachers create an environment conducive to ongoing learning. Through collaborative lesson planning, peer observations, and joint professional development initiatives, educators can refine their teaching methods and incorporate evidence-based practices into their classrooms (Cordingley et al., 2015). There are wellbeing benefits of collaboration too. A supportive network of colleagues can act as a buffer against professional stress and burnout (Johnson, Berg, & Donaldson, 2005). By fostering positive relationships, teachers provide each other with emotional support, encouragement, and a shared sense of purpose vital in the challenging world of education.

Whilst there is definitely an argument for culture coming form the most senior leaders, others in the organisation play a significant role too. So how can leaders and others in the organisation create a strong culture?

Growing the Right Culture

A positive culture is not created overnight, it occurs gradually and should not be left to chance. A culture needs to be deliberate and so leaders need to be clear on what the culture they want looks like and why.

The first step in building a strong culture, and for a leader to build strong relationships and gain trust. A leader should be calm, reassuring, taking time to speak to everyone and more importantly to listen. Leaders must be honest, consistent, strong, and visible.

Leaders must focus on what they want the culture to be like and to then ensure their won behaviours model this. All behaviours too, not just the words.

If leaders are aiming to foster a culture of learning, they must model this, showing themselves as a learner, on a path to improvement, by partaking in training and admitting that they “don’t know it all”. They must then enable and empower others to seek professional development, and encourage, through not criticising, that reflection and improvement are part of the organisation’s expectations.

If a leader wants a culture where people can take time out to refresh and live their own lives, they need to be specific about creating a culture where people don’t work after hours and therefore must never send emails at late hours and tell everyone how long they are working. Leaders must model good boundaries.

If a leader wants a culture where people don’t moan, they must resist this themselves. People will be looking to them for the expected behaviours, if they moan, others will copy.

If a leader wants a culture where people think for themselves and are solution focussed, they must resist the temptation to jump in and be a rescuer and must give their team space and time to fins their own way. Similarly, they must be supportive and encouraging and never critical.

Collaboration too can be modelled by leaders, working with others in the organisation and beyond. Leaders are key in creating structures that support collaboration by their team too, through allowing time and opportunities.

Leaders must also be aware of their non-verbal communication, and how their unconscious actions may also reflect their own deep-seated beliefs. As leaders, it is vital to check our own mindset, asking if we believe all children can achieve. Biases too must be considered, as a leader, we must ask ourselves if we have equally high expectations of all children whatever background or prior attainment. Another are to question is around inclusivity, do we really believe in inclusivity for all, even when it means making some hard reasonable adjustments?

In establishing what we want as leaders for the culture or our organisations we must set aside time and space to think in order to form conscious and deliberate view. A coach can support this and will observe any potential mismatch between actions and words, which can enable us to work deeper on our own beliefs, biases, and assumptions. These are all perfectly natural and don’t make us bad people or poor leaders, working on them in a non-judgemental space can be vey beneficial.

One of the difficult things for leaders is that everything we say and do will determine the culture. All words and actions must align with the culture we want. Everything you say and do is an opportunity to foster the culture you want.

Leaders must make sure they empower others to support the culture and expect they will, never settling for anything less. This means as well as being explicit about the culture, living it yourself, leaders are also responsible for challenging anything that is outside the expected behaviours and contrary to the culture.

It is good for the team to be able to generate and contribute to the development of explicit culture, for example, if linking to values as well as setting out the values, naming and clarifying them, with each value, set out and co-create explicit behaviours we want to see and don’t want to see.

An international school leader recently described a session for her staff on culture. Having taken over the setting and noting some aspects of culture that caused her concern, notably the behaviours of some staff towards each other, she consulted them on how they wanted to be. She also invited them to write down (and let go) of all things that had happened to them that they hadn’t liked. She read them out (anonymised) and then visibly screwed them up and discarded them, banishing the old behaviours away and replacing with a new co-created way.

Leaders need to challenge anything that is outside the agreed cultural norms, whether on a large scale – like this example or with individuals. Starting with clarity, checking the person is OK, pointing out what the behaviour is and why it is a problem, and clarifying future expectation. A strong relationship underpinning this will help, but always so important not to let something go.

There is so much evidence of the strength in collaboration, that it seems this should be central to school culture. There are a number of things that school leaders can do to support this. Involving teachers in decision-making processes fosters a sense of ownership and investment in the school’s direction. Collaborative decision-making can take various forms, such as involvement in curriculum development, participation in school improvement initiatives, or representation on committees (Bryk, Sebring, Allensworth, Luppescu, & Easton, 2010).

Leaders can also enable opportunities for peer observations, which can offer fresh perspectives, promote reflective practices, and contribute to the collective improvement of teaching standards within the school. Encouraging teachers to observe their colleagues in action and provide constructive feedback is a powerful strategy for professional growth (Hattie & Timperley, 2007).  Further benefits can be found from implementing collaborative learning opportunities such as workshops, seminars, or book studies where teachers explore new ideas together, discuss their applications, and collectively consider how to integrate these insights into their classrooms (Cordingley et al., 2015). Leaders can provide these opportunities, and play their role in creating culture, but ultimately, there needs to be a buy in and involvement from the rest of the school. Teachers have a he opportunity here to shape culture in their schools by promoting, supporting and taking part in activities such as these.

In Conclusion

The importance of culture in creating the environment in which a strong strategy can be successful is vital. Culture underpins the work of any organisation; a strong culture provides a perfect habitat to enable a strong strategy to flourish. Leaders need to give clarity to culture, model it and enable it to develop, with others in the organisation also playing a vital role. In a school context, teachers are pivotal in the development of culture, as contributors to professional growth and pillars of support for one another. By engaging in the collaboration and picking up the behaviours modelled by leaders, the rest of the organisation bring the culture to life.

References

Bryk, A. S., Sebring, P. B., Allensworth, E., Luppescu, S., & Easton, J. Q. (2010). Organizing schools for improvement: Lessons from Chicago. University of Chicago Press.

Cordingley, P., Bell, M., Thomason, S., & Firth, A. (2015). The importance of multi-modal teacher professional development to improve pupil outcomes. Journal of Educational Change, 16(2), 209-228.

Fullan, M (2015) The New Meaning of Education Change Fifth Edition

Goddard, Y. L., Goddard, R. D., & Tschannen-Moran, M. (2007). A theoretical and empirical investigation of teacher collaboration for school improvement and student achievement in public elementary schools. Teachers College Record, 109(4), 877-896.

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