What has March 2020 taught me about my leadership? Part 3 and 4: Values and Culture

This is Part 3 and 4 in a short 5 part series of reflective blogs about what coronavirus has revealed about my leadership. Part 1 was about the imperative of clear communication and can be read here, whilst Part 2 was about striking the balance between purposeful and pointless preparation.

I’ll post each one separately so they’re not too long:

1. Clear communication is everything

2. Striking the balance between being prepared and pre-emptive

3. Stand up for your values – you need them now more than ever

4. Times of crisis – you reap the culture you’ve sown

5. Protecting your mental health as a Headteacher

Stand up for your values - you need them now more than ever

I have previously written about how I think vision, values and foundations combine in school leadership in a post here. In it, I referenced Hannah Wilson (@Ethical_Leader)’s lovely phrase that values are what allow you to bend, but not break.

And oof, coronavirus is quite the opportunity to deeply connect with your values and use them as a strengthening tool during difficult times and decisions.

Headteachers are facing scenarios that no NPQH can prepare you for.

Headteachers are trying desperately to shield (pun unintended but appropriate) their communities from feeling consequences (health, financial, emotional) from COVID-19.

Headteachers are often managing competing opinions, diktats, requests from information from numerous stakeholders: their MATs, LAs, governing bodies, families, staff, the government. Those stakeholders often have different perspectives and priorities on what they think is the right course through this storm and that is hard to manage.

Examples of questions/dilemmas that a Head could easily be considering/fielding:

• Why should I send my own children to their school whilst I’m providing childcare for someone else’s children?

• Why shouldn’t I send my child to school right now? They have an EHCP and therefore they’re entitled to attend school.

• Why should I come to work and risk bringing the virus home to my family member who is on the vulnerable (nb. not shielding) list?

• Why should we continue to pay school fees if the school isn’t actually operating?

• Why should I send my child to school right now just because we have support from a social worker?

• How do I challenge a decision from my MAT/LA etc that I don’t believe is the safest option?

• How should I create a rota that has the best chance of keeping everyone as safe as possible?

I could keep going… and going.

When I was facing a tough difference of opinion with my bosses (who I hugely respect and fortunately these ‘clashes’ are very rare!) on something, I sought advice from one of the Headteacher groups I’m lucky to be part of. One of them asked me: ‘Which decision would mean I would sleep better that night?’ That prompt reconnected me with my values and gave me the nudge to fight one more time.

I’m someone who looks for the best in people, so I believe that the list of stakeholders above are all trying to make the best possible decisions from their perspective. There is no maliciousness or ill intent. But nevertheless, we all need our values more than ever right now and need to use them to strengthen our resolve to navigate difficult situations and conversations.

Although it might feel like a ‘luxury’, I would argue that connecting with your coach (or finding one) is a highly useful step that aheadteacher can take during this crisis and something that Chair of Governors/MATs/Executive Principals should actively be offering. A coaching session re-articulating your values and how they might influence your actions during this pandemic would undoubtedly be helpful for many of us.

Times of Crisis – you reap what you’ve sown culturally.

I am sure that most headteachers think they have the best teams in the world. I know that I do! I feel extraordinarily privileged to work with a team of the most generous and committed individuals.

Recently, I responded to a tweet from Kathryn Morgan who was about to host a Teacher Development Trust online session about culture with this:

And I’ve written about the culture we try to maintain about my school here:

But my COVID-19 reflection is just how much you get back what you’ve put in. There is sometimes this trope of the ‘lonely headteacher’ and its one that has never resonated with me, least of all during a time of crisis!

I am so lucky that SO MANY members of staff check-in, ask how I’m doing, empathise that it must be a really tough gig right now, reassure me that I’m doing a good job.

This little, often, sincere feedback from my staff has probably been the single most important thing to helping me keep my head above the covid-19 water. I feel completely supported.

So, my reminder going forward is that when the waters are smoother, continue to deliberately, consciously build and maintain that invisible, intangible culture through those thousand different interactions and decisions. It is always worth the effort.