Katie Tomlinson - Personal Blog

Leadership Reflections

In my early years as a Head I was clumsy in my communication with staff and often wanted to avoid what I perceived as challenging or uncomfortable conversations. I was nervous in front of parents and in delivering in front of older, more experienced colleagues. I felt anxious about getting everything done and worried constantly about what the community was thinking about me. I expended huge amounts of energy on things which I can now see were unimportant. So if I was to offer my 2007 self some advice, this is what I would say...

1) Put staff first. If we want children to get the very best provision and outcomes then we absolutely must prioritise staff development, support and well-being. Without great teachers we have no great outcomes.

2) Relationships are king. Knowing your people and understanding them as individuals and as a collective is the key to getting everyone on board and moving forward together.

3) Invest time in the 'controllables'. In my current position for example, I cannot control policies about pay for instance, or allocated finance. Do not waste energy on things which are out of your control. Do what you can and move away from the rest.

4) Effective communication is key. Be transparent. Be honest. Be repetitive. People are busy so give them clear and consistent messages multiple times in different forms.

5) Trying to please everyone is impossible – don’t waste energy trying! Don't expect everyone to agree with everything. Accept that not everyone will be happy. This makes school leadership so much easier to deal with and preserves your own wellbeing.

6) Sweat the small stuff. The devil is in the detail. Relationships are built over time and formed through the small acts.

7) And finally remember - You make the weather. Be a rainbow. Be the sunshine. Send wind and flame when you need to but be careful when you share the rain (unless the rain is for dancing in).

5 leadership questions (Interview with Clarity Coaching 2022)

1. What have you found most challenging aspect of being a leader?

The need for constant affirmation of values and expectations can sometimes seem exhausting but it is so important to keep reinforcing these to all members of the school community. It gets more difficult and yet more important the larger the organisation and the wider the sphere of influence but so important to prevent dilution or decline of values, ethos, conduct and standards .

2. How did you become a Headteacher?

I was lucky - I knew at the age of 5 I wanted to be a teacher. Nothing else ever entered my mind for consideration. I was also fortunate to work in great schools with fabulous mentors and leaders who recognised my potential. I was promoted internally into my first Headship position after being the Deputy Headteacher for 6 years. Rather than thinking about this as luck, or being in the right place at the right time, I consider this as a 6 year interview! It was at this point that I realised that you achieve the next position and promotion because of what you have achieved in your current post and NOT because of what you say you are going to do or achieve in the next.

3. What's the most recent significant leadership lesson you've learned from a mentor?

You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.

When it comes to relationships, we are greatly influenced — whether we like it or not — by those closest to us. It affects our perspective, our self-esteem, and our decisions. Of course, everyone is their own person, but research has shown that we're more affected by our environment and those within it, than we think.

4. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your leadership so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?

I found Legacy (James Kerr) quite fascinating. It details 15 lessons in leadership taken from the New Zealand All Blacks Rugby team. I have read and re-read it many times. It's an easy, quick read and there is so much for leaders to think about for building high performance teams. For me that is what leadership is all about.

Look for the trail blazers. These staff are leaders - they see challenge and innovation as opportunity. These staff may not be the most experienced but they are certainly the ones who will 'early adopt' any initiatives and could be the future of the organisation. Aside from this, I have also run Associate Leadership Initiatives which offer training, support, coaching and mentoring to staff who demonstrate leadership potential. This is a structured way of developing those who want leadership roles in the future.

5. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a Headteacher?

Most of my stories are about individual children and the impact we have had on children's lives. I have lots of stories - teachers love a story! It would be difficult for me to pick just one. Each and every time I get an email from a parent which thanks the staff for their work , or expresses their gratefulness for the difference a member of staff has made to their child's character I feel proud and it makes me determined to carry on working hard to make a difference. There is always a story behind those emails.

On a personal note, as a young teacher I read a book called 'The Magic Weaving Business' which is about the impact of positive teacher - student relationships. I went to a conference led by the author John Jones and he urged delegates to contact the teacher who influenced us positively at school and motivated us to do better - our Magic Weaver. I wrote a letter and after some internet searching, managed to get it to a wonderful teacher I had had as a teenager. She replied and was really touched that I had got in touch telling her about my role now. 3 years later I got a letter from someone who said I was their Magic Weaver. I was overcome with this emotionally -to know you have played even just a small part in helping shape someone's life and character is such a privilege and joy. I hope I can 'weave magic' in many lives to come.