Getting the Right Leader for Your School

There is little doubt that the most critically important decision a School Board makes is the appointment of a new Principal. But the realities for most School Boards make this an even more daunting proposition. Boards are largely made up of voluntary individuals who have a love and passion for the school they serve, coupled with a strong desire to see its students and reputation thrive. But they may be nervous about appointing a Principal and may not have the experience they feel they need to get it right.

Board members, or a sub-committee of them, may decide to undertake the process of recruiting a new Principal themselves, if they feel they have the time. Alternatively in today’s busy world it has become more common to engage the services of a professional agency. Recruiting a new Principal is an exciting challenge, but it is a significant task and demands a great deal of time and commitment in order to undertake a thorough and rigorous process. Schools are looking for the right qualities in a Principal, including some similar to those of a corporate CEO. But more difficult to find are those qualities founded on essential educative knowledge, experience, and specific skillsets.

So, while it is common that School Boards often contain strong business-based expertise: from fields such as accounting, law, building and construction, or marketing, do they lack the required educational know-how?

Usually there will be one or two who come from an “educational” background, perhaps from a school or university association. The reality for consideration is whether or not this membership in itself is enough to cover the range of tasks necessary to run an effective recruitment campaign. Does the board have the time and commitment necessary to find not only the best candidates, but more particularly, make sure the right individuals are at the forefront for consideration? Do the Board’s members possess the extensive reach, tools and processes necessary to attract the best possible field for consideration?

Whether a school employs an agency or does the job themselves, the cost is not insignificant, financially or in terms of its members’ time (which of course is also worth a great deal of money). The greater cost to a school, however, is failing to get it right. This could lead to a situation from which it may take a great many years to recover, if indeed it ever fully can!

So, what does an effective process look like? What considerations should be foremost in Board members’ minds before they proceed?

There are some fundamental considerations that they must agree on from the outset. There needs to be consensus as to the type of leader the school is seeking to appoint – does the school need a leader that ensures a steady as she goes approach, or perhaps would a change agent better serve its needs? The Board could canvas various school interest groups for their input in order to inform their decision, but ultimately, the Board itself must be clear about what they want to see in the individual. Ultimately all the preparatory boxes need to be ticked off by the Board members before launching their campaign. More importantly they must be united and agreed in knowing exactly the sort of person they require for the role.

Next, selection criteria should be determined, time frames agreed and blocked into the planning calendar, contractual details clearly set down and all such definitions and strategy planning completed. While hopefully everything runs precisely to plan, in reality there may still be snags along the way, so some flexibility needs to be considered to allow for issues that arise and avoid the whole process being irreparably damaged.

The Board or its selection committee must consider the attraction phase of the undertaking – the scope of the advertising desired and who will undertake the screening and profiling of applicants. This will lead into the long and shortlisting of those considered to be of the desired calibre, ensuring that they align as closely as possible to the profile determined during the initial deliberations. These candidates need to also clearly indicate a strong level of alignment with the values and mission of the school.

The final selection process should also be mapped out precisely. Final interview schedules, after the initial long-list has been reduced to only three or four individuals needs to be determined, right from the outset, as Board members and candidates need to plan such engagements. Who will this involve? Will various interest groups again be asked to contribute to this stage of proceedings and if so, which groups? This can be a delicate stage, particularly to ensure they are seen to be as inclusive as possible.

In all stages of the undertaking, Board alignment is a must. It is reasonable to anticipate, and no doubt desired that the new Principal may lead the school for the next 5-10 years and perhaps beyond. Ultimately, a Board should feel comfortable in the knowledge that they have the right individual and one who can work collaboratively with them to further enhance its standing as the provider of an excellent environment in which to work and support the young people who enter its gates. 

Tim Waley has more than 30 years of experience as a principal in Australia, the Middle East and Asia. He has been President of Independent Schools Tasmania, an ISCA board member, and a member of AHISA. He was principal of Uptown School in the UAE for four years from 2011 to 2015; Mondiale World School in Mumbai, India 2015 to 2017; and principal of the Australian International School, Kuala Lumpur from January 2018 to December 2019.

He is an Executive Consultant at Tes Australia and helps schools find leaders who fit into their culture. Find out more about Executive Search from Tes.