Connecting across silos
The silo effect In 2020, most of us have had at least some experience of remote working. As our days have become organised around video meetings, it has uncovered the problematic structure of our organisations.…
Entries by Stacey Wallace
Make Every Conversation Count
Improving the quality of your conversations can be the key to transformation. Talk, talk, talk How much of your day is spent in conversation? If you’re lucky enough to work in a…
Rethinking leadership
Conventionally, we tend to think of leaders as those who are in positions of formal authority – and that leadership is a quality that is ‘possessed’ by these individuals. The association of leadership with…
Recognising our strengths
In schools, we know the importance of building students’ academic confidence – we provide positive feedback and acknowledge their achievements. The recognition of their emerging mastery is critical – when students feel a sense that…
Make Inquiry Your Leadership Default Position
It’s now common to hear organisations – particularly schools – talk about how they are nurturing lifelong learning. How might leaders benefit from seeing themselves as lifelong learners? When we talk about the…
Building trust through vulnerability
Leaders can be most effective when they model the capacity to reflect and ask questions, rather than having all the answers. Known Unknowns In our conventional view of ‘strong’ leadership, we tend…
Leading through uncertainty
In times of disruption, leaders can help us focus on what matters most. Even the best laid plans… Conventional models of leadership tend to emphasise the importance of ‘vision’ – the leader…
Leading the way in a pandemic
Leading a complex organisation is difficult enough in ‘ordinary’ circumstances, let alone in the midst of a global pandemic. The COVID-19 crisis has thrown up all kinds of new challenges for leaders, at a…
Why Strengths-Based Feedback Motivates Real Improvement
The way we frame feedback matters, especially if our goal is to support the ongoing learning of our teams. So how might a strengths-based approach make feedback motivating, rather than demoralising? Feedback in…
