Recently I was approached by one of my governors who asked: “We’re not losing our Lionel Messi this year, are we?”

For the uninitiated, Messi is the near godlike, maverick Argentinian footballer whose inspirational leadership, individual skill and teamwork helped Argentina win the World Cup.

Any teacher who inspires such comparisons for their similarly maverick and mercurial talents is clearly a major asset - and no wonder governors are keen they are retained.

I am fortunate enough to have known a number of “Messi teachers” in the teams I have led and keeping them as part of your team for as long as possible is often high on the agenda, especially as summer arrives and you start thinking about the next academic year.

Of course, though, for school leaders, the presence of these maverick teachers creates tension around letting them bring their unique vision, creative ideas and confident leadership into school, without upsetting the wider culture and requirements of the school. 

Get it right and they can help add that je ne sais quoi that turns a school into something remarkable - whether through bold ideas that drive real change, inspiring others to raise their game or spotting the latest educational trends and shaping the response to that ahead of the curve.

Get it wrong, though, and you end up trying to manage a mercurial arrogant diva who alienates others and creates a toxic culture, beset by perceptions of weak leadership and a lack of accountability. So, how can you get this balance right? 

Create a culture for an individual to flourish

It is essential every school has the necessary structures, policies and systems in place, but that doesn’t mean a school culture of encouraging ideas and individuals cannot exist alongside it.

Good schools should have innovative forums for development discussions and certainly, effective structures allow colleagues to take time to create and innovate opportunities, harnessing individual talents to grow and flourish. 

Challenge is a very powerful motivation and staff feeling that they have a stake in the organisation is crucial for long-term success and stability - make this clear and you can provide the ground for mavericks to emerge and flourish.

Balance the individual with the team

Sir Ken Robinson once said: “Creativity is ideas that have value.” And this is a good guide for maverick teachers.

Allowing them to do their thing doesn’t mean carte blanche at the expense of the entire staff or without a clear purpose.

You have to ensure space to innovate is set within clear parameters of operation linked to wider vision and mission so they can focus their ideas on where they can best help the school.

Of course, though, you also have to recognise that even with this, ideas may come to you way beyond these parameters - that’s what makes them mavericks after all - and so the trick is knowing when to listen to them and when to say no…

Know when to say no

The leadership of a maverick is crucial and can be the difference between having either a Messi or a narcissist in the organisation.

This is why the operating parameters need to be clearly defined and the culture of allowing individuals and ideas to flourish and grow is mature and discussion moves to development and real positive change. 

Being able to say no as a leader is a key skill but with a maverick, you will have to be prepared to be able to fully explain why something cannot be done from the wider, strategic point of view so they feel listened to and understood - rather than simply shut down. 

Be prepared to change your mind

However, dealing with a maverick also means being prepared to have your mind changed by open dialogue and debate.

This is healthy because you don’t have all the ideas and one of the benefits of having a maverick on the staff is their ability to think big and differently.

As such, leaders working with these staff need to be aware that they will be challenged and having an open mind and willingness to listen will go a long way - and ensure the talent they bring sticks around a lot longer than if the answer is always “no”.

Celebrate their impact

Nothing ever remains the same in education and comfort though it is to stick with what we know, education has had to face such existential challenges of Covid and hybrid learning in the 2020s, and now AI and ChatGPT, in the space of a few years.

At Heritage International School, without our teacher mavericks being allowed the time and arena to explore what this means for our students and education, we would not have had an effective policy in place at the start of 2023.

This means we are in a far better place to address challenges such as AI-generated coursework for exams or how we could train and bring together teachers in our school to become familiar and confident with this development.

Ensuring the mavericks who are ahead of the curve or promote ideas that drive real change are duly recognised and thanked for their work can be the difference between them sticking around for another year or moving elsewhere.

And in the battle for talent, that can make a real difference to school success. 

Rob Ford is director of Heritage International School in Chisinau, Moldova