Last week, I gave a presentation welcoming staff back for the new year ahead.

In the talk, I welcomed new staff, celebrated staff weddings and births, as well as showcased exam results and set out the expectations for the year ahead.

Afterwards, one of the more experienced teachers approached me and thanked me for a very personable presentation, adding: “That’s not like it used to be.”

The Batcave

Certainly, while I was fortunate enough to start my teaching career with an inspirational school leader, their approach was very different today.

The headteacher I started out with would rarely be seen walking the corridors of the school or delivering speeches celebrating staff’s life milestones.

They were a mysterious figure you would see spy at events such as speech day, on the touchline at a prestigious sports event, or in the wings of the final night of a school production.

Students would only meet the head if they got into Oxbridge, were selected as head boy (it was a single-sex school) or were about to be asked to leave the school due to misbehaviour.

In fact, the head’s office was referred to as “The Batcave”, where the head resided all day.

Meet and greets

Now, such a head is probably all but a thing of the past. Indeed, as a serving head, school inspector and chair of an international school membership group, I have the privilege of visiting various schools every year and meeting with amazing school leaders - and it is clear how much has changed.

Heads are on the school gate at the start and end of school, they walk the corridors continuously feeling for the pulse of the school.

They visit the school coffee shop and chat with parents on a more informal basis and talk with staff in a very relaxed but professional manner, they run co-curricular activities and invite student committees to meet with them to discuss the direction that the school is heading in.

It’s certainly the preferred style I have migrated towards in my career. However, when I started as a head, I adopted the more distant approach, possibly due to my lack of experience and confidence, which meant I simply copied what I had seen before.

As I gained more experience, though, and started to become more confident, I began leading in the style that felt more natural to me - and the moment I did I felt my leadership improved, too.

In fact, I always say to staff stepping into leadership that they must be themselves, otherwise a challenging role becomes an even greater challenge if you cannot be your professional self.

The right style for the right time

While these two approaches outlined above are very much “chalk and cheese”, I have deliberately avoided saying which one is more effective.

The schools of the 1990s achieved superb exam results, fielded great sports teams, offered the pupils amazing opportunities and had a flurry of staff achieving headships across the globe as their careers progressed.

The schools of the 2020s I visit also have brilliant exam results, field strong sports teams, put on amazing school productions, have students securing seats at prestigious universities across the globe and have amazing staff development programmes.

The reality perhaps is simply that headship has had to move with the times - heads cannot be mysterious, isolated figures anymore.

They have to be personable and approachable with staff, more accessible and front-facing to pupils, staff and parents. Social media plays a huge role both in terms of heads posting school updates as well as being scrutinised by parent groups over decisions that the school makes.

Walking the line

Yet, you still have to represent the authority that resides in the title of “headmaster”, “headmistress” or “principal”. Ultimately, you are in charge and have to deal with tricky situations - from unhappy parents and upset pupils to disgruntled teachers - and respond to any crisis that unfurls.

Walking the line between these two is not easy and no doubt some would prefer the older approach to help maintain authority through aloofness, while others are naturals at the new style but find laying down the law far harder.

How can you do both then?

Well, just as 30 years ago, what is key to headship is that school leaders should always strive to do what is best for their pupils.

Contexts, circumstances and cultures will always change around schools, but ensuring pupils receive the best academic experience, the best opportunities and the best life chances possible will always be key to any successful school.

For heads, this can help provide the clarity and focus they need to lead.

Mark Leppard MBE is the headmaster of The British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi and chair of British Schools in the Middle East