“We’d now like to hear your vision for the future of the school…”
This sentence is often the key moment of a leadership interview.
It can be when a candidate jumps out from the field by demonstrating they have a clear idea about how to take a school forward and what future success looks like - or when an otherwise excellent candidate misses out.
But what does a school vision mean and how can you create - and sell - one that helps you stand out if you’re aiming for that top spot? Here are some key insights gained from repeated interview processes - on both sides of the table.
Rethinking interviews
In nearly all cases, an interview process is the start of the relationship with your next boss.
That is as true for the teacher who is meeting her potential new head of department as it is for the school principal meeting the chairman and leading figures on the board.
Appointments are fundamentally about relationships. Both sides are asking: can we work together? Are we speaking the same language? The added complexity in senior leadership appointments is that it is important everyone is also pulling in the same direction. This is where the vision question comes in.
There are, of course, inherent dangers in pitching a vision for a school that you don’t really know and possibly haven’t even visited. Therefore, the key to the process working is that both sides are authentic and honest. If the board has agreed priorities, these should be declared in the candidate pack.
A candidate may approach an interview really wanting the job, but this should not be at all costs. Like the early stages of any relationship, it is important for both sides to get past the initial attraction, to explore values and to consider what their possible future together might look like.
Articulating a vision entails analysing where the school currently is, then outlining where you, as the new school leader, would take it. It’s about moving it from “A” to “B”.
Where are we now? What does ‘A’ look like?
With the exception of internal candidates, most interviewees inevitably won’t have detailed insights into the school, so it’s not about getting every detail right. However, you will be expected to have done research that goes beyond the website and the information provided by the school.
School leadership insights:
Boards often see the recruitment for senior roles as an opportunity to get valuable insights into the school, and the top candidates will be the ones who provide this.
In fact, external applicants have much more of an advantage here than most realise. In my experience both as a governor and as a school leader, boards value the external perspective of how the school is perceived in wider society or by the profession.
A balanced, candid and evidenced analysis of where a school is should be well-received. This is not the time to avoid harsh realities, but nor is it time to construct a burning platform.
One aspect that is particularly important for any potential new international or independent school leader is to demonstrate an understanding of where the school currently sits within its marketplace. What is the school’s unique selling point? Who are the school’s major competitors? and how does their USP differ?
Where are we going? What does ‘B’ look like?
From here, a vision for the future can be set. However, a key characteristic of any vision is that it is realistic both in terms of scope and cost.
There is little point pitching to reposition the school as the market leader in the region if there is no prospect of this happening, or if it would require a level of investment that is beyond the means of the school.
A common mistake of candidates for headship is to pitch that they will deliver whatever is the vision of the board. This is to misunderstand how boards operate and the nature of the appointment process from a board perspective.
Most governing bodies look to the principal and the senior team to guide them to a shared vision for the school. The interview, therefore, is the start of what is likely to be an ongoing process through strategy days and regular meetings where the leadership team puts forward ideas that will take the school forward. It is then down to the board to scrutinise these and to decide whether or not to adopt what is being proposed.
The manifesto approach
The appointment of a new principal is a highly significant opportunity for the board to re-evaluate the school’s direction for the coming years by choosing between the range of alternatives presented by the various candidates.
This observation is of great significance for candidates because there are two important lessons that come from it.
First, pitching a vision is, in effect, a manifesto for what you and your team plan to achieve during the period of your tenure. This means it is particularly important to put forward a direction in which you truly believe and that you are committed to delivering. The vision has to be authentic.
I am passionate about the use of technology to enhance learning and about the importance of team sports in school, so these are always components of my vision for a school because I know I can sell them with belief and I will commit to delivering this if offered the role.
Indeed, the great plus of this approach is if the board appoints you and adopts your vision, you have a mandate to deliver what they bought into and that you believe in.
Secondly, don’t take rejection personally. If you have pitched your authentic vision and the interviewing board decides not to offer you the opportunity, it will be for the best.
It doesn’t mean you didn’t have the skills or experience. It may simply be because the board wanted to take the school in a different direction, or that the school wasn’t yet at a stage where it could embrace the direction you are proposing.
If this happens, dust yourself down and try again - hopefully, your vision will be just what the next school is looking for.
Mark S. Steed is the principal and CEO of Kellett School, the British International School in Hong Kong, and previously ran schools in Devon, Hertfordshire and Dubai. He tweets @independenthead
