Be more self: The ultimate leadership paradox
Written by: Andrew Morrish
9 min read
Andrew Morrish, Director, Makana Leadership Ltd, UK
During the past decade, the school system has become more receptive at embracing professional growth, in particular when seeking to improve leadership capabilities known to increase student outcomes (Robinson, 2010). There is still much that leaders need to know, such as how best to lead in certain situations and why. As important as knowledge is, compelling evidence exists that suggests that the environment remains a key determinant when leading change (e.g. Coe, 2022). I first became aware of this as a middle leader in the early 1990s, and instantly became drawn to a fledgling term that had crept into the school leadership lexicon. It was called ‘organisational culture’ and education researchers were beginning to suggest that it was emerging as a key indicator of an effective school, and that context and environment played a key role (e.g. Ouchi and Wilkins, 1988; Murgatroyd, 1993). Keen to test this out, I spent several years
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