Self-Compassion for Overwhelmed School Leaders | A Conversation with Stephanie Lill
In this powerful conversation, Stephanie Lill from Mindful Sparks completely reframes how we think about compassion in schools. Far from being a "nice to have," compassion emerges as an essential leadership skill that goes beyond kindness and empathy to create real, lasting change. Lilly breaks down the crucial distinctions: kindness is doing nice things, empathy is understanding someone's situation, but compassion is taking action to address the root causes of suffering. What makes this episode particularly valuable is Lilly's honest exploration of self-compassion, especially for those of us who worry that being too kind to ourselves might make us complacent. Through practical strategies like using post-it note reminders, checking in with our mind, emotions, and body, and knowing when to pause before making decisions, she shows how self-compassion actually creates the mental space we need to respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively. Her story about a school leader who chose vulnerability during an air pollution crisis demonstrates how authentic leadership can transform school culture in profound ways. LinksMindful Sparks - Mindfulness-based training for schoolsMindful Moments Podcast - Mindful Sparks' own podcast seriesConnect with Lilly on Instagram @mindful_sparks or LinkedIn Episode PartnersTeacher Development TrustInternational Curriculum AssociationJoin Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensiveShane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. Passionate about empowment, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.You can find Shane on LinkedIn and Bluesky. or shaneleaning.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Why Teachers Resist your Great Ideas | A Conversation with Christopher Youles
Ever wonder why brilliant educational ideas don't always translate into classroom reality? In this conversation, Shane Leaning sits down with author Chris Youles to explore the messy truth about implementing change in schools and why sometimes it's easier to influence other people's schools than your own. Chris, Assistant Head Teacher and author of the brilliant Teaching Story Writing in Primary (Bloomsbury), shares his honest reflections on the gap between writing about best practice and actually making it happen. With characteristic candour, he admits that despite literally writing the book on teaching writing, he still struggles with implementation challenges in his own school. We dive into the psychology of professional development, explore why past CPD trauma affects how teachers receive new ideas, and discover Chris's brilliant concept of "death by a thousand blows" for sustainable change. This episode will resonate with anyone who's ever wondered why that amazing training session didn't quite stick, or why resistance to change persists even when everyone agrees the ideas are good. Chris offers practical insights into reframing change around student outcomes, the importance of consistency over perfection, and how small, frequent adjustments can create lasting transformation. Links:Chris Youles' Books:Teaching Story Writing in Primary: Curriculum-aligned, classroom-ready resources and strategies (Bloomsbury, 2024)Sentence Models for Creative Writing: A practical resource for teaching writing (John Catt Educational, 2023)Writing Systems and Approaches:Jane Considine's "The Write Stuff" system - Transforming the teaching of writingThe Write Stuff book by Jane ConsidineReading Resources:Christopher Such's work on reading fluency and deep discussionPrimary Reading Simplified: A Practical Guide to Classroom Teaching and Whole-School Implementation by Christopher SuchThe Art and Science of Teaching Primary Reading by Christopher Such Episode PartnersTeacher Development TrustInternational Curriculum AssociationJoin Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensiveShane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. Passionate about empowment, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.You can find Shane on LinkedIn and Bluesky. or shaneleaning.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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How To Learn From Everyone | A Conversation with Ben Whitaker
Shane Leaning chats with Ben Whitaker about his new book "The Ideas Guy" and why he thinks we're all capable of being idea generators. Ben's an education consultant who specialises in education leadership training and co-hosts the Edufuturists podcast, and he's got some fascinating takes on school leadership coaching. Rather than hunting for that perfect role model (spoiler alert: they don't exist), Ben's all about picking and mixing ideas from loads of different people - even the ones with questionable ethics. We explore everything from Sir Ken Robinson's unconventional paths to Brené Brown's thoughts on vulnerability as a leadership strength. Ben challenges the whole notion of trying to cram more stuff into education and makes a compelling case for school improvement strategies that focus on creating more space instead. If you're an international school leadership team looking for fresh school leadership tips, or just want to think differently about organisational change in schools, this conversation's going to get you thinking. Plus, Ben drops some wisdom about why curiosity gets trained out of us and how we can get it back.Resources mentioned in this episode:Ben Whitaker's book "The Ideas Guy"Edufuturists podcastSir Ken Robinson FoundationStephen Bartlett's "Diary of a CEO" podcast Episode PartnersTeacher Development TrustInternational Curriculum AssociationJoin Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensiveShane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. Passionate about empowment, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.You can find Shane on LinkedIn and Bluesky. or shaneleaning.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Leading With Conviction | A Conversation with Katharine Birbalsingh
Katharine Birbalsingh, founder of Britain's most talked-about school, reveals the leadership principles that transformed her vision into reality. From her converted office building in London, Michaela Community School has achieved the highest progress scores in England for three consecutive years, with results that rival the country's most elite institutions. Katharine shares her unflinching approach to leadership - one built on absolute clarity of vision, radical simplicity, and the power of authentic conversation. She explains why autonomy isn't just about freedom from interference, but about creating genuine ownership throughout your organisation, and how saying 'no' to good ideas can be the key to extraordinary results. Katharine discusses the ice cream cone analogy that will change how you think about school improvement, why she's never used an agenda in a meeting, and how the dating world can teach us about setting standards with parents and staff. Whether you agree with her methods or not, her insights on building culture, having difficult conversations, and leading with unwavering standards offer valuable lessons for any school leader looking to create meaningful change. This conversation will challenge your assumptions about what it means to lead with true conviction.LinksMichaela Community School - MichaelaMichaela Community School | Welcome to MichaelaE.D. Hirsch's "The Schools We Need and Why We Don't Have Them" (1999) - Available on Goodreads - Educational philosophy book that influenced Katharine's approachKatharine's Books:"To Miss with Love" (2011) - Her memoir based on her teaching blog"Battle Hymn of the Tiger Teachers: The Michaela Way" (2016) - Editor"Michaela: The Power of Culture" (2020) - EditorJoin Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensiveShane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. Passionate about empowment, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.You can find Shane on LinkedIn and Bluesky. or shaneleaning.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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How to Make Change Feel Safe | A Conversation with Paul Halford
Shane Leaning speaks with Paul Halford about his new book "My Educated Life: Lessons from Leading Schools." Paul explores why change in schools is fundamentally a subjective experience, explaining how even the most logical strategic plans can fail when they encounter the reality of people's personal lives and emotional responses. Using a football coaching analogy from his youth, he demonstrates how successful change requires leaders who build trust, allow for honest communication about difficulties, and create safe spaces for dissent and feedback. The conversation delves into the tension between maintaining legitimacy as a school and pushing boundaries for innovation, using examples like A.S. Neill's radical Summerhill School and the nomadic Think Global School. Paul emphasises that school success is built on relationships characterised by trust, hope, and care, citing research showing that high-trust schools have significantly better success rates when implementing new programmes. He provides practical strategies including monthly one-to-one meetings with staff, annual culture surveys, and creating collaborative approaches to change implementation, while warning that the biggest leadership mistake is allowing trust to erode through poor communication and failure to understand staff experiences. Links Mentioned:My Educated Life: Lessons from Leading Schools by Paul HalfordThe New Meaning of Educational Change by Michael FullanUNESCO Futures of Education Report Episode PartnerThe International Curriculum Association: Learn moreJoin Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensiveShane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. Passionate about empowment, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.You can find Shane on LinkedIn and Bluesky. or shaneleaning.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
About Education Leaders | Strategic School Leadership
Strategic school leadership insights for education leaders who want to drive meaningful change and build thriving school communities.What if the most powerful leadership strategies were hiding in plain sight? Education Leaders uncovers the evidence-based approaches that separate truly effective school leaders from the rest. Through compelling interviews and strategic deep-dives, organisational coach Shane Leaning reveals the real challenges facing today's education leaders, and the practical solutions that actually work.Every other Tuesday, discover how renowned educators and thought leaders tackle school improvement, staff development, and cultural transformation. You'll learn actionable strategies you can implement immediately to build confidence in your leadership and create lasting impact in your school community.On alternate weeks, Shane delivers focused episodes that address the leadership challenges you face daily: managing diverse teams, driving innovation, building organisational identity, and implementing sustainable change. Each episode offers clear, research-backed frameworks for developing your leadership capacity.Whether you're a department head questioning your next move, an assistant principal navigating complexities of a big team, or a superintendent driving district-wide change, Education Leaders provides the strategic insights you need to lead with confidence.Consistently ranked #1 schools podcast in Education category across multiple regions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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