RECOGNISING POTENTIAL AS PART OF SCHOOLS’ ACCELERATED LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY In order to ensure sufficient numbers of leaders for the future, today’s schools are required to be proactive in identifying and developing leadership potential. The task can be approached in different ways and at different stages. Building on the recruitment and selection process Some schools have incorporated talent-spotting into their recruitment processes, enabling them to build up a pool of potential future leaders and to focus development opportunities accordingly. Some of these methods involve: wording advertisements to reflect the school’s commitment to leadership learning; focusing the recruitment process upon specific criteria, such as ‘an ability to learn and share’; and scrutinising applications for evidence of prior leadership experience e.g. leading teams. Harnessing the potential of existing staff Senior leaders, by sharing perspectives informally on individuals’ aptitudes, behaviours, skills, knowledge and practice, can identify the potential of existing staff. Alternatively, specific criteria may be used e.g. capacity to learn, confidence and credibility, the ability to see the ‘big picture’. School leaders regularly highlight the need for those holding middle and senior leadership posts to be high-quality classroom practitioners. Taking practical steps The following are useful practical steps for identifying leadership potential:
agree a set of leadership development criteria so that all staff are clear about the characteristics they should be looking for in leadership potential;
use the criteria to help shape the recruitment strategy and the application and interview processes;
identify potential leaders who could step up to meet organisational needs;
hold discussions with aspiring leaders about their behaviours and qualities so they are clear about their strengths and areas for development.
Providing leadership experience in school There are certain strategies schools can use to accelerate the development of staff. These include providing staff with opportunities to exercise leadership; take risks in trying out leadership tasks; lead on whole school issues; see the school holistically, rather than focusing on their individual areas; and locate talented leaders in key roles. Skills for leadership Those showing leadership potential are likely to need additional support to lead and manage their new roles, responsibilities and accountabilities. Opportunities that will accelerate their development are likely to include: shadowing more senior leaders; job rotation; participation in organisation-wide initiatives; and mentoring and coaching. Impact on the school There are significant benefits for schools that successfully accelerate the development of potential new leaders from within. For example, increased leader responsibility and accountability result in improved teaching and learning, recruitment is made easier, staff enthusiasm, greater motivation and commitment leads to improved retention. For further information see Accelerated Leadership Development: Fast tracking school leaders by Peter Earley and Jeff Jones, priced £17.99, published by the Institute of Education London in September 2010, ISBN 978-0-85473-884-7. You can order it through John Smith’s Education Bookshop on tel. 0207-612-6050, email ioe@johnsmith.co.uk or from most good bookshops or online retailers such as www.Amazon.co.uk