In 2023 I started in a new school setting as the TL- a role I had occupied for 8 years at another school. The schools were very different despite both being independent. These differences are relevant for me to talk about ‘My most favourite leader.’ School A was a low fees, coeducational, K-12 Anglican independent school in Western Sydney. The primary and secondary shared a single campus but did not share the same buildings except for the school hall and administration building. School B is a high fees, coeducational, K-12 secular school in Sydney. The primary and secondary share a single campus and several facilities and rooms. We are all very much atop of one another.
The Head of Primary (HoP) in School A, Mrs H, is a foundational member of the school community. She was the first kindergarten teacher once the school made the decision to extend itself from high school to primary education in the 1990s. She rose to the role of HoP in the early 2000s (Head Mistress of Junior School back in the old days). Mrs H retired the same year I left. Her leadership played an enormous role in my success as a classroom teacher and TL at School A.
Mrs H enjoyed a level of respect and love from both the teaching community and parent community which is unlike any I have seen before or since. She was also respected by her peers in other schools. I know this because of the many educators, principals and HoPs I met from other schools who told me as much. In short, she was highly visible in her role, highly valued relationships, and, in the Anglican setting, lived an exemplary Christian life with great humility. Mrs H was often spoken of as a person, and not a leader which I find interesting in the context of this subject (ETL504 TL as Leader). When news of her retirement came to light, the discussions about Mrs H as leader started to emerge. People realised that replacing her would be unlikely if not impossible and we all started to think of the leadership which we would be missing. I see now that in the language which teachers, students and parents used to articulate why she would be so hard to replace is a gold standard definition of servant leadership.
After reading about leadership styles or models, I can begin to articulate the particular combination of concerns and approaches which Mrs H brought to the HoP role- a role which, seemingly arose organically for her and which persisted after her albeit in an altered state. As I understand it, the HoP at School A was created to tend to the wellbeing needs (spiritual and otherwise) of both students and staff, oversee behavioural support in a restorative justice setting, and support the instructional leadership roles emerging from this growing, healthy school. The HoP is essentially a Deputy Principal in a K-12 school, but with the amount of separation between K-6 and 7-12, there was quite a lot of trust and authority given to her in this role.
As the school grew, other leadership positions sprung up both around and below the HoP. Like many schools, School A moved towards distributed leadership as both need for specialised care in areas like curriculum and behaviour managent became needed, and in recognising abilities and interests of people on staff in these areas. Mrs H was instrumental in the early stages of this because of her ability to see strengths, have honest discussions about teachers taking on responsibilities in such areas, and lending authorities to decisions made by these people or groups. When issues arose with students her first point was always to speak with the classroom teacher who, in most cases, knows that child well. There was never a presumption that she knew best as the HoP or that there was any weakness in deferring to someone who knows better. This model of servant leadership permeated the entire culture of the primary.
A great nurturing leader who never seemed to feel threatened by others’ input, she was essential to the growth of distributed leadership at School A. As Crippen and Willows (2019) suggest, her strong servant leadership encouraged the growth of teacher leadership at the school. Recognising her Christian heart helped others understand the integrity leading her works in the classroom and in leadership. Those who felt threatened by her- the occasional new addition to the school leadership- simply could not grasp this. As Spears says, the philosophy behind Mrs H’s servant leadership did not exist in a single lane but emanated through her whole life (Greenleaf, 2003).
Perhaps most importantly, Mrs H was always open to discussion, would share her struggles with decision making, seek input from others, and wear her mistakes. These are exceptional qualities in a human and, perhaps doubly exceptional in a leader given I have yet to encounter another so successful.
I think what strikes me most in writing all of this, a final thought, is that one was always clear and honest with Mrs H. To my knowledge, no one ever felt the need to be dishonest when needing time away, a sick day for reasons other than health, being forthright about a careless comment made in the classroom , lateness, frustration, etc. It is not that one could do what one wanted, it was that the discussion could be frank and the leadership reaction be measured, empathetic, clear and wise. Likewise, when she needed things from us, the persuasion was compelling and based on thorough consideration of us, our skills and our abilities.
Crippen, C. & Willows, J. (2019). Connecting teacher leadership and servant leadership: A synergistic partnership. Journal of Leadership Education.
Greenleaf, R. (2003). The servant leader within: A transformative path. Paulist Press.
