Thought Leadership in Education: Who SHOULD Hold the Mic?

We talk a lot about finding the right leader. The shortlist, the interview process, the reference checks — it all matters. But what I’ve seen time and again is this: even the best leader will struggle if the organisation isn’t ready for them.

This isn’t about capability. It’s about conditions. You can’t drop someone into chaos and expect clarity. You can’t expect momentum from someone whose feet are stuck in legacy systems or unclear expectations.

What does readiness actually look like?

Here’s what I look for when working with schools or systems:

• Is there clarity on what kind of leadership is actually needed?
• Are the staff and board aligned — or pulling in different directions?
• Is there a pattern of leadership churn?
• Has anyone taken the time to prepare the environment before the leader steps in?

If not — that’s a red flag. Not for the leader, but for the organisation.

What we do differently at Aspire2

At Aspire2, we’re not here to just “fill a role.” We support schools and boards to ask the harder questions:

• Are we clear on the work ahead?
• Are we prepared to support the new leader beyond Day One?
• Do we understand what success will look like — and how we’ll get there?

Sometimes that involves coaching. Sometimes it’s about surfacing tensions. Other times, it’s simply about helping the board slow down just long enough to get the right foundations in place.

Because leaders don’t just need a role. They need room to lead.

Read the rest of the article on LinkedIn.