The question of virtue in leadership was playing on my mind this morning. I reached for my go-to book on moral philosophy: Being Good by Simon Blackburn. It is a pithy introduction to ethics which I hoped would help me ponder the question. Some time later I remembered that I should be doing jobs around … Continue reading Virtuous leaders
Category: Leadership
The value of dissent
Consensus is desirable. Can we at least agree on that? I’m not so sure. One of the interesting features of the education system is the role played by concord and discord. We place high value on the former but live mainly with the latter. Think for a moment: what do we actually agree on? There … Continue reading The value of dissent
Causes work in teams
Being certain is emotionally satisfying. Whether it is knowing an answer in a pub quiz, retrieving the name of someone you haven't seen for ages, or working out why the dishwasher has stopped working, there is a tiny release of positivity when we 'know' something. The neurologist Robert Burton calls this feeling 'the sensation of … Continue reading Causes work in teams
The School Leader as Plumber
Problems are gritty, grounded, local. We only understand them close up, case by case. We're tempted by high level solutions when we should be getting down and dirty. The solution may lay in the idiosyncratic and pragmatic, not the intellectual.Michael Blastland, The Hidden Half (2019) I'm going to go out on a limb here and … Continue reading The School Leader as Plumber
Sense and Sense Ability
As the anniversary of the UK's first 'lockdown' passes, many are trying to make sense of the events of the past year. For those working in schools, this period has been somewhat of a rollercoaster ride. The blogs which have emerged describe the numerous 'stages' of school functioning and how it has felt to progress … Continue reading Sense and Sense Ability
The Imagined School
“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows A paracosm is a detailed imaginary world, often formed in childhood, which blends the real world with imaginary places, characters, and events. Children may develop a … Continue reading The Imagined School
Culture and Context
From where does a school's persona arise? And what role does the headteacher play in creating this persona? There has been much written and said about school culture - what we mean by the term, how it comes about. In this post I would like to highlight a systems perspective on this matter. Discussions around … Continue reading Culture and Context
Kicking the solution habit
I was reminded today of my tendency to become over excited about a really cool piece of technology. My geekiness is hidden behind a thin veil, and today that veil was lifted to reveal my bridal glow. The technology in question (and I should warn you it really isn't exciting to any normal human) is … Continue reading Kicking the solution habit
Who tells your story?
This isn't a post about Brexit... but it starts there. As we lurch towards the distinct possibility of a no-deal, you would be right to be concerned about what happens next. Whichever side of the debate you are on, no-one should be taking this possibility lightly. It is a problem we should all care about … Continue reading Who tells your story?
The Complex Question of Leadership
The researchED Guide to Leadership hits the shelves this month and I am delighted to have contributed the closing chapter titled 'Surviving and Thriving in Uncertainty'. My contribution is essentially about the complexity of schools and why leaders benefit from acknowledging this complexity. This blog post is written to accompany the chapter, partly to explain … Continue reading The Complex Question of Leadership
Matthew Evans 