What Skills Make the Perfect Senior Leader?

Senior leaders come in many shapes and sizes. The nature of their responsibilities vary widely, as may their teaching commitments, status and professional influence, and they may or may not be required to deputise for the headteacher when he or she is away.

Yet whatever their particular brief, I’d suggest there are some key traits and skills that are indispensable at senior leader level. These are the qualities I’d expect heads to look for during the appointment process, and once they’re working alongside their new senior leader colleague.

1. The capacity to see the bigger picture

The main difference between middle and senior leadership is a question of scale and scope. I believe leaders of all leve ls have one overriding responsibility: to get the best from those they lead through a judicious balance of support and challenge. Senior leaders will inevitably have a whole-school focus and interact with increasingly larger groups within wider school community – pupils, staff, parents, governors, and perhaps others beyond the school gates. Understanding the perspectives of all, and seeing how the Big Picture fits together is a crucial part of the role.

2. The ability to win hearts and minds

To form positive and productive working relationships with everyone, senior leaders need to be able to get others on side and work with them, rather than alienating them. They need to engage with people emotionally, while also appealing to reason, and communicate with honesty and integrity so that they can earn (and give) respect.

3. A commitment to working hard

One way in which trust and respect can be built is through leading by example; showing that you are industrious, committed to the children’s best interests, and to securing and supporting the best possible standards of teaching, pastoral care and wider educational opportunities. Senior leaders have to be natural problem-solvers and solution-finders, determined to find the right way forward (sometimes through sensible compromise) and removing, wherever they can, barriers to learning.
Help those you lead do a good job. Don’t make their job more difficult.

4. A recognition of the importance of a sustainable personal/professional balance

I recognise that attaining this and modelling it to others is difficult, but if you can’t find a way to be a senior leader and still have a life beyond school, I’d suggest there’s something wrong with the job, not with you. If you can rest, refresh and re-energise on at least a weekly basis, you’ll be a better senior leader as a result.

5. The courage to give honest feedback

Finally, a senior leader should tell their head the truth – calmly, politely, professionally, constructively and behind closed doors. If they don’t, then who will?

Jill Berry is a leadership consultant and former headteacher; her book Making the Leap – Moving from Deputy to Head is available now, published by Crown House; follow her at @jillberry102