Middle Leadership Essentials - Course overview

Motivate more effectively by understanding yourself and your team

• Understand that different people are motivated in different ways.
• Explore leadership styles and when they may be most appropriate.
• Get equipped with tools to get to know your team members better.
• Assess the dynamics of your team and use that information to make good decisions about structures, working styles and tasks.

Learn how to develop and communicate a shared team vision

• Be collaborative in creating a vision with your team.
• Be confident in empowering staff and encouraging ownership.
• Gather strategies for getting SLT buy-in.
• Plan how to put your vision into action.
• Consider how to maintain momentum with your team even when the going gets tough.

Maintain a healthy work-life balance – and still get the work done

• Get equipped with essential productivity strategies.
• Use prioritization tools to decide where best to focus your energies.
• Learn how to delegate effectively.
• Manage the distractions better: emails, meetings and ad hoc requests.
• Practice relaxation and stress reduction techniques.

Develop and challenge your teamto improve through accountability processes

• Consider how to monitor in ways that are constructive, not undermining.
• Give useful, motivating feedback to team members.
• Understand the elements of an effective appraisal process.
• Be ready to be accountable for your team’s performance and evaluate their impact on teaching and learning.

Communication, coaching and courageous conversations

• Develop skills to influence your SLT and align your priorities with school strategy.
• Practice the art of holding difficult conversations.
• Explore the use of coaching questions in everyday professional dialogue.
• Discuss challenging leadership scenarios and test your learning so far.
• Decide on your project focus.

Be proactive in planning for, managing and communicating change

• Understand the consequences of managing change badly.
• Explore typical responses to change and phases in the change cycle.
• Using scenarios or your project focus, put together a change management plan.
• Gather strategies for communicating change and getting people on board : whoneeds to be consulted, when and how?

Demonstrate to SLT the difference your leadership has made

• Explore methods for measuring effectiveness and evaluating impact.
• Learn how to create a ‘data story’ to illustrate progress.
• Put in place a yearly improvement cycle for your team, including annual review.
• Analyse your project progress and decide how to present findings to colleagues, SLT and network members.

Celebrate success and plan for future development

• Share the results of your change project.
• Get strategies for staying resilient in the face of ongoing pressure and challenges.
• Future proof your team: learn more about talent management, succession planning and effective professional development.
• Evaluate your learning on the programme so far; plan your next steps for sustained improvement.