First in a series inspired by our SLT book club

Our fearless leader has introduced a Leadership Book Club as part of our executive team’s professional development. I’m very excited. First on the roster is Embracing MESSY Leadership by Alyssa Gallagher and Rosie Connor. A few chapters in, the book is proving engaging – thankfully avoiding the trap of feeling like an overextended blog post. It does lean heavily on a forced acronym by the back half of ‘MESSY’, but we’re all teachers – we love a good mnemonic.

MESSY

The authors aim to synthesise hundreds of coaching sessions into a cohesive model that embraces the humanity of leadership – focusing on growth through relationship-building. This series will share my reflections as our book club works through the text, chapter by chapter.

Chapter 1: Leadership is MESSY

Chapter 1 encourages leaders to reflect on the three key components of school leadership: Me, Us, and It.

Gallagher and Connor offer several real-world examples to highlight the challenges of leading people. What resonated most with me was their acknowledgment of the often lonely nature of school leadership. As we progress in our careers, we typically take on leadership roles in one of two ways: promotion from within or stepping into a new school.

I’ve done both over the past decade. Joining a school from the outside is obviously challenging, but it also offers the opportunity to build leadership relationships from a clean slate. While you start with zero emotional capital, you’re free from the legacy of complex social dynamics.

Internal promotion, on the other hand, can be surprisingly isolating. You’re often promoted out of your support network and asked to lead peers who were previously part of your close circle. This shift can be socially disorienting and, at times, deeply uncomfortable. It’s something schools need to be more conscious of supporting.

Activating Prior Learning

As I connected this chapter to my current context as a school leader, we were asked to reflect on common leadership challenges and our inter- and intrapersonal skills.

I’ve been fortunate to receive extensive training in interpersonal skills, and I consider this a strength, both personally and based on feedback I receive. However, the book highlights an area I need to develop: intrapersonal skills. I need to get better at managing myself. I appreciated this dual focus on both dimensions as “the human side of school leadership” (p. 4).

The self-assessment tools in this chapter highlighted two areas of growth for me: the need to delegate more effectively and the need to prioritise my own wellbeing. The latter is something I’ve neglected in the past.

Me, Us, It

The book introduces a useful framework:
– Me: how I model leadership
– Us: the relationships within my team
– It: the work that needs doing

I’m still wrestling with how best to visualise the interplay between these elements.

While the authors suggest they should receive equal attention:

Me = Us = It

I’m not convinced that balance is always possible. Perhaps it’s more about oscillation and recalibration over time.

Right now, I’m the Director of Teaching and Learning and the Coordinator of Wellbeing at a newly established K–12 school. We’re only in our second year offering both Kindergarten and the International Baccalaureate. That’s a lot of “It”.

For the past few years, my leadership has been very “It” focused. Running on adrenaline and necessity. But reading this chapter reminded me that Me is often the first thing to go. Gallagher and Connor (p. 8) note that this is a common experience. It’s time to redress that balance.

Effective school leadership is, in my experience, a critical ingredient in a thriving school culture. I’m looking forward to continuing this book; it’s already offering rich, practical insight. (Spoiler alert: there’s plenty more to unpack in the chapters ahead.)

Either way, it’s great to be back using the blog to reflect on readings.

Gallagher, A. and Connor, R. (2024) Embracing messy leadership: How the experience of 20,000 school leaders can transform you and your school. Arlington, VA: ASCD.