Working in an international school comes with unique challenges. Leadership decisions can sometimes clash with your values or professional ethics. Knowing when and how to challenge your principal can make a difference for your school, students, and career.
When Should You Speak Up?
- Ethical Issues – If a decision compromises student well-being or violates ethical guidelines, it’s time to step in. Research shows ethical leadership improves trust and accountability (Brown & Treviño, 2006).
- Conflicts with Your Values – When leadership choices don’t align with the school’s mission or your beliefs, raising concerns can help maintain a strong culture (Fullan, 2014).
- Leadership Blind Spots – Even experienced leaders make mistakes. Offering a different perspective can lead to better decisions (Goleman, Boyatzis, & McKee, 2013).
- Poor Communication or Policy Changes – If decisions are unclear or cause confusion, asking for transparency can improve staff and student experiences.
How to Challenge Your Principal Effectively
- Pick the Right Time – A scheduled meeting works better than a public confrontation.
- Be Constructive – Focus on solutions, not problems. Try: “Can we discuss an alternative approach supporting staff and students?”
- Use Evidence – Present data, research, or examples to back your concerns.
- Respect Their Role – Acknowledge their perspective while expressing your views.
Answering This in an Interview
Interviewers often ask how you handle disagreements with leadership. A strong response shows professionalism and problem-solving skills. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result):
- Situation: “A proposed curriculum change seemed to exclude students with diverse learning needs.”
- Task: “I needed to ensure all students had equal access to resources.”
- Action: “I met with the principal, shared concerns, and provided alternative solutions based on research.”
- Result: “We adjusted the plan to better support all students.”
When to Walk Away
If leadership consistently ignores ethical concerns or dismisses staff input, it might be time to leave. Studies show that misalignment with workplace values can lead to burnout (Maslach & Leiter, 2016).
Key Takeaways
- Speak up when decisions affect ethics, values, or transparency.
- Choose the right time and frame your concerns constructively.
- Use facts, not emotions, to support your case.
- In interviews, highlight your ability to challenge professionally.
- If the leadership culture doesn’t fit your values, consider other opportunities.
In small and connected communities, possibly with friends in leadership and the worry of securing your next reference, challenging leadership is hard. But consistently working outside of your values is harder still.
There is no perfect approach to this situation or answer to this question. Feel the room. When asked about this in an interview, I believed I had responded appropriately; the eye roll on the other side of the desk said otherwise. On a question as personal as this, if the interviewer strongly disagrees with you, it probably is not a good fit, and you move on to the next position.
Alignment is crucial to your happiness and success. The interviewer’s response to this question will teach you a lot about their values and beliefs. It is worth tuning in to this and ensuring you can and still want to work with them if the job is offered.
What Do You Think?
Have you ever had to challenge a school leader? Share your experience in the comments!
References:
Brown, M. E., & Treviño, L. K. (2006). Ethical leadership: A review and future directions. The Leadership Quarterly, 17(6), 595-616.
Fullan, M. (2014). The Principal: Three Keys to Maximizing Impact. Jossey-Bass.
Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R., & McKee, A. (2001). Primal leadership: The hidden driver of great performance. Harvard Business Review, 79(11), 42-51.
Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (2016). Understanding the burnout experience: Recent research and its implications for psychiatry. World Psychiatry, 15(2), 103-111.
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