Tag: Educational Leadership

The Assistant Principal Interview: Part 2 of 3

One of the most popular questions facing candidates applying for Assistant Principal positions is “How would you enter the school as a new Assistant Principal?” This is often followed by, “as an internal candidate, managing and leading your friends and colleagues” or “ as a leader new to the school and community?” The fact that this is such a common question implies that you should indeed have an entry plan. I should rephrase this. You should have an entry plan and stick to it. I had a plan and deviated, it slowed down my progress. I kept the fundamentals, however, I sacrificed some key aspects that I knew to be important. How did I justify this to myself? Time. There is never enough time… All the more reason to have a plan, right?!

So, what does an entry plan for an Assistant Principal look like? What are your priorities? You will need to consult your values and philosophy, the school strategic plan, the schools’ objectives for the year, and of course, the school principal. There are many books on the subject, all directing you to the key features of a successful transition. Some are more obvious than others, so let’s explore them and start to plan your First 90 Days.

The First 90 Days by Michael D. Watkins was first recommended to me as I was finishing up my Master’s Degree, by one of my professors. I have since learned more about this book and Watson’s work. It is a classic. I will refer to a lot of the underlying principles covered within the book whilst injecting some of my learning, applying it to the role of the Assistant Principal.

Let’s get started.

Be Prepared…To Tell Your Story

Once you have accepted the role of Assistant Principal and signed the contract. You must celebrate. You should then dust yourself off, and get to work. There is a lot to do before you enter the building, or as was my case, Zoom into a Whole School Faculty Meeting. No matter how you are introduced to your faculty, the moment will define your future success, so make it count. It is likely you will be introduced to your Faculty already via a written biography, it is, therefore, important to provide some extra information when meeting them for the first time. Your teachers will want to know how you will lead them, how you teach, and what you are like as a person. You must be vulnerable and open up to them, but not too much. Practice sharing your story during the interview. Be authentic. It will help you to discover whether if you are the right fit for the school.

Creating Your Vision of Success

Ensure that you have your definition of success as well as meeting the school goals. This will most likely consist of the points mentioned below. You should ensure that you build in some early wins, ideally, these will be highly visible to help build your credibility. You will often be asked about what your first 3-6 months will look like, so be prepared to tell the panel. More often than not, your first 90 days will involve building relationships and collecting data. Observing and learning about the school, not making any major changes. Nobody wants to hire a bulldozer.

Build Relationships

You cannot do this alone. Success is dependent upon relationships. How will you deliberately develop relationships so that everyone feels valued and included? Enter classrooms, meetings, assemblies and have corridor conversations. Care personally about your colleagues and students by getting to know them. Collaboration is a key value to discuss during your interview, however, acknowledge that as a leader you will sometimes need to act alone, and quickly.

Earn Credibility and Trust

Read the school policy and ensure you follow it. Communicate often. Be transparent. Keep confidence. As Kousez and Posner maintain, you should ‘Do What You Say You Will Do’. Nothing causes a loss of credibility more than a broken promise.

Sharpen Your Saw

Stephen R. Covey in his seminal work, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, discusses the importance of Sharpening Your Saw. As lifelong learners, this should be easy enough to speak to. You will need to keep learning on the job by reading around the latest research, and you will need to keep yourself healthy and energised by exercising, meditating and writing. Do not underestimate the demands of the job. Providing a clear understanding of the role and its demands will help the panel to see past a novice leader. Demonstrating balance and an ability to learn will support your application by acknowledging that life is not all about work. You should not expect teachers to be tied to their desks, however, we all need to keep learning to grow. As Abraham Maslow once said, “In any given moment, we have two choices: step forward into growth or step backwards into safety.”

“In any given moment, we have two choices: step forward into growth or step backwards into safety.”
Abraham Maslow

Be a Multiplier

As teacher’s, we take for granted that our job is to multiply talent. We help students learn by building on their strengths, providing timely and effective feedback and creating valuable learning opportunities to support this. We should be doing the same for our teachers. How much more effective would our schools be if all teachers knew and understood the demands of leadership? Liz Wiseman in her book Multipliers, argues that we should attract talent and multiply it by developing a culture with a common language, learned behaviours, shared values and a celebration of heroes and legends, your star-teachers. Create an enabling culture that prioritises the growth of teachers and students. Fulfilled teachers create challenged and happy students. Consider how you will support the professional development of your teachers and be able to talk to it within the school’s context. What will it look like?

The suggestions above provide some key areas that may be discussed in interviews and will have very practical applications. Take the time to learn about your school and then to consider how you will enter as an Assistant Principal. Your first 90 days will have a profound impact on your level of success and your perceived ability as a leader.

Journeying:

Books:

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey

Multipliers: How The Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter by Liz Wiseman

The First 90 Days by Michael D. Watkins

Master Your Next Move by Michael D. Watkins

Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It by James M. Kousez and Barry Z. Posner

Videos:

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Book Summary

The First 90 Days Book Summary

The Speed of Trust Book Summary

7 Nov 2021
Stepping Out, Stepping Up and Stepping Back: Your Move to Leadership

If you could lead your “Dream School”, who would you hire to work to come and work for you? All School Leaders have all thought about it, some may even have spoken about it with friends. I imagine that you have a list of Super-Teachers and School Leaders forming in your mind as you are reading this. So who makes the cut, and what do they have in common?

This is an important question to ponder if you are considering a move into school leadership. Aspiring leaders are likely to be driven and qualified, so, “what separates them from the other 100 applicants all seeking an opportunity to become an Assistant Principal?” The answers to the above questions may just help you navigate that difficult road from Teacher to School Leader. It may not surprise you to learn, the answers to both questions are in fact the same.

The route to Assistant Principal can be a long and challenging one. There will likely be many obstacles in your way including internal candidates, school politics, imposter syndrome and unconscious bias. It is essential, therefore, that you understand the behaviours sought after by experienced leaders. This knowledge will allow you to begin your journey right now, a leader without a title, whilst gaining much-valued experience and credibility along the way.

Now think back to the two questions I asked earlier. Write down your answers. You will now have a job description appearing in front of you. Reflect.

Would you, hire you?

You are of course, biased. Of course, you would. You know yourself. But, would someone else? Before embarking on the arduous task of filling in job applications, it can help to consider the traits and behaviours that existing leaders find invaluable in supporting their vision and leadership. Are you already acting and thinking like a leader, and do other people see you that way?

Let’s start at the beginning by considering the Ideal Team Player.

Start With The End in Mind: Backwards Planning

Consider again, your dream school. What kind of person did you choose to fill your leadership and teaching positions? It is a popular practice today to hire for culture fit. Hiring for fit can, however, lead to recruiting a bunch of like-minded people. This could have some negative impact, namely creating a groupthink mentality, cultural inertia that could reduce the constructive conflict needed to move the school forward. Patrick Lencioni offers one approach. He claims that we should be searching for the ideal team player. These individuals are humble, hungry and smart. In short, they are well-intentioned, collaborative people (smart), who are always learning (hungry) and will leave their ego’s at the door (humble).

Why is this model relevant to those looking to step into leadership? It is relevant because once an individual has made the decision to enter leadership they can become so focused on the goal that these qualities, the qualities that would make them a successful leader, can become lost or distorted as they seek the credit and experience they perceive necessary to give them the boost. It is important not to lose sight of the qualities that make up The Ideal Team Player and continue to put the good of the school first. If you continue to focus on the projects and work that needs to get done, your CV will take care of itself.

Maximise Your Impact: Stepping Out

When selecting teachers for your dream school, you likely selected people you know had a huge impact at your previous schools. They likely adopted a similar approach to their work that elevated their work to a different level. They were probably what Liz Wiseman has recently termed A High Impact Player.

A High Impact Player in a school would be the first individual that comes to the Principal’s mind when they need to solve a problem and get the job done. The type of teacher that is frequently discussed in leadership meetings because they are producing good work and can be depended upon. They are also the teacher that you hope will never leave, but when they do, you wish them well and support their professional growth.

Wiseman argues that there are certain traits specific to High Impact Players. Would your principal describe you as a High Impact Player? You had better hope so. It is these people that are valued and sought after in the world of leadership. More importantly, to note, they are most likely not even chasing a title.

The key to maximising your impact is to make yourself useful. What are the priorities of the school and what does your principal need you to do to help achieve them? Hold off on your own personal goals, or at least pursue them alongside the work deemed most important to your principal right now. Take the initiative, remove work from their plate and allow them to focus on other pursuits.

Supporting your principal in this way may often mean stepping out of your job description and going the extra mile. Be sure to seek approval if necessary. Make yourself available and be sure to do the job well. A half-assed effort will do you more harm than good and reduce the likelihood of you being approached again. An excellent job will result in more responsibility being thrown your way and the possibility of being the go-to person in times of need.

Don’t Wait To Be Asked: Step Up

Listen carefully to the conversation around the faculty lounge and watercooler, and notice the things teachers are casually venting about. Are these issues attributed to an individual? Are they historical? Have they become part of the culture? Has anyone conducted a root cause analysis to ascertain the origin of the problem? If not, start with the challenge and find a solution. High Impact Players offer solutions in the name of the greater good. Solving these problems will likely improve the functioning of your school whilst making your leader look good. Win-win!

Let Others Take The Credit: Stepping Back

Remember, ‘mission is king’. Matthew Kelly, the author of The Culture Solution, claims that by making the mission your king, you will be serving everybody’s interest, including your own. Ensure the work you do is helping the school achieve its mission. When the work is done hand it over, it is not yours, it is the schools. Avoid the temptation to seek ownership over a project, take it as far as it can go, and then pass it on to someone who can develop it. Enrolling others in the work helps them to grow, as you gain credibility. This desire for continual improvement captures the essence of The Impact Player Mindset.

“The Impact Player Mindset is the pathway to leadership because, after all, isn’t the essence of leadership the desire to make something better and a willingness to do something about it?”
Liz Wiseman

The Importance of Outsight

In Act Like A Leader, Think Like A Leader, author Herminia Ibarra, describes the importance of first acting as a leader, to then think like a leader. She refers to this cycle as having Outsight. Actions, after all, speak louder than words, and we learn from doing. So, what better way to develop your leadership capacity than by stepping up and acting like a leader?

Outsight emerges when we redefine our job, stepping out of our normal day to day responsibilities to do the work that we know needs to be done. These additional tasks will help you develop a stronger, more connected network. Successful completion of leadership tasks and communicating with more experienced leaders will support your learning, providing you with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed as Assistant Principal. It will undoubtedly influence how you perceive yourself reducing the likelihood of imposter syndrome when promotion comes knocking on your door. This completes the cycle. You stepped into a leadership role allowing yourself to begin thinking like a leader.

“You can’t build a reputation on what you’re going to do.”
Henry Ford

Stepping out, stepping up and stepping back will help to ensure that you are already doing the work associated with the Assistant Principal. You will become indispensable, and when a leadership position opens up, people will approach you, rather than you approach them. You will already be acting as and viewed as a leader.

The Disease of Me

One final note. It is easy to believe that after 10 years of teaching or having gained a Masters Degree that you are entitled to, and have earned a promotion. You would do well to remember that we are not entitled to a promotion at the expense of someone else. Ryan Holiday’s ‘Ego is The Enemy’ is an enlightening and humbling read that reinforces the point that it is the work that matters. If the promotion comes, take it with both hands and run with it, however, you had better be sure that you are doing a good job, without the need of recognition, in service of the school mission. This is the role of the Assistant Principal.

Journeying

Videos:

Ego Is the Enemy Video Summary

The Ideal Team Player Ted Talk

Impact Players Book Promotion-Liz Wiseman

Books cited:

Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader by Herminia Ibarra

The Ideal Team Player by Patrick Lencioni

Impact Players by Liz Wiseman

The Culture Solution by Matthew Kelly

Ego Is The Enemy by Ryan Holiday

31 Oct 2021
10 Must-Read Leadership Books For An Assistant Principal
As a known reader, I am often asked “what leadership books would you recommend for those wanting to enter leadership?” I have my favourites, however, when recommending books for aspiring Assistant Principals, I try to ensure that the books build an awareness of the role of leadership and the expectations placed on the Senior Leadership Team. As such, my choices reflect my personal experience and would not be favoured by everyone.

Regardless, here are the top 10 reads as selected by, yours truly:
1. The Leadership Challenge by James M. Kousez and Barry Z. Posner (This book is favored by The Academy of International School Heads, and is cited on their website).
2. Multipliers: How The Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter by Liz Wiseman ( A great read about growing talent and growing leaders- a must for anyone who has experienced the challenge of leaving Middle Leadership).
3. Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of The Box by The Arbinger Institute (A classic leadership fable- makes you think though!).
4. Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday (Because every leader should remember, it isn’t about them).
5. The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business by Patrick Lencioni.
6. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius (Keeps you on the straight an narrow).
7. Radical Candor by Kim Scott.
8. The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership by Jim Dethner et al (This may be my personal favorite).
9. Creativity Inc. by Ed Catmull (The Pixar Story- a great read and very enlightening).
10. The Culture Solution by Matthew Kelly (You can never read enough about building culture).
A short, but sweet post, with some interesting reads. I only recommend books I have read myself, and I learned a lot from each of these. I hope that you do too.
25 Oct 2021
The Assistant Principal Interview: Part 1 of 3
The Assistant Principal interview is a process that is unlike any other. This means that you need to prepare for it if that is even possible. The Interview process is an opportunity to determine whether you are a fit for the school. It is also a check to see if the principal thinks that they can work alongside you. Fit, however, goes both ways. Do your homework and ask questions.

It is essential that you read the school website and absorb the information. Consider the following:
- What is the school context and demographic?
- How are they ensuring that everyone is included? Are they deliberate in their creation of a culture of belonging?
- What is the mission and how was it created?
- What are the school values, and how are they being taught and lived everyday?
- What does learning look like in the school, for teachers and students?
- How does the school build relationships with the community?
- What practices or policy do they have in place to ensure high quality learning is taking place?
- Do I believe in what this school is doing? Are my values aligned?
- Does the school look like a place that you would enjoy working in?
It is likely that you will experience a number of interviews before gaining a position, so what should you focus on? Let’s take a look today at the first of three big ideas:
1. What is the Assistant Principal job to you?
2. How will you enter the role?
3. How will the school be different because you are the Assistant Principal?
What is the Assistant Principal job to you?

The answer to this question will vary between candidates and will provide the interviewer with a sense of your character and priorities. When I have been asked this question I have always been very honest. There is no point hiding the truth in order to get a job. You will have to work in the school every day and develop a very strong relationship with the principal, so ensure you find out as much as you can about them. They are, after all, learning about you too.

The Assistant Principal position, for me, has always centered upon this set of simple underlying principles:
- Leadership is about relationships: Care personally about your community. Get to know them. This will allow you to ensure that you can best serve their needs. It also allows you to have the difficult conversations later on as they will know that you have their best interests at heart. For more information on this principle, read Radical Candor by Kim Scott.
- Leadership is about building a culture of belonging: How many times have you seen this line being posted on LinkedIn or other forms of social media:” People do not leave a job, they leave poor leadership.” It’s true. Your school community want to feel that they belong and that they matter. People want to know the story of your school, how the values were created and prioritized, why you chose them (teachers) and where they fit into the story. Be deliberate in building an inclusive and psychologically safe learning environment. If people do not feel safe, then they cannot learn. For more on this principle read Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek, The Fearless Organization by Amy Edmondson and Belonging: The Ancient Art of Togetherness by Owen Eastwood.
- Everyone is capable of learning: If we do not believe this then we should not be teachers. It is surprising however, how many people forget this when faced with a difficult student or teacher. Caught in in the moment, we may view their behavior as defiant rather than consider their personal circumstances or a sense of overwhelm. Remember that learning new skills can be daunting. We need to pave the way and create fertile ground for learning. To learn more about this principle read An Everyone Culture by Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey, Switch by Chip and Dan Heath and Mindset by Carol Dweck.
- You cannot do this alone: Being a successful Assistant Principal requires forging strong relationships and successful collaboration. It is essential that you study how to best manage a team and how to empower them to support you in making a difference. For more information on developing safe and successful work culture read The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle, Dream Teams by Shane Snow and The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni.
- The small things matter: Your words and actions matter. As Kousez and Posner state in their classic book The Leadership Challenge, “Do What You Say You Will Do.” Failure to do so will result in a loss of credibility and trust. The small technical details such as sending the daily bulletin or assigning duties matter. These actions determine the details and flow of a persons day. Do them, and do them well. As John Amaechi PhD states in The Promises of Giants:
“Winning requires that you vigilantly tend to everything that is within your control, including the dusty stuff in the corners that you’d rather not deal with. It requires doing lots of things you won’t want to do, spending time you won’t want to spend in ways that you don’t want to spend it. If you cannot commit to that, then you are not truly committed to winning.”
John Amaechi PhD

Being a successful Assistant Principal is about ‘winning’ at the small stuff so that you can focus on the bigger stuff. It all matters. For more on this read: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg and Atomic Habits by James Clear.

Identify your principles and form your questions around them. They will help you to decide if you should accept the job should the offer come your way.

We will answer questions 2 & 3 in future posts. In the meantime, clarify your principles. Write them down and consider how they will guide you in your work as the Assistant Principal.

Journeying:

Books: Read books cited above

Videos:

Building a psychologically safe workplace: Amy Edmondson

How to build credibility, solve problems and multiply your impact #441. Liz Wiseman on the Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk.

The Culture Code: Daniel Coyle. A Book Summary
24 Oct 2021
On Becoming The Assistant Principal
What is the Assistant Principal, and what do they do?

The answer to this question is very complex. This is because the answer depends on your school context and mission, your principal and your own philosophy. You must ensure that you have researched and considered all of them if you are to succeed in your role as the Assistant Principal.

As stated by Principal Kafele in The Assistant Principal 50, most professional development courses including an M.Ed in Education Administration prepare you to think and act as a principal, not, as an Assistant Principal. You can, therefore, enter your first Assistant Principal role, completely blind as to the expectations and demands of the job. You will do well to remember that your role is to ASSIST your principal in meeting their objectives for the school and not your own. If they align, so much the better.

To many, the Assistant Principal role is one that primarily focuses on technical skills such as building the schedule, writing policy, assigning duties and of course, managing student behaviour. It is, however, an adaptive leadership role, one that will force you to think on your feet and take the lead when your principal is not available.

Ensuring that you master and schedule the undertaking of the technical and predictable duties stated above is essential as this allows you to free yourself up to build relationships and drive learning forward in the classroom. An Assistant Principal is, therefore, also, by definition a pedagogical leader, a confidant, a crisis manager, a team player, a coach, and let’s not forget, a teacher.

It is, however, hard to provide a comprehensive definition of the role as it varies so much from school to school. When applying for the role, ensure that you read the job description thoroughly. This will give you clues as to what your principal expects from you, and allow you to prepare for the imposter syndrome that will undoubtedly be experienced on Day 1 of the job.

Things that may appear small may in fact influence the way that the position is viewed in the school. For example, is the role known as Vice, Assistant or Associate Principal? The latter may imply a closer relationship and one on more of an equal footing with the principal when it comes to decision making. This is an important distinction and will emphasize the type of relationship that you are expected to have with your principal.

On Day 1 of starting my Assistant Principal position, I was asked to introduce myself to the faculty. I waxed lyrical on education, global citizenship and leadership. I quickly noticed the faces of the leadership team and some giggles from teachers. I cut it short, and joked, “Too much?” Yes, I had overdone it. I am not the principal.

After that I focused my efforts on doing two things:
1. Mastering the technical skills and tasks of the role.
2. Developing relationships with the community.
Mastering The Technical Skills

Read the policy. Understand the systems and their context. Become familiar with the technology. These influence the daily life of teachers, students and parents and you will be expected to follow and use them wisely. Everyone will look to you for answers, and you need to be able to provide them quickly.

Developing Relationships

Be visible. Greet the students and teachers in the morning. Walk the corridors. Enter lessons. Attend sports games and concerts. It will be appreciated and allow you to develop strong relationships with the community. Ask yourself this question: “Are people happier or better because of our interaction today?” If the answer is no, then you may need to rethink how you are connecting with your people.

Closing Thoughts

There are many things to consider when becoming an Assistant Principal. After you have read the job description and made the decision that the school, principal and philosophy are a good fit you must then consider what type of Assistant Principal you will be, and in turn, you will need to re-visit your educational philosophy and build your leadership philosophy. We will discuss these later. For now, consider your next move wisely. Why do you want the Assistant Principalship? Is this school right for you? Is this the right time? Only you have the answers.

Journeying:

Related Articles:

The Assistant Principalship: The most misunderstood and Underutilized Position in Education- Principal Kafelewrites.com

Related Videos:

Starting The School Year As A New Assistant Principal: The New School Leader

Your Job is to Assist…Principal Kafele- YouTube.com

Why Good Leaders Make You feel safe: Simon Sinek

What Do Assistant Principals ACTUALLY Do?-YouTube.com

Hey School Leader, what is your identity?
24 Oct 2021