Tag: ProfessionalDevelopment

  • The Best Way to Talk About Leadership Growth in an Interview

    The Best Way to Talk About Leadership Growth in an Interview

    Leadership is a journey. You might be asked in an interview: “How have you developed as a leader?” This question tests your self-awareness, growth, and commitment to learning. Let’s break it down so you can give a strong, clear answer.

    Key Areas of Leadership Growth

    Your development should focus on these areas:

    • Self-Awareness – Know your strengths, weaknesses, and emotional triggers.
    • Decision-Making – Improve your ability to make sound, timely choices.
    • Communication – Learn to influence and inspire others.
    • Adaptability – Stay flexible and handle change effectively.
    • Empowering Others – Support and develop the people around you.
    • Resilience – Stay calm and focused under pressure.

    “Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.”

    – Jack Welch

    How to Measure Leadership Growth

    You can track your progress in a few simple ways:

    • Self-Reflection – Use leadership frameworks like John Maxwell’s Five Levels of Leadership.
    • Peer Feedback – Ask colleagues and mentors for honest input.
    • Results – Look at team performance, employee engagement, and goal achievement.
    • Learning – Review books, courses, and training you’ve completed.

    How to Keep Growing

    Leadership isn’t just about thinking—it’s about doing. Herminia Ibarra argues in Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader that leaders grow through action. Here’s how you can stay ahead:

    • Read and Learn – Books like The Ride of a Lifetime by Bob Iger offer valuable insights.
    • Get Training – Leadership courses and workshops sharpen your skills.
    • Find a Mentor – Learning from experienced leaders accelerates growth.

    “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.”

    – John F. Kennedy

    How to Answer in an Interview

    When answering “How have you developed as a leader?” structure your response using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). To strengthen your answer, focus on specific examples highlighting key leadership traits.

    Example:

    1. Situation: “Early in my leadership journey, I struggled with delegation. I often took on too much myself.”
    2. Task: “I needed to learn how to empower my team without micromanaging.”
    3. Action: “I read Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek, took a delegation workshop, and actively sought feedback from my team.”
    4. Result: “I became more effective at trusting my team, which boosted their confidence and improved overall productivity.”

    Your Next Steps

    Leadership is about growth. Take a moment to reflect: How have you improved as a leader?

    Write down three key areas of progress and think about how you’d explain them in an interview.

  • “When Should You Challenge Your Principal?—And How to Talk About It in an Interview”

    “When Should You Challenge Your Principal?—And How to Talk About It in an Interview”

    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.