Becoming a leader is exciting but comes with challenges. You must build trust, earn respect, and set clear expectations. If you were promoted internally, shifting from peer to manager can be tricky. You’re no longer just a friend—you’re the one making tough calls.
Build Trust with Your Team and Stakeholders
Trust is the foundation of strong leadership. People follow leaders they believe in. Here’s how to build that trust:
Be honest and transparent about your goals and decisions.
Listen more than you speak. Understand your team’s concerns.
Follow through on commitments. Reliability builds credibility.
Encourage open communication and feedback.
Research shows leaders prioritising trust see stronger team performance and engagement (Brower et al., 2000).
Managing Internal Promotions: Shift Perceptions
If you’ve been promoted within your company, your relationships will change. Some colleagues may struggle with seeing you as a leader. Others may expect special treatment.
Here’s how to handle it:
Define boundaries early. Be clear about your new role.
Treat everyone fairly. Avoid favouritism.
Communicate openly. Address any concerns head-on.
Seek guidance from mentors or leadership groups.
The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins stresses the importance of setting expectations from day one. Taking control early prevents misunderstandings and resentment.
Leadership Can Feel Lonely—Here’s How to Cope
Leadership isn’t just about managing others. It also means making tough decisions that not everyone will like. This can feel isolating.
Find a mentor who has been in your shoes.
Build a support network outside of work.
Set aside time for self-reflection and growth.
Heifetz and Linsky, in Leadership on the Line, advise stepping back to see the bigger picture. This helps leaders manage stress and avoid burnout.
Balance Relationships with Accountability
Strong leaders know how to support their teams while holding them accountable.
Set clear expectations from the start.
Give feedback regularly—both positive and constructive.
Lead by example. Show the work ethic you expect from others.
Recognize achievements. People work harder when they feel valued.
Kouzes and Posner in The Leadership Challenge emphasize that credibility comes from consistency. Your team watches what you do more than what you say.
Practical Takeaways
Communicate clearly and often.
Build trust through consistency.
Establish professional boundaries.
Seek mentorship and leadership networks.
Balance approachability with authority.
Effective leadership isn’t about being liked—it’s about being respected. Set the tone early, stay true to your values, and lead with integrity.
Bass, B. M., & Riggio, R. E. (2006). Transformational Leadership. Psychology Press.
Brower, H. H., Schoorman, F. D., & Tan, H. H. (2000). A model of relational leadership: The integration of trust and leader-member exchange. The Leadership Quarterly, 11(2), 227-250.
Dirks, K. T., & Ferrin, D. L. (2002). Trust in leadership: Meta-analytic findings and implications for research and practice. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(4), 611.
Gabarro, J. J. (1987). The Dynamics of Taking Charge. Harvard Business School Press.
Heifetz, R. A., & Linsky, M. (2002). Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive Through the Dangers of Leading. Harvard Business Review Press.
Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2017). The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations. John Wiley & Sons.
Northouse, P. G. (2021). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Sage Publications.
Senge, P. M. (2006). The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of the Learning Organization. Crown Publishing.
Watkins, M. (2013). The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels. Harvard Business Review Press.
Last week, on Sunday 27th February, Shenzhen announced that they would be locking down areas of the city in order to prevent the spread of the Omicron COVID virus. I, like many of our school community, live in one of these areas and the thought of being quarantined, albeit at home, was not appealing. Whilst many countries have moved past these measures, in China, it is still very real.
You download the short video to see the testers marching through the streets.
We had heard of the lockdowns imposed in China. The duration is often extended without warning and the psychology of having the freedom to walk around freely weighs heavily on most people. Social Media plays a significant role in the spreading of rumour and fear but has also brought our local community together. Neighbours are talking online, sharing food when possible and offering much-needed support.
The same can be said of our school community. Teachers and students have shown great empathy and compassion towards each other and are ensuring that everybody feels connected and valued. Whether this has been teachers checking in with each other via WeChat or Wellness checks for students during lessons and Advisory, the effect is felt and appreciated.
As an Assistant Principal, I have the privilege of seeing the big picture. I am in the meetings, I am able to drop into online lessons and communicate with parents. The stress we are under is real. The love we are displaying towards each other is real too.
It occurred to me that at this time, each and every member of our community is forced to live by and consider, our school values of Respect, Perseverance, Creativity, Empathy, Integrity and Well-being. I have seen many examples throughout the week and appreciate the efforts people have made to continue life as ‘normal’.
Relationships know no hierarchy, but they know kindness and connection-especially when things are hard.
Dr. Jody Carrington
Respect
Respect has most frequently been expressed as patience. An understanding that we all interpret and respond to situations in different ways. Students may miss a deadline, but ‘was their WIFI not working or did they choose not to do it?’ How we respond as teachers to scenarios like this will impact the quality of our relationships with students in the future. Teachers know this and are working with care and sensitivity. Students are also understanding of the stresses faced by their teachers. Online lessons often take longer to prepare and require teachers to pivot and change the approach or medium by which they would deliver their lessons and assess students. Flipgrid, Kahoot, Quizlet are all being utilized readily along with many more innovative approaches to teaching.
Perseverance
We persevere because we must. As teachers, we know that students should not feel our burden and so we teach because that is what we do. I am reminded of Rita Pierson’s Ted Talk: Every Kid Needs a Champion. In times such as these, we do it for the kids, even if we do not much feel like it. Students persevere, but like us, they are tired. Preserving mental health has become more important than ever than delivering the curriculum. It always has been that way, but now we have a clear situation that we can all relate to that brings this message home.
Creativity
Engaging students, particularly, our younger students whilst online is increasingly difficult. Teachers are forced to flex their creative muscles to keep kids on board. Lessons are fun and kids are acknowledging this. On Thursday, I entered a Grade 6 English lesson. Students were randomly picked to give a 60 second Ted Talk focusing on the fun, crazy and positive aspects of their week. I was entered into the randomizer wheel and told my crazy tale of woe from Sunday morning. My shower door exploded whilst I was under the water. Glass flew down all around me and cut my arms and body. I was lucky it was not a lot worse. It was scary. Students were shocked, laughed, and appreciated an honest story from an adult at the school. This introduction was then sealed with a musical and fully enjoyable ‘Rick Roll’. Seeing all the students singing and dancing to Rick Astley made my day. Not only because they have a finer appreciation of cheesy music, but because it added some levity to the serious situation that we are all experiencing. The students know there is no end to this lockdown within sight, and so these moments of lift are valued more than ever.
Empathy
As a school, we have been working hard on developing empathy in our students. This is particularly important when working online as our sense of empathy diminishes. Students are more likely to consciously or unconsciously engage in cyberbullying, and reminding them to think from another perspective is key to building a sense of community. As a Leadership Team, we have sent individual messages to every teacher and contacted students that may be at risk. It has been a time-consuming process but the rewards have been worth it. We have been able to identify teachers and students in need and to support them accordingly. This is a simple human touch and goes a long way.
“Empathy is certainly harder to muster when you’re typing onto a screen instead of looking into someone’s eyes.”
Being locked down and out of sight has encouraged the need to place trust in each other. There is always an outlier, but for the most part, students are working diligently and honestly. We recently held our IBDP mock exams online. When invigilating through a webcam, it would be easy to think each sideways glance was an attempt to read notes posted on the wall. We were forced to trust our students and our own judgement. A somewhat stressful yet successful experience. Another COVID first for all involved.
Well-being
By utilising and living according to our values we have been able to preserve and monitor the well-being of the community. During these times it will fluctuate, but, knowledge is power, and by knowing how people are feeling we are able to respond and help as much as we can from within our homes. Whether it be informal wellness check-ins via Zoom, Flipgrid Olympics, or direct Well-being lessons, ensuring all of those in our care are flourishing is at the forefront of our minds.
It is in the minds of students too. One of our Grade 12 students asked if she could create a Padlet of positive messages to be placed on the Student Bulletin so that these can be read and shared during our Advisory periods. What a great idea! Another student has written an emotional account of her dealings with eating disorders and illustrated this with her own artwork. It is a powerful piece and goes live today in Wellbeing In International Schools Magazine. I encourage you to check it out.
These examples of how we live our values are celebrated in our school assemblies in the form of recognition cards. Teachers and students can write cards and the recipient gets a public shout out. Highlighting these positive behaviours go a long way in reinforcing the fact that without our well-being and the support from each other, we really cannot learn.
Leading Yourself
During Lockdown, my inbox has exploded and the tasks come in quicker than ever. It is easy to sit in front of a screen responding to the situation in front of you and not factor in any screen-free or relaxation time. I have made a point of reading, and in a time when teachers have felt a loss of purpose in their work I chose two books: Because Of a Teacher by George Couros and Leading with Purpose by Nick Craig. Both have been insightful, however, Because Of a Teacher is also a feel-good reminder of why we do what it is we do. The book is full of tales of teachers going the extra mile and making a difference. I highly recommend it. Reminding myself that now more than ever, our community needs its leaders healthy, caring and focused, keeps me on my game. I can put my frustrations aside and move onward. We are in it together.
During the last week, I have been humbled by our community response to the lockdown and whilst I cannot wait to return to face to face learning and see our students again, I am curious as to what other marvels may occur in the coming weeks.
