At their core, academic leaders are the anchors of a school\u2019s success: driving innovation, supporting teachers, and creating an environment where students can truly thrive. They do this by aligning programs and practices with the school\u2019s guiding principles and helping teachers bring those ideas to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, no two roles are the same. Every school has its own needs, but one thing academic leaders all have in common is juggling a whole lot of responsibilities across different stakeholders. They\u2019re often in hybrid roles – part teacher, part administrator – all while keeping up with the changing nature of the world of education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you boil it down, academic leadership is really about two big things: building strong relationships and driving academic excellence. Or, to simplify it, bringing together two interconnected halves, <\/em>people and programs<\/strong>, to create something exceptional.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n In this article, we\u2019ll explore these two halves that make up academic leadership and share five practical strategies<\/strong> to help leaders feel confident and successful in balancing them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Connecting with and guiding educators is at the very heart of academic leadership. The way they communicate can make all the difference in determining how eager and willing colleagues are to collaborate. While a school\u2019s structures play a role in shaping the work, the beliefs, assumptions, and mindsets they bring to the table are just as important. And, at the center of it all are 3 crucial things: cultivating a growth mindset, championing growth-minded coaching, and leading cultures of change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A growth mindset is practically a must for academic leaders, especially as their roles increasingly lean into instructional coaching. It starts with asking the essential questions: How are you committing to your own growth as a leader? Are you staying current with emerging practices in education? How do you connect with others in similar roles whether locally, regionally, or nationally?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n And it\u2019s not just about the leader\u2019s<\/em> mindset. What about their school\u2019s mindsets? <\/em><\/strong>These might take the form of core values, guiding documents, or even the frameworks shaping your curriculum. How often are these at the center of a leader\u2019s decision-making? <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n As an academic leader, making sure the school\u2019s big-picture values are part of their everyday work is what keeps everything aligned and moving forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Moreover, a growth mindset helps foster a culture of collaboration. Building an effective collaboration culture starts with defining what that collaboration should look like and maintaining positive group dynamics. Here are two strategies to help a leader in cultivating a growth mindset in a collaborative way:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In his book How To Work With (Almost) Anyone<\/em><\/a>, Michael Bungay Stainer discusses the concept of the \u201ckeystone conversation,\u201d in which teams discuss and vision how they will work together on a project. Understanding everyone\u2019s collaboration styles upfront can strengthen relationships and help avoid distractions later on. Once the leaders have established how the group will work together, the next step is to maintain that dynamic. People\u2019s needs and preferences shift over time, so as an academic leader, it\u2019s crucial to keep a pulse on the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Greg Bamford of Leadership + Design<\/a> suggests short group maintenance activities at the beginning of collaborative sessions designed to not only take stock in the overall wellness of the group dynamic but also bring group members closer together. These can include playing short improv games such as Three Things<\/a>, where players take turns naming three things in a specific category, often with spontaneous or funny answers. (e.g., “Three types of hats”), and another quickly responds with three answers before passing to the next player. Or, running a high-energy rock-paper-scissors tournament, where losing players become cheerleaders for the winners until one champion remains. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n These activities might only take five minutes, but the payoff is huge. They boost group morale, strengthen relationships, and set the stage for long-term success in all collaborative projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As mentioned earlier, bringing a growth mindset to your interactions with colleagues is essential. One way to champion this is through the types of conversations you have about their practice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Emily Davis, founder of the Teacher Development Network<\/a>, describes four types of language to use in growth-minded coaching:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Paraphrasing: Showing that you are listening, understanding, and caring<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n “It sounds like you\u2019re concerned about how the students are engaging with the new curriculum.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n “You\u2019re saying you want to try new strategies, but you\u2019re unsure where to start?”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Clarifying: Showing you are listening and working to understand<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n “Can you tell me more about what you mean by \u2018the students aren\u2019t connecting\u2019?”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n “When you say the group isn\u2019t collaborating effectively, what specific behaviours are you noticing?”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Mediating: Working through situations through hypothesizing and considering possibilities<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n “What do you think might happen if you allowed students more time for group discussions?”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n “How do you think it would change the dynamic if you adjusted the seating arrangements?”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Suggesting: Providing open possibilities and choices<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n “Have you considered breaking the task into smaller chunks to make it feel more manageable?”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n “One option might be incorporating movement activities to re-engage the class. How does that sound?”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n At the core of all these methods is language that centers on the educator: acknowledging their feelings and perspectives while gently guiding them toward practices aligned with the school\u2019s principles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s about presenting options, not directives, and empowering them to choose their next steps.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n None of this can happen unless you carve out time to support your teachers. Independent School Management suggests that 25\u201350% of your weekly schedule should be focused on supporting educators<\/em> in aligning their practices with your school\u2019s guiding principles. If that feels like a tall order, you can start by blocking time on your calendar<\/strong> for classroom visits or 1:2 teacher meetings and protecting that time by saying no to meetings that don\u2019t directly support teacher growth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also take small steps<\/strong> such as spending 15 minutes from your prep period observing a class and offering timely feedback or just initiating a conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Academic leaders must cultivate and lead cultures of change within their schools. In order to do that most effectively, they must determine the flow of change within their school: how does change happen? Who needs to be involved? What resources are available and needed? What are the outside pressures on the work? <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Tim Fish, founder and president at Two Chairs Studio<\/a> and formerly Chief Innovation Officer at NAIS, suggests using a systems map to plot out the course of change in advance. Systems maps should ask:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why are you undertaking this change?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What are your ideal outcomes?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n How will you gauge success?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What will the task consist of?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What resources are needed and\/or available?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What are the outside factors that will impact the task and its success?<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n Small, intentional steps toward supporting educators can have a ripple effect: building trust, strengthening practices, and reinforcing your role as a growth-minded leader.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The educational landscape in 2025 poses unique challenges for academic leaders. Schools are not immune to the erosion of trust in institutions<\/a> that has occurred since the 1970s and the COVID-19 pandemic has widened achievement gaps. In addition, the meteoric rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI) has put it on a collision course with academic programs. <\/strong> For leaders, it\u2019s essential to navigate these shifts while continuing to drive academic excellence for their schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the center of it all is curriculum<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Academic Leader Forum<\/a>\u2019s session with Heidi Hayes Jacobs was a goldmine in exploring the fundamental questions about what curriculum is and is not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n From Latin, \u201ccurriculum\u201d means \u201ca path to run in small steps\u201d or \u201ca course to run.\u201d <\/strong>This aligns with the understanding of curriculum as the means and timeline by which we achieve the goals for our students as outlined in our schools\u2019 guiding principles and documents. While we often discuss curriculum in the broad sense, we may not always think about its constituent parts. According to Heidi Hayes Jacobs, curriculum includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Curriculum includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is also important to note what the curriculum is not. Curriculum is not a purchased program or textbook or standards. While standards are spinal to curriculum, meaning that they can help provide guideposts to help provide organization, they are in service to that curriculum and not the curriculum itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.toddleapp.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Graphic-1-2.webp\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nPeople<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Embodying and fostering a growth mindset<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
STRATEGY 1: Identify everyone\u2019s collaboration styles<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Some questions a leader could ask their teachers before starting are:What are the work-related tasks at which you excel?What are your preferences on how to communicate with a team?What is an example of a successful or unsuccessful collaboration you\u2019ve experienced in the past?<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.toddleapp.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Graphic-2-1.webp\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSTRATEGY 2: Use group maintenance activities<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Championing growth-minded coaching<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSTRATEGY 3: Using growth-minded coaching language<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Leading Cultures of Change<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
STRATEGY 4: Use systems map<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
A system map is a visual tool that helps leaders plot out the different elements, processes, and relationships that affect change within a school. It encourages leaders to consider the broader picture, including the various stakeholders, resources, goals, and potential barriers to success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.toddleapp.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Graphic-4-1.webp\")
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