Key takeaways

1. Work on the school, not in the school

• The dominant message was the need for time and permission to think strategically — with clarity about the leader’s role as a leader (not just a doer) and practical ways to step out of operational overwhelm.
• Protect regular thinking time, make strategic work visible, and use routines that keep you out of the weeds.

2. Intentional leadership and succession

• Leadership pipelines don’t happen by accident: be deliberate about growing others, embed leadership development into everyday practice, and take a long horizon (5–10 years) view of succession.
• Use stretch opportunities, purposeful delegation, and coached reflection so that development is part of “how we do things here”.

3. “Who am I being?” (identity over action)

• Leadership is as much about who you are as what you do. Increased self-awareness helps leaders understand their impact, show up consistently, and lead with greater curiosity and intention.
• Make reflection a discipline. Build habits that surface your assumptions, strengths and blind spots – and invite feedback that helps you grow.

4. Wellbeing and sustainability are central to effectiveness

• “Fill your own cup first” came through strongly: manage energy (identify drains and boosters), set boundaries, and lead in ways that reduce burnout risk in demanding roles.
• Distributed leadership and clear expectations reduce pressure points and keep the school functioning well when key people are away.

5. Clarity, accountability and evidence

• Messages like “Hope is not a strategy” and “No result + a good story is still no result” challenged leaders to focus on impact: use data to inform decisions, be clear about what success looks like, and hold ourselves accountable for outcomes.
• Make progress measurable. Choose a small set of meaningful indicators, review them regularly, and use what you learn to adjust course.

Billie‑Jean Potaka Ayton – Principal, Kaiti School

“Provide opportunities for people to grow… to practice the art of leadership and experience and exhibit leadership within their current mahi.”

• Boards must actively support succession planning, ensuring open communication about emerging leaders.
• Clearly define the future needs of the kura and consistently identify potential leaders.
• Prioritise leadership capabilities such as:
  • a strong work ethic (he ringa raupa)
  • resilience, able to lead with flexibility and seeking solutions themselves
  • demonstrating credibility by exhibiting leadership in their current role
  • being tūturu by commitment to the kaupapa. Leadership is not a title…it’s about serving your community.

Mike Bennetts – Taumata Advisory

“Great organisations treat succession as a system thing to be dealt with, not just about individuals.”

• Strong organisations:
  • make leadership development part of the operating system, not something you do on the side
  • separate role performance from leadership capacity
  • make the future explicit, and test people against that
• Leadership disciplines or habits from outside the sector that could make a difference for principals include:
  • What are you committed to and what trade-offs are you willing to make?
  • “Try, hope, possibly”, is not the same as “I will, I promise, you can count on me.”
  • The unsaid is never spoken, but clearly communicated

Alec Solomon – Principal, Whangārei Boys’ High School

“One of the biggest transitions that potential leaders need to do is to actually step back and make sure they’re working on improvement, not in the improvement.”

• When developing future leaders:
  • be intentional
  • success is rarely accidental, involves strategy, and not trying to fight on all fronts
  • distribute the learning through co-constructed strategic plans to bring clarity and buy-in
• Deliberate actions that make the most difference in building leadership capability include:
  • looking after yourself first, so you can look after your kura and staff and can sustain the energy required to lead
  • sharing a professional reading each week to stay connected The Final Word Protocol