What got your there won't get you here.: A practical guide to stepping into Senior Leadership in Schools

By Stephen Burnage FCCT

What got you into senior leadership will not, on its own, help you thrive there. This practical, evidence-informed guide helps new and aspiring senior school leaders make the crucial shift from doing everything themselves to building the people, systems and professional judgement that allow a school to flourish.

Across eleven accessible chapters, readers learn how to delegate without losing accountability, shape a compelling vision, seek honest feedback, lead with emotional intelligence, influence beyond formal authority and manage change without dismissing resistance. The book also explores high-performing teams, the politics of education, sustainable work-life boundaries, mentoring and continuous professional learning.

Grounded in research and the realities of school life, every chapter connects theory with case studies, reflective questions, key takeaways and actions to try immediately. Rather than offering rigid scripts, it helps leaders diagnose context, make principled decisions and turn everyday challenges into collective capacity.

Ideal for newly appointed assistant heads, deputy heads and headteachers, aspiring senior leaders, and anyone undertaking leadership development, this is a thoughtful companion for leading with clarity, humility, courage and lasting impact.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0HM8DMR5W
• ISBN13: 9798160247496
• Release Date: October 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 7.0" x 10.0"