10 Principles of Good Practice for Leadership Transition

by David Dougherty,
Director, Executive Coaching Program
The Education Group

Successful leadership transition boils down to planning, both in process and implementation. The board of trustees and the new head cannot plan enough in the leadership transition at a school. 

The Education Group’s Executive Coaching Program – and these Ten Principles of Good Practice for Leadership Transition – grew out of governance workshops we had been running for new heads of school and their boards. In the workshops, we used the National Association for Independent Schools (NAIS) best-practices for board and individual trustees.

However, we wanted to discuss transition of leadership but couldn’t find any NAIS or other helpful resources on this critical subject. In response, I developed this list to guide schools and search committees through what makes an ideal transition of leadership.

My experience in coaching heads of school suggests that regardless of the head’s previous positions or titles, the role of school head requires a unique skill set that is part intuitive and part taught. Nobody is better prepared to teach and model the skills required to be a successful head of school than an experienced former head of school with a proven record of serving independent schools.

Best Practices for Leadership Transition

1.      The Contract: All of the new head’s responsibilities should be clearly articulated by the board in the new head’s contract as the main evaluation criteria. The contract should include operational duties, special charges, compensation, perquisites, benefits, and terms of contract. Terms and schedule for evaluations should be specified, at least one of which should be conducted at the time of the head’s contract extension for the coming year.

2.      The Spouse: The board should make clear its expectations of the head’s spouse/partner regarding his/her role at the school and develop a clear understanding with him/her. This is often one of the most sensitive and difficult matters in transition and can be pivotal in the success of the new head.

3.      The Departing Head: The board should develop a clear plan for the departure of the outgoing head of school, mindful of these factors: (a) the departing head’s unquestioned authority to lead the school until the conclusion of the school year; (b) proper celebration of his/her service; (c) a promise of his/her support for his successor; (d) an opportunity to serve the school as an adviser to the new head as appropriate; and (e) an understanding of his/her role in separating gracefully from the school to optimize its growth and progress in the future.

4.      The Transition Committee: The board chair should appoint a Transition Committee to welcome the new head and his/her family and to facilitate their move and smooth adjustment to the community, beginning with visits to the school prior to their official arrival. The committee, for which the board should establish a clear agenda and charge, might include one or two members of the search committee.

5.      Welcoming the New Head: Trustees should make clear in word and deed their excitement about the new head’s appointment, to build enthusiasm within the school community and to reassure him/her of their support. This can take many forms, including welcoming the new head and his/her family into the community with social gatherings, thoughtful notes, and introduction to important members of the school community.

6.      The Head and the Chair: After the announcement of the new head’s appointment, the new head and the board chair should communicate regularly to forge their relationship and make plans for their future work together. This is, after all,  the most important relationship at the school. However, the school should be respectful of the new head’s ongoing responsibilities at his/her current school and allow him/her to leave that school in good stead.

7. Homework: The new head should be provided important material for study about the school, ideally well before his/her arrival on July 1. Materials include:

  • Financial statements

  • Recent audits and budgets

  • Minutes of previous board meetings

  • Strategic plans

  • Evaluation and accreditation reports

  • Summary of valued traditions

  • Written history of the school, if available

  • Former head’s tickler file

  • List of key events or flash points in a typical school year

  • Alerts to significant financial and legal issues and potentially explosive unresolved problems that exist at the school

Also, if possible, the school should make available to the new head enrollment in a summer workshop for new heads and the gift of support from an executive coach, ideally a person with experience as a successful head of school.

8.      The Senior Staff: The new head should begin as soon as possible to build his/her relationship with the senior staff of administrators. In preparation for those meetings, the new head might ask staff to prepare a statement of the issues, goals, controversies, and priorities that they believe should have his/her attention early in his/her tenure.

9.      The Entry Plan: The new head should prepare a comprehensive entry plan for the pre-entry period (before July 1); the three-month arrival period; the first 90 Days (basically the first semester); and the last 90 Days (the second semester through June 30). That plan might include:

  • Notes on all the key issues that arose during the search, possible ways to address them, and preliminary priorities for doing so.

  • Meetings with staff members, students, parents, and trustees, and visits with the mayor, council members, fire chief, public high school principals, etc. in his/her new hometown. The head may choose to prepare a questionnaire to survey each faculty member and use it as the basis for individual meetings.

  • Preparations for first talks to faculty, parents, students, and other key constituencies, clarifying the themes and goals with which he/she hopes to make a first impression in the school community.

  • Watching and listening in his/her first year, gaining as much knowledge and insight into the school as possible, unless he/she is charged by the board with immediate, urgent fixes to address in the first year.

10.  State of the School: At a time agreed upon by the board chair and the new head, perhaps at a year-end retreat, the new head should address the board on his/her assessment of the State of the School, including the school’s mission, vision, and strategic plan and all programs (academic, athletic, extra-curricular, financial, advancement, etc.). At that time he/she should share recommendations for modifications or changes in them -- in other words, the head’s vision of the school. The end of the year also should include a summary evaluation of the head, conducted by the chair and at least one other board member.

A word about timing:

Schools and search committees ask us when they should start addressing these principles. When TEG conducts a search, we include these principles in a  handbook on transition as part of the search materials. At the very least, once a school has announced a new head, it should begin addressing transition. We recommend a school create a transition committee with several search committee members on it.

Remember, these principles aren’t exclusive to a head’s first year. TEG uses this list with heads even in their third year – there is always time to double-back and address a principle. Still, there’s never been a school that did all ten perfectly. Transition is an imperfect art. 

Need help with your school’s leadership transition? Contact David to learn how TEG can help: david@educationgroup.com.

 

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