The Crux of Leadership

Abstract

The three successful headteachers at a school in England managed policy, i.e. applied power effectively, in three distinct but interacting arenas: the micro level within the school and its departments; the meso level with local government and communities; and the macro level of central government and its agencies. They influenced these arenas by persuading school members to support their vision of a successful school through creating a culture that made staff and students feel valued but responsible members of the school community. This was achieved through the public sharing of knowledge of how to act effectively within school, e.g. in lessons or break times; to be connoisseurs of external policy contexts at meso and macro level; to understand how staff, students, and parents might perceive their actions; to assert their views and values effectively within the common interests of the school community. These leaders also created relationships with the school’s local authority and residential communities that made their members feel welcome partners with the school.