Selecting a new head of school is a momentous task that creates not only excitement and passion but intricate governance challenges. Since hiring, compensating, rewarding, and if necessary, parting ways with a head of school is one of a board’s three primary responsibilities, boards become invested and engrossed in the prospect of choosing a new leader. This is an exciting time for independent and international school boards, but it has its challenges and pitfalls.

In our experience in leading executive searches, Littleford & Associates has identified the key practices and procedures that result in a successful change in leadership.

Clarity on Departure

Before embarking on a head of school search, boards must provide a clear, public explanation for why the current head is leaving. Transparent communication about the departure helps manage expectations and fosters a smoother transition.

Mission Alignment

Ensure full agreement within the board and the search committee on the school’s mission and its implications before beginning the process. A unified understanding sets the stage for a successful search.

Search Committee Composition

The composition of the search committee is crucial. The reasons for choosing its members, ensuring representation from various stakeholders, including parents, faculty, and board members, must be transparent. The search committee should be mainly made up of board members. Avoid choosing volunteers who almost always have a personal agenda.

Consider whether to form advisory committee(s) that provide input to the board search committee but they do NOT recommend a candidate.

Search Approach

Decide whether to opt for a large, transparent search or a more focused, closely held to the board approach.

The chosen approach should align with the school’s values and current needs.

Remember the more open and democratic the search as multiple constituencies weigh in, the greater the risk that one or more groups will be unhappy with the ultimate choice.

The Head of School Profile

Ensure the profile reflects the collective desires of the board, parents, and faculty. Aligning expectations will contribute to a smoother transition and increased chances of success for the incoming head.

The tendency is to produce a profile that reads like “God on a good day”.  No candidate will embody all the experience, credentials, and qualities in the profile.  Often personal chemistry is the deciding factor.

Beware of the Pendulum Swing

Avoid selecting a candidate whose leadership style is the opposite of the outgoing head’s without valid reasons because that person will be a shock to the school culture. Teachers and staff are reluctant to embrace major changes quickly especially from a new head who may not have been their first choice.

Strive for continuity in values and objectives while embracing the need for necessary changes.

Institutional Memory and Succession Planning

Maintaining institutional memory on the board is vital. A balance between continuity and fresh perspectives is essential for effective governance during and after the head of school transition.

When there is too much turnover on the board, eventually too few remember why the head was chosen in the first place and what the board at the time charged the head to do.

Define who will assume the role of the board chair when the new head arrives. Candidates will want reassurance about this.

Transparent Compensation

Define the compensation package well in advance of discussing it with the candidate. Transparency in this regard is essential for building trust and ensuring a smooth negotiation process. Otherwise, the board risks losing the first-choice candidate at the altar.

Offering a little something extra in terms of compensation or benefits builds good will with the board upfront.

Keep the second and perhaps third choice candidates in play until the first choice accepts the offer.

Entry Plan and Transition Period

Develop a comprehensive entry plan and transition period to facilitate the new head’s assimilation into the school community. Address challenges that may arise during this crucial phase.

Proactively identify key players such as influential parents, community leaders, and major donors. This also includes unsuccessful internal candidates, who could pose a threat to the new head’s leadership. Let the new head know “where the bodies are buried”.

Ensure that the head’s family’s integration into the school and local community is seamless. An unhappy family is stressful for a new head, and if the issues are not addressed could lead to his or her premature departure.

Clearly define what the board should and should not do in setting goals for the new head. Establish realistic expectations about the head’s goals in the first three years, and provide the necessary support to achieve them. Only after five years does a head begin to build a lasting legacy.

Remember that a new head arrives with no political capital and needs time to build it. The first year should be about “making friends” if there are no emergency issues.

Political Backing

Ensure that good governance and political support are in place when the new head encounters challenges or makes mistakes. A strong foundation of support is crucial for the head’s resilience and success.  The chair needs to have the willing to be a ‘fire wall” to protect the head particularly in the first three to five transition years.

Contact Us

Littleford & Associates has placed successfully over 40 heads of school in the past 14 years and almost all are still in place. We are a small but laser focused search firm whose clients retain us for work on governance; planning; compensation for heads and staff; marketing; fund raising; school climate issues; mentoring and coaching heads and chairs AND executive searches.