I received the call two years ago. A Head beginning her second year felt that her relationship with her Chair was strained and on shaky ground. Early signs of factions were developing on the Board: those who were supporting the Chair against the Head and those who were indicating that despite some early signs of worry about the Head’s transition, the Board should back her.
Another call came late this winter from the new Chair of the same school. He had supported the Head fully, but some unhappy trustees were being influenced by powerful senior faculty and were caught up in a stakeholders’ movement. They were issuing demands that the Head be fired or that her contract should not be renewed.
The second Chair is under fire for supporting the Head but does not believe that there is sufficient reason to dismiss her. With the new cries calling for the Head’s departure, a power struggle is evolving with the outside group lobbying for a board voice and having the power to stack a search committee.
While it has been stated many times that almost 80% of heads are fired or do not have their contracts renewed, it may not be as well known that 80% of this number are fired within their FIRST THREE YEARS of service and many others in the following two years.
Research by Littleford & Associates demonstrates a strong correlation between the longevity of heads and the effectiveness of schools. The first five years of service as a school head are the most risky and the time when transition planning is crucial. Transition planning for a new head or chair should occur at least a year before the current leader steps down. For new heads, the search committee should immediately evolve into a transition committee with a roadmap to ensure that the new head survives this dangerous period.
Today more boards are forming such transition committees, but still in less than 10% of independent schools going through a head of school change.
The transition committee should consist of key supporters from the search committee and also a few faculty and parents. These should be individuals who want to help the new head and his or her family to adjust well to the community and avoid pitfalls and clashes with influential personalities. These individuals should be politically astute, aware of the school’s culture and idiosyncrasies, have no personal agendas and respect confidentiality at all times.
This article gives some strategies to navigate the waters of transition in order to achieve leadership stability, the foundation for a healthy, thriving school.
While these steps may seem basic, they can prove crucial to the ability of a talented new head to survive and an experienced head to transition successfully.
Sometimes there is a legitimate need for a change at the top because a “fit” between the head and the school culture cannot be achieved. Assuming that both the head and the board have exhausted all means to save the relationship, including using outside professional assistance, both parties need to take steps to ensure a fair, amicable, and flexible separation. If separation is handled with as little disruption as possible, the integrity and reputation of the school and the head can remain intact.
Littleford & Associates can assist in the development and negotiation of a separation plan and process that leaves the school and the outgoing head with viable options and a healthy future. However, if the above guidelines for the board and for the head are followed, many of the elements of a successful transition will be in place.
Fred Wesson, Superintendent, Colegio Roosevelt (Peru) recently commented:
“You deftly handled the issues of leadership transition. You were able to tell the truth without me or others feeling defensive. The truth included some warnings that if the transition was not carefully handled, there could be serious consequences for the school (not to mention yours truly!) Any school going through the process of planning for the arrival of and then settling in of a new head would be wise to invest in your services. I suspect this is overlooked in most hiring processes.”
John Littleford
Senior Partner
© 2024 Littleford & Associates. All Rights Reserved.
Potrected by Google reCaptcha – Privacy – Terms