I started my first headship in September 2006, just 18 months after I had first become a deputy. It was sooner than I had anticipated, and it was scary.
I knew that I wanted to be a headteacher – this was my ambition from my early days as a teacher – however, I was not expecting it quite so soon. And the truth was, I was not quite ready for what I was taking on.
In the first three years of the job, I think I feared my own shadow! I was confident that I could learn quickly (and boy, did I have to!), but the journey was very challenging and stretched me in ways I did not imagine possible.
In those early days, I certainly was not calm.
I was an internal candidate. I applied for the job because I wanted to take advantage of the experience of applying for headships and going through the process. I applied because I was convinced by those around me that I would be a good candidate. I applied because I wanted to compare myself to the competition.
Never (and I mean never) did I imagine I would get the job – until the second day of interviews when I was among the final three candidates from more than 30 applicants. Then it hit me – this was real!
I was successful and after I was offered the job on that second day, I responded by asking the then chair of governors: “Are you sure?”
In hindsight, that was a silly (albeit honest) thing to say based on how I felt at the time. His answer was: “We are, if you are!”
And that was that.
I was excited, but also petrified. To talk about “imposter syndrome” would not come anywhere near to how I felt at the time. I remember saying to my coach (a very experienced ex-headteacher) that I simply couldn't get used to the feeling of constantly being on the edge of my comfort zone. It was not something I was prepared for.
I recall in the early days feeling that everything I did suddenly attracted a level of scrutiny I simply was not accustomed to.
I recall one particular occasion in the first few days of my headship. I was having a morning catch up with my PA and she said to me: “Ooh, you’ve upset someone this morning!” I had no idea what she was talking about as I had not interacted with any member of staff that morning.
It turns out I had walked past one of my staff members and not said “good morning”! I had no recollection of this. And the reality hit me – if this had been a few weeks earlier when I was deputy head, I am convinced there would have been no problem.
I had great support from a range of coaches who I worked with during my first few years in post – and each helped me significantly in very different ways.
As well as the need to feel like I was worthy of the job, I had the added pressure of being one of the very few black secondary school headteachers at the time and all the challenges that that presents (more on that another time).
I learned a lot from my coaches. They helped me make sense of my experiences and supported me to develop a sense of perspective, which I have honed over time.
However, my early struggles were tough – and I always felt that more could have been done to have made that time more manageable and – dare I say it – calm.
Looking back now, as I reflect on what today’s 2022 version of Patrick Cozier would say to the 2006 version, I arrive at the concept of calm leadership.
Calm leadership: A nine-part SecEd series
Patrick Cozier’s nine-part SecEd series on calm leadership is publishing all this year:
Part 1: What is calm leadership and why is it important? This article
Part 2: Leadership of self: Developing a sense of perspective: Published January 17, 2023.
Part 3: Imposter Syndrome: How to reduce the impact of this. Published February 20, 2023.
Part 4: Everyone is out to get me! Dealing with the paranoia of leadership. Published March 27, 2023.
Part 5: Leadership of people: The importance of human empathy and kindness. Published May 10, 2023
Part 6: Leadership is difficult: Embrace the role and value it. Published May 23, 2023
Part 7: The importance of honesty, integrity, and humility. Published June 12, 2023.
Part 8: Optimism during challenging times. Published June 26, 2023.
Part 9: There is no right way to lead, so be the best leadership version of yourself. Published July 3, 2023.
So, what is calm leadership?
Calm leadership is the answer to a range of questions often asked (with a level of anguish) by colleagues who are starting out on senior leadership and headship careers.
- How do I do this?
- How do I overcome “imposter syndrome”?
- How do I manage emotionally?
- How do I lead with honesty, integrity and stay grounded and true to my values.
- How do I lead with humanity in my heart while still being able to take the tough decisions?
- How can I be a leader that lasts?
That last question is particularly pertinent. Headship has a reputation for being a “burn-out” job.
Indeed, as SecEd reported in April, more than one in four primary school leaders and more than one in three secondary school leaders aged under-50 are quitting within five years of appointment (SecEd, 2022).
This is a key problem and represents a key challenge for the future of school leadership. As an experienced headteacher, the question that I am mostly asked when I speak to colleagues who are new to leadership is: “How have you been able to do this job for so long?” There is a clear sense that for many younger and newer heads, the job is not seen as a job for the long term.
My passion for headship, and my belief about how important the role is makes me compelled to challenge this increasingly conventional wisdom. I believe that headship can be for the long term with no loss of enthusiasm, energy or ideas, and I am happy to hold myself up as an example of this. I am now 16 years in, and I know I have much more to give.
The concept of calm leadership is a way of developing leaders that last. The definition is as follows:
Calm leaders have a well-developed sense of perspective. They accept that first and foremost, leadership is primarily about people not systems and processes. They can remain focused, productive, and optimistic when under extreme pressure. They prioritise long-term values, principles and purpose over short-term productivity and outcomes. As a leader of people, they convey a calm, caring and reassuring authority.
This is what defines my approach to leadership, crafted, honed and developed over the last 16 years. I have not always got it right – but through determination, hard work, constant practice, seeking help from others, and repetition I have got better at it. I lead my school how I have always wanted to be led – in a calm and principled way. To add further detail:
- Calm leadership is quiet, but not meek.
- Calm leadership is compassionate, but not weak.
- Calm leadership is not ego driven, but is purpose driven.
- Calm leadership does not play to the audience, but it has presence and gravitas.
- Calm leadership is fuelled by emotions but not controlled by them.
- Under pressure, calm leadership is focused and present, it does not panic.
- Calm leadership seeks solutions not drama.
- Calm leadership has a sense of perspective.
- Calm leadership believes that leadership is about people – supported by systems and processes, but not replaced by them.
Calm leadership is not easy
Back in 2006, I started my headship with a whole range of ideas about what leadership was. I always knew that I wanted to be a leader who sought consensus rather than confrontation. I was clear in my mind that I wanted to approach leadership with empathy, understanding and kindness.
However, I was not confident that this was the “right” approach. I looked around and saw heads who were confident, combative and authoritative – and they all seemed so successful and confident in their own skin.
But that affected my confidence as I struggled to ever see myself leading in that way – it is just not my nature. I tried to at times, but it never resonated and I felt hugely uncomfortable.
What I know now is that I need not have worried. There are many ways to be successful as a leader, and what one must do is find the way that naturally fits who you are and how you wish to approach leadership.
Two years ago, I read a book called Quiet Leadership: Winning hearts, minds and matches. Its author, Carlo Ancelotti, is one of the most successful football managers of all time. He has managed European club giants such as Juventus, AC Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich. Among many trophies over the years, he has won the domestic league in five countries and is a four-time Champions League winner.
In a sport full of competitive edge, testosterone and managers who motivate their teams through fear and aggression, Ancelotti takes a very different view.
He has been praised by managers, coaches and players for his kindness, good humour, and his calm, balanced approach. He is known for building positive relationships with players and being more of a father figure than an authoritarian.
Evidently, it has worked in the arena of football. There is no reason why it can’t and shouldn’t work in school leadership and I have drawn a lot of inspiration from his example.
As I have become more experienced as a headteacher and more confident in myself, I have felt more courageous and more empowered to lead the way I want to – to lead calmly.
There is much depth to the concept of calm leadership. It isn’t simply about operating with a slow pulse rate and breathing easily. It is what you do, what you think, and ultimately how you feel about your leadership that will determine the extent to which you feel calm in your role.
The aspects of calm leadership
In a number of SecEd articles this academic year – the next of which is due in early January – I will take you through the different aspects that make up the concept of calm leadership. I will cover things such as:
- Developing and maintaining a sense of perspective.
- Handling “imposter syndrome”.
- Dealing with the paranoia of leadership.
- Leading with empathy and human kindness.
- Embracing the difficulty of leadership.
- The importance of honesty, integrity and humility.
- Maintaining optimism.
- Being the best leadership version of yourself (true authenticity).
In the meantime, I leave you with a couple of challenges
- Consider what type of leader you are naturally. What “sits well” with you? When do you feel mostly out of your comfort zone? Come up with three words or phrases that completely sum up your preferred approach to leadership.
- For each of the three words or phrases you have come up with, write down a list of no fewer than five reasons why this approach is the best one for you and what positive impact you hope it will achieve.
And above all, stay calm!
- Patrick Cozier is an experienced secondary school headteacher of 16 years. He leads Highgate Wood School in Haringey. In addition to his dayjob, he chairs the Haringey Secondary Heads’ Forum and takes a leading role in the work of the Racial Equity Group (part of the Haringey Education Partnership) and its focus on reducing racial inequality and improving outcomes and experiences for children of colour. He serves as a trustee for the charity Show Racism the Red Card and a new local charity Horizons, which seeks to provide access to enrichment activities for disadvantaged children. As a member of the blackcommunity, he is passionate about seeking equality, justice and fair outcomes for people of colour. He is currently developing what he refers to as the “Calm Leadership Approach”. Find Patrick on Twitter @CalmLeadership and LinkedIn.