Education Leaders | Strategic School Leadership

Chris Scorer and Shane Leaning got together to unpack some of the big themes from recent episodes, particularly that vulnerable solo episode Shane put out about self-doubt and imposter syndrome. The response to that one has been overwhelming, especially the private messages from leaders who haven't felt able to share their struggles publicly. Chris and Shane dug into why we've become so intolerant of failure in education, how accountability has overtaken development in our systems, and whether that's creating environments where leaders feel they have to hide their vulnerability rather than use it as a learning opportunity.

We also talked about Jet Wolper's brilliant episode on questioning the status quo and why we keep cutting the ends off ham. It challenged our developmental approach to change because sometimes, as Chris pointed out, you need to strip things back before you can build them up properly. Chris shared James Miller's gutsy move at Royal Grammar School Newcastle, where he simply got rid of anything that wasn't actually helping kids. We wrapped up talking about curiosity as an antidote to the winter blues and how being one step more curious this February might be exactly what we need.

Episodes mentioned:
Tam Proctor on school character and culture: shaneleaning.com/podcast/140
James Mannion on making change stick: shaneleaning.com/podcast/142
Jet Wolper on the tab tax and cutting the ends off ham: shaneleaning.com/podcast/144
Self-doubt and imposter syndrome (solo episode): shaneleaning.com/podcast/145

Join us live: educationleaders.live

Join Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensive

Shane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. Passionate about empowment, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.

You can find Shane on LinkedIn and Bluesky. or shaneleaning.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Instructional coaching should be a powerful engine for teacher development, yet so many school initiatives stall or backfire. Why? In this frank conversation, Dr. Gene Tavernetti joins Shane to dissect exactly where and how coaching programmes commonly fail. With over thirty years in education (as coach, teacher, counselor, administrator, and consultant), Gene pulls no punches on the systemic pitfalls, from treating coaching as a remedial tool to the crippling myth of total confidentiality. As author of Teach FAST and Maximizing the Impact of Coaching Cycles (John Catt Education) and co-founder of Total Educational Systems Support (TESS), Gene has spent nearly two decades training teachers and those who support them in providing the best instruction possible.

You'll learn why a mandatory, school-wide approach is often better than a voluntary one and how to strategically select your first teachers to coach to build credibility. Gene explains the critical difference between professional and personal relationships in coaching and why a shared, evidence-based focus is non-negotiable. Guided by his core belief that given the right environment and proper support, everyone can improve and succeed, Gene shares the practical, scar-tissue wisdom you need to avoid common mistakes and build a sustainable culture of improvement.

Resources & Links Mentioned:
Gene Tavernetti on LinkedIn
Jim Knight’s Instructional Coaching Group
Doug Lemov’s Teach Like a Champion
Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
John Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model

Episode Partners
International Curriculum Association
Teaching Walkthrus
Join Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensive

Shane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. Passionate about empowment, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.

You can find Shane on LinkedIn and Bluesky. or shaneleaning.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You know that feeling when you wake up with a weight on your chest, convinced you don't belong and everyone's about to find out? Shane gets vulnerable about a recent morning just like that: when a piece of work that wasn't his absolute best sent him spiralling into shame. This solo episode tackles the difference between "I did something imperfect" and "I am not good enough," and why that distinction matters so much for school leaders who hold themselves to impossibly high standards.

You'll learn the crucial difference between shame and guilt (and why one protects you whilst the other keeps you stuck), how to separate the stories you're making up from actual data, and why your character matters more than your competence in any single moment. Shane shares frameworks from Brené Brown, Adam Grant, and Stephen Covey, but also gets honest about why sometimes you can't think your way out, sometimes you just need to feel it. If you've ever felt like an imposter or struggled after work that wasn't perfect, this episode will remind you that you're not alone.

Resources & Links Mentioned:
Adam Grant's "Think Again"
Stephen Covey's "The Speed of Trust"

Episode Partners
International Curriculum Association
Teaching Walkthrus
Join Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensive

Shane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. Passionate about empowment, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.

You can find Shane on LinkedIn and Bluesky. or shaneleaning.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why do schools continue using systems they hate? Jett Wolper from Sisi challenges the assumption that broken school systems are inevitable. Most educational technology wasn't designed for teachers, it was built for the people who purchase it, creating a 20-year legacy of platforms that work on paper but fail in practice. From timetabling that consumes enormous amounts of leadership time to communication scattered across WhatsApp, email, and multiple other platforms, these inefficiencies aren't just frustrating, they're directly contributing to teacher burnout and even affecting school admissions and finances.

You'll learn why a story about ham perfectly explains most school systems, how duplicate data entry steals time from students, and why the best technology should be invisible. Jett shares practical steps for identifying which systems are draining your time, explains why centralising communication can transform a school overnight, and reveals Sisi’s vision for eliminating administrative tasks entirely. If you're exhausted by platforms that require three-month training courses or tired of juggling dozens of browser tabs just to get through your day, this conversation offers a genuinely different approach to how schools can operate.

Resources & Links Mentioned:
Sisi School Management Platform
Sisi on LinkedIn
Join Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensive

Shane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. Passionate about empowment, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.

You can find Shane on LinkedIn and Bluesky. or shaneleaning.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if being direct isn't the same as being clear? Shane challenges a core assumption in leadership advice: that directness equals clarity. Drawing on Edward Hall's work on high and low context cultures and a recent conversation with Eunice Okpotu about psychological safety, Shane introduces a quadrant framework that separates directness from clarity. He's seen UK heads who are incredibly direct yet leave staff confused, and Chinese leaders who never directly confront anyone yet maintain crystal-clear standards across their schools.

You'll learn the four quadrants of communication (direct and clear, direct and unclear, indirect and unclear, and indirect and clear), when to use each approach, and why indirect clarity is an overlooked leadership tool. Shane explains why indirect communication can preserve face whilst maintaining standards, when directness is essential (performance issues, safety concerns, legal requirements), and how the most effective leaders are fluent in both modes. If you've ever been frustrated by indirect communication or wondered why your direct feedback isn't landing, this framework will change how you think about leadership communication.

Resources & Links Mentioned:
Edward Hall's work on high and low context cultures

Episode Partners
International Curriculum Association
Teaching Walkthrus
Join Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensive

Shane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. Passionate about empowment, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.

You can find Shane on LinkedIn and Bluesky. or shaneleaning.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.