Clearing the Path for School Leadership

"This is a book written with passion, where the lived reality of leadership permeates every page. Chiles and Hughes capture the realities of leading with the head for clarity and insight, the heart for purpose and commitment, and the hands for the daily work of making a difference. It invites leaders to think deeply, care generously, and act decisively."

- John Hattie, Professor of Education at Melbourne Education Research Institute

This delightful book from Haili Hughes and Michael Chiles is in a different mould from many leadership books for school leaders. Rather than sharing a series of formulae or processes, it uses the frame of the head (mapping the route), the heart (carrying the compass) and the hands (walking the way), to help leaders to navigate the challenges of school leadership successfully and pragmatically. There are a number of key principles with the book that really resonated with me: it advocates precision but not prescription; it recognises the importance of context through considered sensemaking; it sees obstacles to progress not as a distraction but the real work of leaders; it normalises mistakes as an opportunity to reflect and learn; and it appreciates there is a sweet spot between consistency and autonomy - what I would call aligned autonomy. It is also packed with practical scenarios, many of which I suspect have arisen from the rich and varied experiences the authors bring to their writing. If you are looking for a book that inspires, challenges, reassures, and helps you find your leadership route, compass, and next steps, then look no further! Highly recommend.

- Andy Buck, former headteacher and founder of Leadership Matters