We Ask A Lot of Our Middle Leaders
Last week I returned from some time overseas, and there’s something about properly stepping away that gives you a different perspective when you come back.
I loved having the chance to disconnect, reconnect with people I love and get out of my usual rhythms for a while. Now that I’m home, I’m feeling clearer, energised and genuinely excited about getting back into schools and working alongside educators again.
And one of the things I’m particularly excited about is the work I’m doing with middle leaders.
Middle leaders occupy such an interesting space in schools. They’re close enough to the everyday reality of teaching to understand what staff are carrying, while also being responsible for translating school priorities, decisions and expectations into something their teams can actually work with.
They lead meetings, communicate change, support colleagues, manage competing priorities and navigate difficult conversations. And somewhere amongst all of that, many are still teaching too.
We ask a lot of them.
Yet we often spend more time developing the technical side of leadership than the human side. We teach processes, plans and accountability, but what about creating clarity without micromanaging, giving people agency while maintaining expectations, building trust, or having the conversation you’ve been avoiding?
And perhaps the hardest one: how do you lead the energy of a team when your own tank is getting low?
These aren’t “soft skills”. They shape people’s everyday experience of work, which is why I see such a strong connection between leadership and Wellbeing Intelligence.
That thinking sits at the heart of Leading Better Together, my middle leadership development program built around four practical capabilities: Clarity, Agency, Relationships and Energy — CARE.
It’s not about giving already-busy leaders more to do. It’s about helping them become more intentional and capable in the leadership moments they’re already navigating every day.
Because middle leaders don’t need more responsibility. They need the capability, confidence and support to lead the responsibility they already have.
Checkout what’s involved here - Explore Leading Better Together
I’m currently taking bookings for the remainder of 2026 and into 2027, and I’m really looking forward to working with more schools in this space. If strengthening your leadership team is on your radar, have a look at Leading Better Together or simply reply to this email and we can have a conversation.
One Small Shift
Instead of asking a middle leader, “How are things going?”, try asking, “What part of leading your team is taking the most energy at the moment?” It might open a very different conversation.
Coaching question: Where might one of your middle leaders need support rather than another responsibility?
P.S. If you’re a middle leader reading this and quietly thinking, “Yep, that’s me,” I see you. The people in the middle are doing some pretty important work.
