RG175 Blog

A recent conversation with a search committee member has me thinking about the difference between “positive thinking” and “wishful thinking,” and the impact this seemingly subtle difference has on leadership searches in schools. Like any good researcher in 2023, I turned to ChatGPT to help me unders... read more

A few years back, I was taken with a podcast called “Presidential” which explores the unknown facts of all US presidents. In one episode, podcast host Lillian Cunningham asked Washington Post editor, Bob Bernstein, for a definition of “presidential.” He answered that presidential meant being able to... read more

Head of school search committees sometimes get confused between seeking what they think will “fit” for their school community as opposed to finding what they really “need.” The word “fit” is bandied about a lot in head search processes. On the surface, it seems like a fundamental concept that underp... read more

“I’m not feeling he has enough gravitas.” “I can’t tell if her energy is accompanied by the ability to pace herself.”  “He’s got exactly the experience we need, but there’s something a little rigid about him.”  “She’s calm, which I appreciate, but I can’t tell if she rises to challenges.”  All thes... read more

With thousands of books claiming to know the secret sauce of successful leadership, it feels overwhelming to distill all those critical attributes in an effort to predict a successful headship. To be sure, the alignment between the challenges of a particular school and the strengths of a candidate s... read more

If you’re a fan of professional basketball, you might remember when the Philadelphia 76ers began using the phrase “Trust the Process.” It happened when their new general manager wanted to emphasize process over outcome. When the team suffered several losses, many fans wanted to abandon the idea of p... read more