RG175 Blog

Last month, legendary Stanford Women’s Basketball coach Tara VanDerveer, won her 1,203rd game, surpassing Mike Krzyzewski (Duke’s former college basketball coach) with the most wins ever, man or woman. Perhaps more remarkable, she accomplished this milestone with a higher winning percentage—82% of h... read more

Having now served as a search consultant for over seven years, I have read hundreds of resumes, cover letters and personal statements written by candidates looking for leadership positions within independent schools. Candidates need to understand that the paperwork is an extremely important part of... read more

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