RG175 Blog

In the rush to form a search committee, many board chairs fail to consider some important factors that can ultimately determine if the search is successful or not. When one considers that the selection of a new head of school and the subsequent management of the leadership transition is the most imp... read more

The relationship between a head of school and the board chair is often referred to as a marriage, and the analogy has some validity. You spend a tremendous amount of time together. Working in concert to lead and manage a school community is not unlike dealing with a large family, complete with share... read more

Sitting with an independent school board president and a head of school search committee chair a while back, I was asked, “What makes a search for a new head of school triumphant or tragic?” I asked them to clarify their terms a bit – what would constitute triumph or tragedy in their minds? Swift to... read more

In my 21 years as a Head of School search consultant with over 100 searches under my belt, I have done thousands of reference checks. Here is what I have learned:Lies of commission are very rare in our world. Generally, folks don’t tell untruths. It’s not what they say that is the problem; it’s what... read more

This month’s RG175 blog post comes from Ed Cesare, co-chair of the Head of School Search Committee at King School in Connecticut, and former Chair of the Board of Trustees at the same school. I, along with my co-Chair Lynn King, was privileged to lead the Head of School Search at King School in 2017... read more

As a consultant to independent schools, I get calls when things aren’t going well early in a headship. Most often these situations stem from tensions between a board and the head of school. When it’s the board chair that contacts me, it is often because of concerns over the performance or leadership... read more