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a ready-to-run workshopDeveloping the Next Leaders
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Developing the Next Leaders (Workshop)

Strong schools and systems grow their own leaders, rather than scrambling to replace them. Deliberately identifying, developing, and mentoring future leaders, teacher-leaders, aspiring administrators, builds capacity now and succession for later, and it is a core, often-neglected, leadership responsibility.

Key takeaway

Strong organizations grow their own leaders; deliberately identifying, developing, and mentoring future leaders builds capacity now and succession later, a core but often-neglected leadership responsibility.

Format
Leadership session
Length
45 minutes
Group size
Any (works 4-40)
Who can run it
A school leader
You will need
Slides (5)Printed handoutYour staff in mindA timer
Aligned to
Learning Forward: Conditions for SuccessInTASC 10: Leadership & CollaborationResearch on leadership development and succession
Share / assign

Why it works

Research on effective organizations and school systems highlights the importance of developing leadership capacity and planning for succession, rather than leaving it to chance. Leaders who deliberately identify potential in others, give them real leadership opportunities and responsibility, mentor and coach them, and build a pipeline, strengthen the organization now (distributed leadership) and ensure continuity later. Neglecting leadership development leaves schools scrambling and capacity thin.

The research: Research on leadership development and succession planning.

The run-of-show

Choose your slot. The agenda, timings, and length update to match.

    The core activity: develop a future leader

    Leaders leave with a development plan for one person with leadership potential.

    Grow your own leadersStrong schools develop future leaders deliberately. Spot potential, give real responsibility, mentor and coach, and build capacity and succession.

    Facilitator notes

    Neglecting leadership development leaves you scramblingNot growing future leaders leaves thin capacity now and a crisis when someone leaves. Develop leaders deliberately.

    Adapt it

    Participant handout

    One page for every teacher. Print it, or save it as a PDF.

    K12 Academics · Professional Learning

    Developing Leaders: grow your own

    <b>Capacity and succession:</b> spot potential, give real responsibility, mentor and coach, build a pipeline.

    1. Someone with leadership potential:
    2. The genuine leadership opportunity I will give them:
    3. How I mentor, coach, and give growth feedback:
    4. How I build a broader pipeline:
    5. A first development step to take:

    Make it stick

    Grow your own:

    Common questions

    Isn't developing leaders the district's job?
    Partly, but the most powerful development happens on the ground: identifying potential, giving real responsibility and opportunities, and mentoring. You build capacity and succession where you are.
    How do I develop future leaders?
    Spot potential, give them genuine leadership opportunities and responsibility (not just tasks), mentor and coach them, provide feedback and growth, and gradually stretch them.
    Why bother if they might leave?
    Developing leaders strengthens the organization now through distributed leadership, and even those who move on extend your impact. Not developing them leaves you and the system scrambling.

    Go deeper

    Build it into a bigger day

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