School leadership is becoming increasingly complex. Principals now have a seemingly ever expanding set of responsibilities such as managing and monitoring curriculum development and assessing and reporting on student achievements; staff selection and performance management; financial management; vision setting; project management of major and minor building works; accountability; community relations; marketing; and leading learning. In the foreseeable future the principal’s job is going to remain challenging, demanding and, depending on your point of view, either exciting and energizing or draining and exhausting.
School leadership is a combination of (educational, community, and in some cases spiritual) leadership, management and administration. As identified in the OECD Country Background Report (Anderson, Gronn, Ingvarson, Jackson, Kleinhenz, McKenzie, Mulford and Thornton, 2007), striking a balance between the three is a challenge facing leaders in all school systems and sectors. Many current principals comment that the time required to manage and administer the school leaves little or no time for educational leadership.
These changes to the workload and role expectations have had an impact on the health and wellbeing of school leaders (ASPA, CaSPA and AHISA, 2008; Department of Education and Training, 2004; Lacey, 2007). While principals report high levels of job satisfaction, they equally report high levels of job dissatisfaction, and significant negative impact on their home life and health (Lacey, 2003).
Concern over health and wellbeing of school leaders has been an issue of concern at an international, national, state and local district level for a number of years. In 2006, the Australian Primary Principals’ Association (APPA) recognising the significance of this issue, took the initiative and commissioned research into the services and resources provided by employers and professional associations for primary school principals, from across the nation. In 2008, the peak principal associations for secondary schools commissioned research to identify the impact of the role of school principal on members’ psychological and physical health. The report also identified the factors that motivated leaders to continue their work in education. While each of these studies was limited to their respective sector, the findings in each study have been found to relate to both sectors.
So what do we know about current levels of support
Data from the APPA study indicates that employing authorities across Australia provide a wide range of services and resources to support principals. Unfortunately, no single jurisdiction covers the entire range. The Western Australian Catholic sector providing the widest range and the Northern Territory government sector the least. While I am not saying that the list of current services and resources as ideal, it is useful to look at what is provided in different systems and jurisdictions.
It is important to note that no data were provided by independent schools in the Northern Territory. Therefore, no conclusions can be drawn from the apparent lack of provision. This table provides some interesting points. It appears that, in this case, size does not matter. The Catholic sector in a State such as Western Australia; geographically large, demographically complex but with fewer schools and a correspondingly smaller budget than a state such as New South Wales provides a wide range of services and resources at both the employer and association levels.
Useful comparisons could also be made between the Northern Territory and South Australia. The government and Catholic sectors in both SA and NT provide paid access to a counsellor. This is where the similarities seem to end. In South Australia, both the government and Catholic sectors provide access to advice and / or counselling specific to principals and access to part-time or job share arrangements. The peer advisors, study-leave provision and access to a professional renewal program/sabbatical leave provided by the South Australian Catholic sector are excellent examples of proactive systemic support. Co-principalship can take a number of forms including dual leadership with two or more people working full-time and sharing the role, and job-splitting with two or more people sharing the role but working part-time. Research has shown that co-principalship is appealing to a number of experienced school leaders, particularly in the later parts of their career (Anderson and Lacey, 2007). A number of education systems state in their conditions of employment that they provide access to flexible work options for all employees. In reality, these conditions are not available to senior school leaders, such as principals. Survey and focus group data indicates that professional associations provide scant resources for members in the Northern Territory.
The vast majority of principals love their job. If given the opportunity, they would not choose to change careers and are generally happy and well (Lacey, 2002). However, there is much evidence to support the claim that at some stage during their time as school leaders practically all principals experience times when their work severely compromises their personal wellbeing (Lacey and Gronn, 2007).
Wellbeing is impacted by both the individual’s personal and professional life situation. It is recognised that leaders need to take responsibility to manage their personal wellbeing. I have written and spoken of strategies individuals can take to address personal fitness for leadership (Lacey, 2006). In an attempt to increase capacity for sustained leadership at a peak performance level, Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz have worked with elite athletes and corporate leaders for the past twenty years to build endurance, strength, flexibility, self-control and focus (Loehr and Schwartz, 2003). Their message is very relevant school leaders.
Full engagement requires drawing on four separate but related sources of energy: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual (or moral purpose). Each level profoundly influences the others, and failure to address one of them compromises performance.
The best long-term performers (elite athletes and corporate leaders) tap into positive energy at all levels of the performance pyramid.
I have found Loehr and Schwartz’ model to be extremely powerful. I have worked with over 240 principals from across Australia in the Leading Australia’s Schools leadership development program. Developing personal sustainability at peak performance is an integral part of this program. Individual principals first need to understand the theory behind Loehr and Schwartz message and then fully commit themselves to implementing strategies that will make a difference to their own physical, emotional, mental and spiritual fitness.
But the question of the day is focussed on education systems. Responsibility for the organisational or system layer is split between the employer and professional associations.
What can systems do?
So what needs to be done to support leader wellbeing by those at the system or organisational level with the power to make things happen? A number of recommendations have emerged from research.
Proactive support needs to be provided to school leaders at all stages of their career from first leadership appointments, to experienced leaders in a new setting and finally for those in long term ongoing appointments. The key strategies to maintain wellbeing are ensuring that leaders have access to continued high-level professional learning and job redesign. Current workload expectations by employers, the community and staff and many leaders themselves have a negative impact on wellbeing. Other proactive strategies include improved pastoral care arrangements, raising awareness of existing services and resources and actively encouraging the use of such services.
Professional learning
Principals believe that access to, and participation in high-level and personally challenging professional learning will help maintain job satisfaction and mental wellbeing. Paradoxically, while employers concur with this belief, many of their professional development programs are best described as briefings for current policies, programs and compliance issues. They would be more accurately defined as training rather than professional development or learning.
Mentor programs are seen as providing professional learning and act as a positive support. Using current principals as the mentors raises a few issues. Some principals believe that using current leaders will only increase people's workload, and they question the appropriateness of using current colleagues in this role as there may be a conflict of interest. However, other principals find the mentor role adds to their own professional growth, provides an opportunity for them to give back to the profession and reignites an interest in their own leadership. For a mentor program to add to both the mentee and mentor’s wellbeing, they should both be volunteers with appropriate support such as training.
Professional learning that is deep and significant needs to be sustained and intensive. School leaders view sabbatical leave provided in the Catholic sector across all states most positively. Principals believe that this provision provides necessary time-out to reflect, learn and recuperate. Sabbatical leave is not seen as a ‘rest’ but rather as a time of professional growth. These leave arrangements vary from as little as six weeks to several months and allows principals to complete an intensive course in Australia or overseas, visit other schools and educational sites, research areas of interest to their school community, further their own studies or complete qualifications. While principals enjoy their well-earned long-service leave, they see sabbatical leave as completely different. It is a time of professional renewal, stimulation, learning and a change of direction, not a holiday.
Pastoral care
The general workload, hours required to do the job and stresses of principalship put pressure on the principal’s physical health. Strategies such as the health check leave provided by the Queensland government sector and paid or subsidised membership to gymnasiums are examples of positive employer support to maintain physical wellbeing.
A number of principals regularly visit a counsellor/psychologist as a way of maintaining wellbeing. Most employers provide paid access to a counsellor. In some cases, though this is severely limited to two or three visits. Principals benefit from regular, paid access to a counsellor or psychologist. This service allows them to debrief to a trained professional who can assist leaders to manage some of the emotional and psychological stressors of the role.
For people to feel confident to access counselling they must absolutely trust in the confidentiality of the service. Sometimes this confidentiality is compromised. In one case a counsellor worked from the regional office, where the director had access to the appointment book and was aware of those in the waiting area. Principals have spoken of the culture of silence regarding access to, and the use of wellbeing services. The use of a counsellor, rather than using family and / or friends to debrief is essential to maintaining wellbeing. An attitude of ‘use it but talk about it at your peril’ pervaded many interviews in the APPA research. Systems can, and must ensure confidential access to professional counsellors. Principals and school leaders themselves can promote their use of such services as a sign of proactively taking care of themselves and not a sign of weakness.
Spiritual, but not necessarily religious, renewal is important to all principals. Many school leaders, particularly those in secular settings, are wary of references to spiritual aspects of their role. The term ‘spiritual’ prompts conflicting emotions, and does not seem immediately relevant to wellbeing and high performance. In this context spiritual capacity means the energy that is unleashed by tapping into our deepest values and defining a strong sense of purpose. This capacity is a powerful source of motivation, focus, determination and resilience. This is what West-Burnham refers to as maintaining our reservoir of hope (West-Burnham, 2003).
Spiritual wellbeing is sustained by balancing a commitment to a purpose beyond us and adequate self-care. School leaders have spoken to me of their deep love for their job. It can be renewing and rewarding, at the same time as it is demanding and exhausting. Leaders need particular care when the demands out-weigh the rewards. The three-day retreats provided triennially in the Catholic sector are aimed at spiritual renewal. In the secular schools these retreats need not have a religious aspect.
Awareness
Given the dearth of leader support provision in the Northern Territory, the level of awareness of these services is hardly an issue. However, participants in the APPA research have alerted employers and associations to the need to ensure that leaders are aware of the existing services. School leaders need to maintain an up-to-date awareness of current provisions and actively promote appropriate use of such services.
Reactive strategies
In times of acute crisis, such as following a car accident involving students, deaths in the community, fires employers generally provide support such as access to counselling. Sadly, principals have reported that while counselling may be available care and compassion from their employer is not always apparent. An example was given where a principal, as required by their employer, provided reports following threatening incidents in the school. This principal related the sorry example where they had sent in a report describing a life-threatening situation and had no reaction from their employer. Principals would like to feel that someone reacted to these reports. Systems need a process in place that ensures all incident reports are acted on, one would hope with speed and compassion.
Most schools experience times of chronic crisis. These can last for months or in some cases longer. School leaders need support when faced with on-going situations such as difficult school communities, conflicts between staff members, investigations into staff or school council members, school closures. Each of these circumstances requires long-term support. This might take different forms such as counselling, coaching, professional debriefing, legal or other forms of professional advice. Lack of support during periods of chronic crises is what leads to exhaustion, disillusionment and burnout.
What can professional associations do?
Professional associations play an integral part in the support role for school leaders. Collegiate support provided through strong, active and broad professional networks is a key proactive strategy for maintaining wellbeing. These networks work best when financially and administratively supported by employers, but facilitated, organised and controlled by the principals themselves. Attendance at such network meetings should be written into role expectation. E-networks and telephone contacts allow for people in more remote locations to maintain contact with other leaders. In the WA Catholic sector, regional representatives contact principals working in remote and rural areas once or twice a term. They also employ two retired principals to provide advice on difficult matters. Both of these are useful proactive strategies.
In summary
The following table is an overview of the strategies to improve leader wellbeing that systems through employers and professional associations and individual leaders can implement.
Discuss presentation
Bibliography
Anderson, M, Gronn, P, Ingvarson, L, Jackson, A, Kleinhenz, E, McKenzie, P, Mulford, B and Thornton, N (2007). Australia: country background report - OECD Improving School Leadership Activity. ACER, Melbourne.
Anderson, M and Lacey, K (2007). Extended annotated national and international literature review: part-time and job sharing principals and pre-school directors. DECS Voices of Women Board, Adelaide.
ASPA, CaSPA and AHISA (2008). Making a difference: counting the cost Australian Secondary Principals' Association.
Department of Education and Training (2004) The privilege and the price: www.det.vic.gov.au/hrweb/ohs/health/prin.htm.
Lacey, K (2002). Understanding principal class leadership aspirations: policy and planning implications DE&T, Melbourne.
Lacey, K (2003). Factors that impact on principal class leadership aspirations. Unpublished PhD University of Melbourne, Melbourne.
Lacey, K (2006). IARTV Seminar Paper, Exploring Sustainability in School Leadership, 151.
Lacey, K (2007). Maintaining, sustaining and refuelling leaders: a national overview of services and resources for principal wellbeing in the primary sectors. APPA.
Lacey, K and Gronn, P (2007). CSE Seminar Series. Letting go: former principals reflect on their role exit. 163.
Loehr, J and Schwartz, T (2003). The power of full engagement. The Free Press, New York.
West-Burnham, J (2003). Leadership and spirituality. Accessed 10 February 2004 www.ncsl.org.uk/index.cfm?pageid=randd-leading-spirituality-outcomes.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr Kathy Lacey is an education consultant and Director of Right Angles Consulting, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.