Clearing the Path for School Leadership

Leaders are the backbone of any school and how effective they are can make or break a school community. Yet school leadership is a complex journey fraught with pitfalls and challenges. In this inspiring book, Michael Chiles and Haili Hughes show that leadership isn’t just having a title, but about actions, choices, and the ability to adapt to different situations.

The book introduces the Head, Heart, and Hands model to help leaders navigate the challenges of school leadership. It focuses on the obstacles that often hold schools back, from personal struggles like self-doubt, overwork, and conflict avoidance to relational issues such as broken trust, resistant staff, and parent concerns. The chapters guide the reader through these challenges asking: Head: What do we need to understand? What’s the real problem? What evidence matters? What strategy works best here? Heart: What values are important? How do we support people? How can we build and sustain trust? Hands: What actions should we take? What systems or routines will help? How can we empower others and track progress?

Written by two leading experts, this is essential reading for leaders who want to clear the path of obstacles and create the conditions where the whole school community can thrive.