What we do

A view of Leadership

Leadership is generic, and its principles apply whether you are a CEO, a football manager, a general or a head teacher. The concepts are the same, it is just the context that alters. In that way, leadership is situational.

As an educator, I was privileged to go to the Rank Xerox training centre in Reading and, along with a number of other Depute Heads from across the UK, spend a week being trained in the principles of Total Quality Management. The training was exactly the same as that which Rank Xerox executives experienced. At the end we had knowledge and a set of skills to apply. The difference was that we went off and applied this in a different situation where the business was a school rather than the Document Company.

The touchstones for me going forward were empowerment through involvement and encouragement, getting things done at the most appropriate place and level in the organisation and leading by facilitate and enable rather than command and control.  Applying these principles over the years meant that people I worked with felt involved in what we were doing, were really happy at work and motivated.

I studied further by attending many conferences to hear business leaders and consultants speak and I read widely. I read the work of these business leaders and consultants – but also the experiences of leaders in other fields like sport, the armed forces and education.  This was complemented by extensive reading and membership of the Glasgow Business Club. One year, the school where I was head got to the final of the Business of the Year competition!

Latterly, the schools where I was head had really wide ranging, high quality partnerships with local and national businesses and this was recognised as a strength in school inspections and as an example of good practice.

With this background, I can help you in your business, irrespective of your sphere of operation.

What we can offer

My experience over many years as a successful senior manager in schools, and as a Principal Teacher and classroom teacher, has given me a level of expertise that is considerable. Working in close partnership with primary schools, Further and Higher Education institutions and businesses has taken that expertise far beyond the confines of the secondary school.

Over the years I have read extensively in the field of generic leadership and attended many conferences aimed mainly at the business sector and featuring such luminaries as Tom Peters, Charles Handy, Dan Pink, Matthew Syed and Malcolm Gladwell. I have been involved in cutting edge developments that have gained national prominence.  I was a member of the Excellence Group set up by the Cabinet Secretary for Education in Scotland that examined the significance of Higher Order Skills in learning and was a member of the organising committee for SELMAS, the Scottish Educational Leadership, Management and Administration Society.  I am a Fellow of the Scottish College for Educational Leadership.

I can deliver in a wide range of areas and facilitate different activities. These include keynote speeches, coaching and mentoring, training days, performance evaluation and enhancement and policy formulation.

The following list of areas is by no means exhaustive and can be added to on a bespoke basis.

Leadership and management in all organisations

  • Leadership principles
  • Creativity in thought and action
  • Motivation
  • Coaching
  • Consultancy
  • Building a positive culture through relationships
  • CPD training delivery and facilitation
  • Leading innovation
  • Promoting partnership
  • Establishing and developing meaningful links
  • Enterprising approaches
  • Raising aspirations and expectations
  • Team building

Specific education practices

  • School improvement
  • Behaviour management
  • Building effective links with parents and families
  • Raising Achievement
  • Establishing a student-centred ethos
  • Curriculum design and delivery
  • Meeting student needs and aspirations
  • Analysing national policies and statements

Responsibility and courageous leadership

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