BTS Spark

It's so easy to believe that you're listening well to someone ... and yet the other person doesn't feel heard. I'm always needing to work at quietening my own 'inner voice' sufficiently so that I am genuinely there for the other person.

Too often, school leadership is defined by the ability to solve immediate problems. While this is important, true impact comes from a shift in perspective – from being reactive problem solvers to proactive progress-makers. Progress-makers don't wait for problems to emerge; they drive change, initiate new strategies, and focus on what’s possible rather than what’s wrong. School leaders who have worked with a BTS Spark coach share that they thought they were proactive progress-makers, when, in reality, they were really effective problem-solvers. They acknowledge they need the help of a coach to explore the nuance and impact of fully embracing a forward-looking strategy for themselves and their teams, especially when it feels like there are so many ‘problems’ to solve every day. #educationalleadership #principalsschools #coaching #leadership 

The discussion we held during the United Nations General Assembly Week (UNGA) recently brought together key leaders for a high-level talk on leadership. It unpacked how leaders must be nimble and agile, but also purposeful and passionate. Rather than number crunchers the most effective leaders are ones that inspire and convey purpose.   All three speakers - Jessica Skon, President and CEO of BTS Group, Essie North, CEO of Big Change the UK-based catalyst for change organization, and Yasmine Sherif, Executive Director of Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises - exuded purpose in leadership. But perhaps it was best summed up by Yasmine. "A good leader empowers others and values justice - you can't have peace without it. Leadership takes courage and conviction to do good; intelligence to stay optimistic; and emotional intuition to lead the way. Leaders are torchbearers. Every one of us should tell our story." Telling our story and being more vocal is becoming much more the role of an effective leader.   Telling our story to our school parents and community.   Telling our story to our staff and teams.   Telling our story to our students. Telling our story helps us create a culture and galvanize others to join in. It gives direction and lays out a path for growth.   It also has the added benefit of reminding us, ourselves, of why we entered this profession and why we view it with such great potential.

We join UNESCO and others around the world to celebrate #WorldTeachersDay and the role #teachers play in nurturing and shaping young minds. At the same time we also pay tribute to the #schoolleaders who support and inspire their school communities and create a culture in which both teachers and students can succeed and thrive. https://lnkd.in/gxJ--xMF #educationalleadership #principalsschool

The concept of listening is quite complex. Many people use the words listening and hearing interchangeably, and yet they mean different things. Hearing is a sense, whereas listening is a skill. Hearing is a sensory-based passive process and – presuming a person has normal hearing – it takes no effort to hear. Hearing happens all day long. Listening, on the other hand, is a cognitive skill built on learned behaviors. The brain has to translate the sounds they hear into meaning. As leaders in schools, where people are in constant need of you, how often are you checking yourself to see if you’re really ready to listen? Ready to listen to understand what the other person needs? Ready to listen for how they are feeling? Ready to only listen to the one voice talking to you and not the voice in your head that is busy preparing your response or reminding you of your to-do list? #educationalleadership #principalsschools #coaching #leadership 

Great to see so many people enjoyed MESSY Leadership and BTS Spark’s presentation.

Such a pleasure to be in a room of like minded teachers, leaders and other educators at ACEL 2024. Some highlights: Jim Knight: Principles around connecting more effectively Glenn Savage: Reimagining education - “the art of the possible with the pragmatic of the probable” Martin Eastwell: Guiding principles for system level change - “Create a space for productive failure” BTS Spark: being MESSY in leadership! Nathan Wallis: Concious Intelligence and learning in the younger years

The #EmpireStateBuilding was lit up in BTS Spark colors last week as we held our inaugural #UNGA79 event Leading in MESSY Times! Coincidence... I think not. Thanks to everyone who took part Education Cannot Wait (ECW) Big Change BTS https://lnkd.in/ghkh6yPB

MESSY Moments … Embracing MESSY Leadership – Chapter 3 E = Emotional connection This chapter will help #schoolleaders build deeper, more trusting working relationships – giving feedback and holding difficult conversations when needed. #MESSYleadership #principalsschool #educationalleadership

Leading in MESSY Times was a great event - time for us to lead with more humanity and purpose. Thanks for your insights Jessica Skon, Yasmine Sherif, Essie North, and your words of wisdom Rosie Connor and Alyssa Gallagher. And thanks to all those who attended and made our inaugural #UNGA79 event a success. Education Cannot Wait (ECW) Big Change BTS