The transition of senior leaders in international schools is rarely easy. A Principal departs at the end of one school year, often to another part of the world. Their successor comes in two months later, often from another part of the world. And never the twain shall meet. This would not happen in many other sectors. Of course, it’s not always that way, and just because it’s not easy does not mean it can’t be better. It’s this challenge that The Space Between: rethinking leadership transition in international schools seeks to tackle.

The Space Between is the report of a research collaboration between RSAcademics and MSB. Leadership transition sits at an intersection of our respective interests: senior leadership appointments and school strategy for RSAcademics, and coaching and the wellbeing of leaders for MSB

Experience from our multiple perspectives told us that transition deserved attention, and headline data from the report validates this. 44% of the 150 contributors to the research had recently taken up a new senior leadership role, and 60% had overseen the appointment of such a role. The respondents were therefore well-qualified to comment, and only 24% said that international schools manage transition well or extremely well.

It is important to stress that change itself is not the issue. Yes, there is too much change and leadership tenures are often far too short, resulting in leaders who have been unable to make a sustained impact in their roles. But we are in a world where the pace of change is unprecedented. In schools, leadership change can be an important opportunity for renewal and refocusing; and in international schools, experience from elsewhere can be impactful and enriching. The survey showed it is how change is handled, not change itself, that is the issue, but also that handling change poorly is at the root of too much change.

In The Space Between, we have tried to go beyond presenting the problem. We have looked at some of the consequences and used the data to suggest solutions.

A question of alignment

One clear outcome of the research is that challenges with transition are a major contributor to leadership turnover. 65% of senior leaders who contributed said they had actively considered leaving their roles within the last six months. One finding was startling in its clarity, even if not a surprise: practical relocation support is viewed as much less important than the support a leader needs to do their job well. 85% of respondents identified trust between the leader and governance (regardless of governance model) as one of the key factors, followed by autonomy to fulfil the job (76%), and cultural and values alignment (67%). It is in these areas that problems arise when insufficient attention is given to transition. The report sums this up with the idea that retention is a question of alignment, not endurance.

Phases of transition

The Space Between separates transition into three distinct phases: Transition Out, Transition In, Early Leadership.

Transition Out is a particular point of vulnerability. Only 18% of Heads reported a structured handover with documented knowledge transfer when they left a school. When it happens, it is often at the initiative of the outgoing Head. 58% did not even have a structured exit conversation. The timing of appointments and the annual cycle are impediments, but they do not rule out some form of handover. It is shocking to think how much institutional knowledge and continuity was lost in the schools beyond that 18%.

Transition In is multifaceted. It was striking how the views of the transition experience declined from relative satisfaction with relocation support and an induction programme to much lower levels of satisfaction with areas such as success measures and a transition plan.

And yet, arrival into a new school is the most crucial time for a new leader. It is when legitimacy, relationships and understanding are established, all of which are the key to future success. 65% of respondents thought that understanding the organisational culture should be a top priority, closely followed by relationships with the senior team, and with governance and key stakeholders. Yet, many reported being presented with immediate priorities and expectations that had not previously been discussed, seemed to come out of nowhere, and were arguably not essential, other than as a way of asking the leader to prove themselves.

Transition In overlaps into Early Leadership. The report contends that this is the least visible and least understood phase. Its duration varies according to context, but it usually means well beyond the first term or first 100 days, and is often longer than many realise. Leaders will typically have authority but they will not yet have established their legitimacy, and their relationships and understanding are continuing to evolve. This tension between formal authority and contextual legitimacy defines not only the Early Leadership phase but what follows. It can be the foundation for a highly successful and impactful period of leadership, but it can also create the conditions for continuing uncertainty and instability and even an early departure. Good communication between leaders and governance and clarity of expectations came through as most important prerequisites for a successful transition. One major challenge comes from the tension that started during the previous phase: the expectation that a leader should demonstrate their authority in visible ways without regard for how well-developed their legitimacy is.

The leader’s role – what can you do?

Our aim is that The Space Between can become part of the solution. There are things that leaders can do to play their part:

  • We hope that the report is itself a way of shining a light on the challenges – and indeed the opportunities to get it right. When you are approaching the end of your time in a school, why not download the report and share it with those involved in governance – board members, an owner, advisory board or group executives? If you are incoming – depending on the relationships you have established – you could do the same.
  • You should be prepared to talk about transition during the appointment process. Some of The Space Between’s findings now inform our appointments conversations with client schools and present areas to probe with candidates.
  • As you approach your departure, you can take the initiative. Discuss the issue with your governance body, work with those around you to consider what sort of plan is needed. It’s tough in some situations when there will be so much going on in your final few months, but creating a plan of your own can be a way of preserving what you have achieved.
  • Think about the opportunities for handover. Discuss bringing in your successor for short periods. If you are the successor, be active in suggesting periods when you may be able to travel to the school – it will be an important signal about how you want to engage.
  • If you have discussed transition, your likely priorities and the school’s expectations during the interview, try to find ways of carrying on that conversation as you prepare to take up the role. You want to avoid silence between what was discussed then and what is presented when you arrive. Keep the communications open if you can.
  • Play your part in getting expectations clear. Lack of clarity is not a one-way thing; there were hints in the research that some incoming Heads try to avoid these conversations. That could be the sign of a weak leader wishing to avoid accountability, but it could also be the sign of one who has been stung before and wants to get the lay of the land first – but, by this point, it may be too late.
  • That relates to another point that comes through in the research as well as from years of observation. Often (not always) when relationships break down, and expectations become misaligned, it is not a question of ill intent on either side, but the absence of clear and open communication. Try to avoid a vacuum. The conferred authority-establishing legitimacy paradigm could itself be a focus for some of the conversations during the Early Leadership phase.

Transition is a nervous time for everyone – the departing leader, the new leader, those in governance, the senior leadership team, staff, students and families. It is in everyone’s interests to get it right. It is definitely a governance responsibility, but it is also a responsibility shared by the departing and incoming leaders.