Are Leadership Qualifications Worth It?
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Find on Your Podcast Player
Shane looks at the disconnect between leadership theory and practice in educational leadership qualifications, sharing insights from his conversations with leaders who've completed these programs. He identifies five common failures in leadership development courses and offers practical alternatives that actually lead to growth.
Key Points
85% of leaders identified peer learning and community as the most valuable aspect of leadership programs, not the content or theory
The five failures of leadership programs:
Theory without practice - providing concepts without application
Wrong context and content - programs not adapted to different educational systems
Unrealised community - superficial implementation of peer learning
Simple models for complex realities - oversimplifying leadership challenges
Ignoring identity - neglecting personal leadership development
The costs of these failures: staff turnover, misaligned teams, initiative fatigue, leadership burnout, wasted resources, and stagnant development
What works instead: blending theory with immediate application, creating genuine communities of practice, contextualising learning, embracing complexity, and integrating identity development
Resources Mentioned
Education Leaders Intensive Programme - Shane's 12-week leadership development program starting in September
Leadership Qualification Webinar - Free webinar diving deeper into this topic
Episode Partner
The International Curriculum Association: Learn more
Thank you for tuning in, and as always, if you found this episode useful, please share your experience. You can find me online on LinkedIn and Bluesky. My email address is shane@shaneleaning.com.
