Leading With Conviction
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Katharine Birbalsingh, founder of Britain's most talked-about school, reveals the leadership principles that transformed her vision into reality. From her converted office building in London, Michaela Community School has achieved the highest progress scores in England for three consecutive years, with results that rival the country's most elite institutions.
Katharine shares her unflinching approach to leadership - one built on absolute clarity of vision, radical simplicity, and the power of authentic conversation. She explains why autonomy isn't just about freedom from interference, but about creating genuine ownership throughout your organisation, and how saying 'no' to good ideas can be the key to extraordinary results.
Katharine discusses the ice cream cone analogy that will change how you think about school improvement, why she's never used an agenda in a meeting, and how the dating world can teach us about setting standards with parents and staff. Whether you agree with her methods or not, her insights on building culture, having difficult conversations, and leading with unwavering standards offer valuable lessons for any school leader looking to create meaningful change. This conversation will challenge your assumptions about what it means to lead with true conviction.
Links
Michaela Community School - MichaelaMichaela Community School | Welcome to Michaela
E.D. Hirsch's "The Schools We Need and Why We Don't Have Them" (1999) - Available on Goodreads - Educational philosophy book that influenced Katharine's approach
Katharine's Books:"To Miss with Love" (2011) - Her memoir based on her teaching blog
"Battle Hymn of the Tiger Teachers: The Michaela Way" (2016) - Editor
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.
