The BIG Leadership Trap Headteachers Fall Into (And How To Avoid It)
As a Headteacher, you’re often seen as ‘the font of all wisdom’ — the one with all the answers, the ‘go-to’ problem solver for every challenge. But here’s the problem: this expectation places immense pressure on you to have instant solutions for everything.
Worse, it can inadvertently make others feel ‘inadequate’, or as though their ideas don’t matter. Over time, this creates a ‘dependency’ culture, where your staff wait for your direction instead of thinking for themselves.
So why do so many school leaders keep disempowering people like this?
Because they don’t realise what they’re doing to themselves and others!
So what’s the solution?
Next time people bring you problems, take a ‘Coach Approach’!
✅ Instead of feeling obligated to provide answers, focus on understanding and empowering the other person. 🤫
✅ When staff come to you with issues, resist the urge to immediately jump in and solve the problem! 🤐
✅ Ask open-ended questions like, “What do you think might work here?” or “What’s one thing you could try?” 🤔
…This not only empowers them to find their own solutions, it also fosters critical thinking and ownership.
As you can imagine, if you continue to play the role of the all-knowing leader, you’ll face ‘burnout’ while unintentionally stifling your team’s confidence and creativity. The truth is, your staff will feel dependent on you, and your leadership will feel like an endless cycle of ‘firefighting’. 🔥🧯😩😱🤯
But when you adopt a coach approach, you’ll transform your team’s mindset by creating a culture of ‘empowerment’ where individuals feel capable and valued.
So the question is: Do you want to lead a dependent, disengaged team — or one that’s confident and self-reliant?
I imagine it’s the latter!!!
If so, you’ll LOVE our book (which became a Number 1 Bestseller).
➡ Grab your copy now, and apply my practical ‘Coach Approach’ strategies to immediately transform your leadership & take the pressure off yourself in your everyday role!
♻ Please share this with your friends/colleagues who risk falling into this trap so they can benefit too!
