Conducting an Executive Search to appoint an emerging school leader of the Anglican faith to the position of Principal.
The Brief
The School Board engaged Future Leadership™ to lead the search to appoint their next Principal after the resignation of the incumbent.
The Board sought to appoint a leader who would bring a strong emphasis on community engagement and participation. With a clear desire for the incoming Principal to be a highly visible presence, the Board was happy to consider a current Deputy Principal who demonstrated strong experience and a readiness to take on their first Principalship.
Candidate net Promote Score
Future Leadership combines truly personalised relationships with innovative technology solutions to ensure an approachable and efficient process for all our Net Promoter Score across clients, successful candidates and unsuccessful candidates is well above industry standard.
Candidates supported every year
We maintain genuine relationships with past candidates and continue to support them with leadership solutions long term, after they land their role.
Senior Women Appointed since 2002
Over half of the executive search assignments undertaken by our team have resulted in the appointment of outstanding female or LGBTQI+ leaders to high profile roles.
Candidate Retention Rate for 12 months since 2002
Our thorough briefing process and ability to engage passive candidates mean that we go to great lengths to find the right person for the role – long term!
The Process
The search was underpinned by significant time spent engaging with all the relevant stakeholders to obtain a full and nuanced understanding of the requirements for the position and ideal candidate.
Liz Jones, Senior Partner, Future Leadership™ travelled to the region to meet with the Principal Recruitment Committee where she completed a comprehensive briefing workshop with the Board. Additional meetings to obtain background information were held with the current Principal, School Executive Team, representative of the Parents and Friends, and student leaders.
Future Leadership™ conducted a full search process, reaching out to a targeted list of known emerging school leaders to ascertain their interest and suitability. The search also sought referrals from trusted advisors in the Future Leadership™ network. Liz Jones and her team supported the Chair and Board with regular updates, in-depth reporting on candidates and full administrative and logistical support throughout the process. Candidates who progressed to a second round interview visited the School, delivering a presentation in addition to touring the school and dining with the Board.
Emerging Capabilities
Strategy and Purpose
Develops and leads strategy for the function/organisation, taking a broad and long-term perspective. Communicates and gains buy-in to organisational goals and vision, promoting change initiatives.
Culture and Engagement
Fosters a positive culture, creating a sense of belonging and inclusiveness. Creates an environment that encourages diverse perspectives and facilitates a psychologically safe environment.
Governance and Compliance
Establishes, champions, and measures the effectiveness of an organisation’s regulatory and reporting systems. Identifies and evaluates risks and develops strategies to mitigate risk.
Stakeholder Relations
Establishes rapport with stakeholders, builds and sustains trusted and collaborative relationships. Identifies and draws on relevant and diverse perspectives and integrates them to support productive interactions.
Communication and Influence
Communicates with clarity and impact to facilitate individual and collective understanding, inspire action and enable information exchange. Leverages human-centric communication and storytelling to effectively influence stakeholders across the physical and virtual realms.
The Outcome
The successful candidate was confirmed and commenced in January 2023.
In their announcement to the school community the Board identified the appointee was chosen “on the basis of their strength in building strong school communities, their collaborative approach and demonstrated strategic capabilities within a school leadership framework.
In February 2022 we sought to partner with a highly qualified executive search firm to support the school in identifying a strong, community minded Principal to lead and inspire staff, parents and students. The Board sought a search partner who would bring deep independent school sector knowledge, strong networks and a transparent and thorough process. Future Leadership™ was one of a number of firms considered and was appointed as our search partner, with Liz Jones leading the search engagement.
Future Leadership™ completed an in-depth search process, reaching out to a wide range of candidates and using its extensive network to gain insights and potential recommendations. The team also professionally and sensitively managed the applications from internal candidates. The Selection Panel appreciated the time taken by Liz and the team to understand the culture and direction of the school, approaching the search with an openness and willingness to understand the entire school and community. The depth and breadth of the search undertaken by Future Leadership™ was evident, and the candidate pool presented aligned closely with the specific requirements of the position identified during the briefing process. Throughout the search Liz provided regular progress updates, in addition to managing the full panel interview process, psychometric assessments and full 360 degree referencing. Liz guided the process at all times, providing insights and information, allowing the panel and the Board to fully explore the candidates available to us. Additionally, Future Leadership™ provided the Chair ongoing administrative support throughout the process, from the initial briefing, through to managing candidate travel to visit the school and the final offer and contract management. Candidates remarked that they felt very well informed and supported throughout the process.
The Selection Panel were extremely pleased with the field of candidates presented, and we are confident we have selected the very best candidate from what was an incredibly high calibre field of applicants. Liz invested the time to understand our school, our values and our needs which meant she identified candidates with the attributes that we sought in a Principal. The Future Leadership™ team were open and transparent at all times, anticipated issues and provided solutions. It was a very well run search process which enabled us to confidently make an appointment. I would be very happy to recommend Liz Jones and the Future Leadership™ team as an outstanding Executive Search firm.
I am extremely grateful for the support, encouragement and guidance that I received from Liz Jones, Katherine Smith and Liam King throughout the application and interview process for the Principal position. The team at Future Leadership™ are exceptional and left no stone unturned when it comes to candidate care and lines of clear communication. I highly recommend the professionalism and quality of service delivery at Future Leadership™.
