Executive Search to appoint a Principal to promote a relevant and diverse curriculum in a specialist education environment. Significant position to lead a transformative impact on the lives of students.
The Brief
This education centre is a specialist single-sex independent school founded to cater for a unique group of boys whose needs could not be accommodated in the mainstream classroom. The program offered at the school is designed for neurodivergent boys, such as those diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Prior to engaging Future Leadership to conduct the search for a new Principal the school had managed a period of considerable change with the passing of the Founder and former Principal. The Committee of Management considered the school was in a good place to appoint a new leaders who could present fresh ideas aligned to the strong and unique educational philosophy of the school.
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
A comprehensive briefing with the President, Treasurer and Secretary identified it was an exciting time to join the school to partner with the Committee of Management to write and execute the new organisational strategy. The school sought an appointee with significant experience in developing, implementing and evaluating programs for students who have found it difficult to adapt to the educational and social demands of mainstream education.
The incoming Principal would demonstrate knowledge of contemporary trends in experiential learning, have the capability to coach and mentor teachers, and support a diverse community. The Future Leadership team utilised prior experience in the specialist school area to engage with potential candidates and other sources of referrals. Two rounds of panel interviews were completed, with three candidates delivering presentations in the second round.
Emerging Capabilities
Strategy and Purpose
Develops and leads strategy for the function/organisation, taking a broad and long-term perspective. Understands and considers context. Communicates and gains buy-in to the function/organisation goals, direction, and vision, promoting change initiatives.
Culture and Engagement
Engages stakeholders inclusively with sensitivity and regard for diversity and facilitates a psychologically safe environment for social or cultural differences affecting behaviour.
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.
Personal Growth
Adopts a growth mindset, building self-awareness. Motivated to continuously develop personally and professionally - one's own knowledge, skills, and personal attributes and self-insight. Reflects regularly on ways to improve self, regularly evolving self, focusing on the whole person.
Initiative and Drive
Identifies and implements improvements to the organisation, delivers high quality work, sets and achieves short- and long-term goals for both personal and work outcomes. Develops and delivers organisational change initiatives.
Emotional Awareness
Understands own emotions and drivers and how they impact self and others. Manages self in challenging or high stress situations. Adjusts behaviour to respond to difference in others to achieve effective outcomes.
The Outcome
With over 25 years’ experience with Secondary, Primary and Specialist schools, the successful appointee commenced in January 2022. The incoming Principal had worked with a broad range of students and abilities both in and out of the classroom.
The school were drawn to the new Principal on the basis of their curriculum knowledge, ability to develop strategies to support staff and students, and her strong values alignment to the school.
As someone new to the private school sector, the support and personalised attention from Future Leadership – and in particular Liz - has been such a rewarding and positive process. Any queries were clarified quickly and during a time when many things need to remain confidential, the team at Future Leadership not only acted professionally but were also there to celebrate each stage of my success.
Future Leadership really embraced me as a unique individual and assisted me in finding a compatible position based on my strengths, experience and personality whilst allowing me to be my authentic self.
We were very pleased to work with Liz and her team at Future Leadership to recruit a new Principal for our school. As a specialist school, we needed to access a particular network to find appropriate candidates. Liz spent the time to understand our needs and “got it”. Future Leadership has a fantastic network and I was confident that Liz was able to engage well with candidates and to sell the school appropriately. She was also able to guide us through the recruitment and contracting process.
I would be happy to use Future Leadership for the recruitment of other senior positions in the future.
