Executive Search to appoint a Principal to champion best practice in specialist education. Promoting a relevant and diverse curriculum to positively impact the lives of students.
The Brief
This is a unique, highly selective, special education environment with a 50-year history, 30 years of which had been led by the one Principal. With the Principal announcing their intention to retire, the School Council made the decision to partner with Future Leadership to find a suitable successor.
With the school community feeling unsettled at the prospect of the Principal’s retirement it was essential the appointed candidate demonstrate exceptional stakeholder management skills and an ability to develop trust in the community in the first instance. The School also sought a leader with credibility in the special education environment in order to manage the existing team of strong educators and continue to attract best practice teachers to the school.
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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
Future Leadership™, represented by Liz Jones commenced the search process by conducting a briefing workshop with the full School Council to discuss in detail the preferred profile, fit, experience of the candidate and the challenges, culture and environment expected. Meetings with additional relevant stakeholders were completed along with a tour of the school. This information was fed back to the Selection Committee via a Search Strategy document, ensuring a very clear understanding of the search parameters.
Future Leadership expanded on its existing talent mapping of the special education sector, approaching Heads, Principals and Deputy Principals in Australia and New Zealand from independent schools, and centres and associations that offer special education programs. The search process was supported by a press and online advertising campaign. After the completion of the Future Leadership interview and assessment process the Selection Committee undertook two rounds of panel interviews. The final two candidates delivered a presentation on a question on notice, undertook a school tour and had morning/afternoon tea with the Selection Committee accompanied by their partner.
This rigorous process ensured the appointment of a candidate capable of providing leadership for staff, students, families and the community, while addressing challenges including enrolments, funding and developing student pathways beyond the school.
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
The School were delighted to confirm a successful appointment commencing in November 2019.
The appointee is a considered and engaging professional who was highly regarded for the substantial department he built at another large independent school in their position as Head of Student Development. In a role that is unique in the school environment, the successful candidate managed a department of 40 staff within a multi-disciplinary framework integrating wellbeing and teaching/learning programs to support students’ holistic educational and emotional needs.
I would like to thank Future Leadership and Liz Jones in particular for the professional, respectful and thoughtful way you supported me as a candidate, through the interview and follow up process for a senior leadership role.
The time you took to understand who I am and what I stand for, creating the opportunity for me to confidently express my thoughts and vision was very much appreciated and I was thankful for your honesty and openness in answering all of my questions.
Most importantly, however, was the care and encouragement shown to me throughout not only the rigorous recruitment and interview phase but also during the follow up period after I was appointed Principal.
On behalf of the School Council and the entire School Community of Rossbourne School, I would like to express thanks to you, Ms Lesley Lightfoot and Fisher Leadership for your tireless and fruitful search for a Principal for our School.
From the moment we elected Fisher Leadership as our recruitment agent we were kept informed of your progress. Your plans were clearly articulated, and the timing of each step was adhered to throughout the search.
We were particularly impressed with the caring manner you displayed to all candidates, particularly those unsuccessful. Your reports following the interviews with the candidates enabled us to short-list in a thorough and positive manner. Liz, we offer our appreciation and gratitude for your support and guidance throughout the process.
