The Authentic Leader

The Voice Behind “An Authentic Leader”

The author of the “An Authentic Leader” blog is a passionate advocate for Authentic Leadership, shaped by years of personal and professional experience in the demanding world of urban education. Their decade at Tile Cross Academy was a true “crucible”—a period of intense challenge that refined their leadership style. During this time, they leaned heavily on Daniel Goleman’s emotional intelligence, describing it as a “survival mechanism forged in the fires of continuous crisis.”

This emotionally taxing period, filled with broken expectations and constant pressure, led to deep self-awareness. A missed leadership opportunity became a turning point, prompting honest self-reflection. It transformed impatience into strategic patience, and a desire for control into trust in others’ capabilities. These hard-earned lessons now form the foundation of their leadership—one that embraces imperfection to foster empathy and wisdom.

A Leadership Philosophy Informed by Diverse Thinkers

Their thinking is shaped by a wide range of influences:

• John Berger’s Ways of Seeing taught them to look beyond data and see the human stories behind the numbers.

• Aldous Huxley’s Island inspired a focus on intentionality and mindfulness.

• Karl Marx’s Das Kapital and Adam Curtis’s documentaries offered insights into systemic oppression and consumerism, reinforcing their commitment to social justice.

• Paul Zak’s research on oxytocin highlighted the biological importance of trust and connection.

Together, these thinkers contribute to what the author calls their “Alchemy of Belief”—a process of reconstructing ideas through multiple lenses to build a more resilient, compassionate, and authentic approach to teaching and leadership.

Authentic Leadership in Action: Four Key Movements

Their leadership is built around four interconnected movements:

1. Elevating Intentionality
   They carefully shape school culture through initiatives like “Belonging, Connection, and Purpose” and the “high press”—a commitment to high expectations with high support.

2. Combating Complacency
   They challenge the status quo and welcome healthy disruption, using anonymised student stories to spark reflection and change.

3. Championing Growth and Evolution
   They empower others—especially middle leaders, described as any school’s “lifeboats”—drawing on Alma Harris’s work on distributed leadership.

4. Inspiring Deeper Connection
   They build community through empathetic listening, consistent adult behaviour (influenced by Paul Dix’s When the Adults Change, Everything Changes), and a culture of fairness and mutual respect, echoing Tim Scanlon’s “unseen contract.”

A Deeply Personal and Transformative Journey

These essays are more than reflections—they are the product of a deeply personal and professionally transformative journey through the UK education system. They explore the intersection of leadership, social justice, and the human experience, offering a powerful vision for what authentic leadership can look like in schools today.