Shane Leaning

Looking forward to visiting SUIS Qingpu in Shanghai this week! I’ll be working with teachers on how learning works, using Teaching WalkThrus to explore attention, memory and what helps pupils make sense of what we teach.

Strange being the one interviewed for once. Orla Dempsey coached me on leadership interviews, starting with this: thousands of possible questions, a handful of competencies. Listen here: buff.ly/D5NuvxY

I've been a bit out of action for the last few weeks, so today is a catch-up day! Got quite the mountain of messages and emails to work through, and I suspect it'll take me a good few days to get through them all. But if you're waiting to hear from me, just know that I see you, and I'm on it! 😊

“What would you do if...?” Answer in the past tense. Tell them what you did. Orla Dempsey’s simple fix for interview answers: buff.ly/D5NuvxY

I asked Orla Dempsey the interview question that gives most people anxiety: what if you can’t answer? Her take: nobody is perfect, and the panel knows it. Listen here: buff.ly/D5NuvxY

I’ve been asking good questions about what’s going on for someone on my team while quietly taking their work back onto my own plate. Not a great combination. Turns out I don’t always use what I teach. Listen here: buff.ly/Fz6B7mj

Leadership rewards people who are decisive, visible and fast. Andrew Miller asks if that's all leadership is. Listen to the full episode: buff.ly/J2ZsGJj

It's that time of year folks! EdFest Thailand is here and I can't wait! Will you be there?

When someone vents to you, they're often handing you the weight. Then we do the same to our teams without noticing. Andrew Miller on what leaders should keep carrying: buff.ly/J2ZsGJj

Am I sharing lessons, or just oversharing? I'm borrowing Andrew Miller's test for vulnerability as a leader. Latest conversation: buff.ly/J2ZsGJj

levers.studio opens in spring 2027. A practice room for school leaders, built for the bit after the training, when it's just you, a full inbox and a Tuesday. levers.studio

Another awesome book to add to the collection. Big fan of Adam Grant’s work

My audio didn't record. Andrew Miller's did. I nearly asked him to start again, then listened back and realised his answers were better as they came out on the day. Also, "maybe don't" might be the most useful phrase I've heard all year. Listen here: buff.ly/J2ZsGJj

What's in levers.studio? Rehearsals for the conversations you've been avoiding, research you can read before your coffee goes cold, and one small change a week that we check in on. Spring 2027.

Notice the load. Pick a lever. Rehearse it. Cache it. Lead with what's freed. Five stages from my book UNTAP, and the method underneath levers.studio. Spring 2027.

In Kluger and DeNisi's big 1996 review of feedback research, 38 in 100 feedback interventions made performance worse, not better. levers.studio turns research like this into five-minute reads, and then into something a school leader can try on Monday. Spring 2027.

Norovirus is nora lot o fun 🤒

Turns out creativity has an actual definition. New AND useful. Not one or the other. This could change how you think about every "creative" task. Listen here: buff.ly/CTFJO9m

Everyone in school leadership has that one conversation they keep putting off. What if you could rehearse it before you had it? That's part of what we're building into levers.studio. Spring 2027.

Something new is coming from Education Leaders. It's called levers.studio and it's a practice room for school leaders. That's all I'm saying for now. Spring 2027. levers.studio

Wow! Our book is 40% off right now in the USA 🇺🇸 buff.ly/l1GnVbf

Autumn has arrived in Shanghai

Jim and I are back and this time, it's spicy. Come and hear what is on their minds with regards to coaching done well in schools around the world. And bring your thoughts too! www.linkedin.com/events/75077...

Meet Jean-Pierre, co-creator of levers.studio. What is levers.studio I hear you ask? Well you’ll just have to wait and see. I think this may just be the most impactful development for leaders in schools this a Stay tuned from our planning weekend) 🔥

Happy Friday from Guangzhou (you may have heard of it as Canton). Creative weekend ahead and I’m pumped! What you planning?

Awesome afternoon working with Education in Motion school heads on leading sustainable change. A particular interesting discussion on iatrogenic effects of wellbeing initiatives. Big thanks to Kathy Weir-Davis for inviting me along and for all the brilliant conversations.

'Does your appraisal process increase teachers’ autonomy, competence and sense of professional purpose, or does it mainly measure compliance?’ An articulate reflection from the brilliant Kate Sida-Nicholls buff.ly/0ZJF6Rb

We are go! The Education Leaders Intensive started its second cohort today, and WOW what a group. We have leaders in the UK, Germany, Luxembourg, China, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore and Australia. Three months of leadership development ahead. And I am SO here for it!

Buildings don't change people. Ideas do. Relationships animate the ideas. Buildings just make room for it. Listen here: buff.ly/YJLXgHs

Don't know about you, but I'm listening to the @edupulseco.bsky.social podcast. 🙌 buff.ly/GVpdH2z

This morning I fancied a cuppa tea. I mistakenly chose Starbucks……. #ifyouknowyouknow 🇬🇧

Why "always open door" policies don't actually help your team: Listen here: buff.ly/Jlf6Iti

Phil Idle told me that design isn't meant to be perfect, you just need the attitude of "let's make it work" and keep going. Feels like decent leadership advice too: buff.ly/YJLXgHs #SchoolLeadership

We are live for the Education Leaders Podcast Network Official Launch. Tune in: educationleaders.live

A pleasure to work with leaders at Dulwich College Shanghai on the tricky of issue of getting buy-in (a term i loathe) on your next change. Awesome discussions, reflections and actions from the session. Thanks so much for inviting me to be part of your middle leadership programme.

Oh lord!!!! My podcast recording software just decided to make me an ai trailer for the pod............... What do you reckon? Worth publishing? 🫪

"My door is always open" sounds generous. It's actually just vague. Talked through what to say instead: buff.ly/Jlf6Iti #SchoolLeadership

Spent an hour talking to an architect about grief and belonging instead of floor plans. Did not expect that. New ep with Phil Idle, listen here: buff.ly/YJLXgHs

Fantastic afternoon working with leaders from The British International School, Ho Chi Minh City on driving effective change. Part 1 of a four-session series - today we focused on connection and discovery. Awesome people, awesome school!

Email overwhelm O'Clock 🫪 (Back in the office today) What's your best inbox-clearing strategy?

Last day to apply educationleaders.co/careers/

Fancy working with me? Applications close this weekend. educationleaders.co/careers/

Checking out of social media now. See you all next week 😎 🇹🇭

Five shows. One network. One front door. I'm launching the Education Leaders Podcast Network, live. Come meet the shows, find out what you can learn, and help shape what's next. We're better together. Save your spot 👇 buff.ly/ucKshTJ

This week's archive pick: Katharine Birbalsingh, founder of Michaela Community School. Her thinking on culture and ownership stuck with me for weeks after we recorded this. Listen here: buff.ly/vxUhIBk

En route to Hong Kong 🇭🇰 for final work trip of the month to work with the awesome people at French International School of Hong Kong /Lycée Français International de Hong Kong. Then got a long weekend on a Thai 🇹🇭 beach with Emma planned 🏝️ Cracking month!

What do you think your team should know about you? This week I'm looking at how we get clear with our teams at the start of the year, and how they get clear with us. Three questions you can use, if you fancy it: www.linkedin.com/pulse/leader...

Throwback to an amazing podchat with Louise Marie a few months back. One of the best conversations I've ever had on change - not bad for a middle-of-the-night hotel podcast. Louise, you are an awesome host! buff.ly/oegUUgG