Product reviews for Imperfect Leadership in Action

Thank goodness this is not another book about superhero headteachers dashing over the hill to turnaround ‘failing’ schools. Rather, this is a refreshing addition to the literature on school leadership which everyone worth their salt knows is an imperfect business, fraught at the edges and full of personal and professional challenges. But this is very much an uplifting read. Through rich case studies, the book offers authentic voices from leaders who are comfortable admitting when they are wrong, listening to staff and developing others. As one Principal put it: ‘I regard myself as a bungalow and I try to appoint skyscrapers.’ Steve Munby’s and Marie-Claire Bretherton’s central argument is that effective leadership hinges on self-awareness and being in tune with one’s context. The book’s strength is that it focuses on how this is possible. Packed full of useful advice, prompts for reflection and exercises to try, this is a highly practical guide for leaders at all stages of their career. There are stories of bright-eyed leaders bowled over by great ideas who found that these rarely translate into quick fixes. The widely endorsed Lesson Study, for example, didn’t work out as the leader of one Academies Trust anticipated despite her amazing PowerPoint slides and proposal to governors. It was a willingness to listen and seek feedback from staff, along with a commitment to study the intervention in more depth, that helped this leader and colleagues move forward together. Other stories illuminate the importance of empowering others, making public promises, showing a combination of power and love, developing future leaders and showing up with hope and pragmatism. The authors suggest that these are the external manifestations of a leader who has good self-awareness and is comfortable about adapting to changing contexts. Developing an imperfect leadership mindset is not seen as a sign of weakness or settling for low standards. Rather, the book’s theme is for all leaders to become better versions of themselves by reflecting on their mistakes, questioning assumptions and applying what they are learning in a more effective way. Few would disagree.