By Jamie Bricker and Jack Barclay
The principal’s role blends school leadership with school management. These two elements are complementary: a well-structured management foundation gives leadership the space to thrive, while insightful leadership ensures management decisions serve a clear, future-focused purpose.
Management tasks are often immediate and short-term—scheduling, budgets, safety, and daily operations—whereas leadership looks beyond the day-to-day to set direction, inspire staff, and foster continuous improvement. Effective principals balance both, maintaining stability while guiding meaningful change.
A principal’s approach to change has a major influence on staff engagement. Teachers need to see that the principal supports initiatives with time, resources and appropriate funding. Conversely, constant dramatic shifts in direction can create frustration and a sense of instability. The most successful leaders are adaptable but operate within a consistent framework so staff know what to expect and can invest in long-term goals.
Although some days require an intense management focus with little room for strategic leadership, over the course of a year principals should devote the majority of their energy to leadership activities. Five practical tenets guide that effort: embracing change, monitoring progress, recognizing responsibilities, sharing concerns, and promoting professional growth.
Embracing Change
Change in society and education is constant. While rare events such as a pandemic force rapid transformations, most reforms unfold more gradually. Principals should cultivate a collaborative culture where staff feel safe to voice doubts and offer ideas. Slowing a change process to include meaningful dialogue may take more time, but it increases buy-in and the likelihood that changes will be sustainable.
Leaders who manage change well communicate clear goals, phase new practices thoughtfully, and provide ongoing support. They check assumptions, celebrate incremental successes, and adjust plans based on feedback so improvements are practical and durable.
Monitoring Progress
Genuine staff buy-in is only the beginning. Principals must actively monitor how initiatives are implemented and whether they produce the intended results. Monitoring requires a mix of quantitative and qualitative data: test scores, attendance, and behavior metrics alongside classroom observations, teacher reflections, and student feedback.
Using both kinds of data regularly helps leaders spot gaps early and make informed decisions about next steps. When outcomes fall short, the principal should lead a collaborative review to refine strategies, provide targeted support, and set measurable milestones for improvement.
Recognizing Responsibilities
Effective school leadership is grounded in servant leadership: working with staff rather than imposing a top-down vision. Teachers should feel empowered, heard, and valued. A principal’s credibility depends on demonstrating respect, listening carefully, and distributing responsibility where appropriate.
There are moments, however, when decisive unilateral action is necessary—typically during safety incidents or when an interaction with an agitated parent threatens the learning environment. In such situations stakeholders expect calm, clear decision-making rather than extended consultation. Knowing when to lead collaboratively and when to act decisively is essential.
Sharing Concerns
Challenging conversations are an unavoidable part of the job. They often arise when staff resist change or struggle to meet expectations. Principals cannot ignore these issues because ensuring every student has the best possible learning environment is a moral responsibility.
Difficult discussions must be handled with respect and creativity. Rather than defaulting to ultimatums, strong leaders apply just the right mix of pressure and support—setting clear expectations, offering professional development, and crafting individualized plans when necessary. The goal is to bring people along, not push them out.
Promoting Growth
A vital part of leadership is developing others. Principals should create short-term opportunities and long-term pathways for aspiring leaders—mentoring the vice-principal, supporting teacher leaders, and encouraging staff to pursue professional advancement.
Progressive leadership accepts that supporting talented teachers may sometimes lead to their leaving for new roles. That outcome is positive: it raises the profession’s standards, benefits students in the short term, and builds a school reputation as a place where careers grow. Schools known for nurturing talent attract motivated educators and strengthen the learning community over time.
About the authors
Jamie Bricker and Jack Barclay are retired school principals who live just outside of Toronto, Ontario. They co-host the Matters of Principal podcast.