The First 30 Days: Create Clarity Before Chasing Change
The first 30 days of a school year can feel deceptively calm. During induction week, senior leaders introduce priorities that will shape the months ahead, including new observation processes or pedagogical training. Middle leaders are then expected to take those ideas back to their teams, create alignment and hold colleagues accountable.
This applies to new and returning leaders. It is easy to leave induction believing the work has begun because an initiative has been announced. Your first 30 days are when you begin creating the conditions that will make implementation possible.
I learned this after stepping into a coordinator role with plans to transform how my team worked. I introduced protocols, scheduled collaborative meetings and set goals around parent engagement. Yet several colleagues were new, others were waiting for wider decisions, and most needed clearer priorities. I was trying to lead a team that first needed to be supervised.
Start by defining the role before trying to develop it. Clarify with your line manager what you are responsible for, how success will be assessed, and what authority you have. Then translate each school initiative into practical questions: What does this require from our team? What are the non-negotiables? What needs to happen now, and what can wait?
Next, decide whether you are leading a team or supervising a working group. A team works interdependently towards a shared purpose. A working group may first need clear priorities, reliable communication and consistent follow-through. Providing that clarity is responsive leadership.
One middle leader I worked with described herself as “nagging” peers to complete agreed tasks. The problem was not her commitment. Nobody had clarified her authority or what accountability should look like. She had inherited responsibility without the structures required to act.
Use individual conversations to ask what colleagues understand, what concerns them and what support they need. Do not confuse a polite opening month with genuine agreement. The honeymoon period is when people are often least likely to challenge assumptions, admit confusion or ask naïve questions. Model that behaviour:
“What might make this difficult?” “What are we assuming?” “Who sees this differently?”
Make values explicit. A school leader told me about two colleagues who realised that preserving their positive relationship had stopped them raising concerns. Their honest conversation strengthened a partnership that already appeared successful. Ask your team what good collaboration should look and sound like, then translate those values into observable agreements.
Finally, protect two or three hours each week for leadership. Use that time to read new processes, prepare meetings, check understanding and plan follow-up. Leadership work often happens before the meeting.
Your aim is not to have every initiative embedded by day 30. It is to create clarity, establish routines, surface concerns and agree what progress will look like.
Start with the free First Week Checklist and sign up for the MiLL launch for the complete 90-day checklist, monthly live webinars, meeting protocols, team audit tools and practical resources. Membership is currently available at the launch rate of USD99 for a full year. You will receive an email invitation to start your membership (or a 14-day free trial) on September 1st.
MiLL's Monthly Live Webinars*
Monday, Sep 14, 4:30-5:30PM GMT+8 Will you be a Supervisor or Leader this Year
Monday, Oct 12, 4:30-5:30PM GMT+8 From Goals to Inquiry: Leading with Purpose, Not Just Targets
Monday, Nov 9, 4:30-5:30PM GMT+8 Stop Dumping and Start Delegating
Monday, Dec 7, 4:30-5:30PM GMT+8 Leading Through the Dip
Each MiLL webinar addresses a practical leadership challenge at the point in the school year when it is most likely to arise. Annual membership is US$99 and includes access to the live webinars, recordings and practical resources you can use immediately with your team.
Sign up for the MiLL launch to receive your membership invitation on September 1st.
*Live webinars are available to paid MiLL members.
