Leading Schools in the Twenty-First Century: Careful Driving in the Fast Lane

Abstract

As many of the chapters in this book suggest, being a leader in a school today, almost anywhere in the world, can be roughly equated to being a careful driver finding oneself in the fast lane. What do careful drivers do? They look forward, look behind, and look to both sides. They try to make sure they don’t get in other drivers’ way, as being in the fast lane requires a form of teamwork for it to be able to exist in the first place. They consistently check the speedometer to make sure they are maintaining a similar speed to other drivers and they keep an eye out for any other vehicle encroaching on their space. They have to be more vigilant in the fast lane than they might be in the slow lane because things happen more quickly here. They don’t want an accident to happen, because the consequences of accidents in the fast lane are disastrous.