A Disturbing Shift in Leadership Culture

There seems to be a whole new leadership style emerging, which is worrying to say the least. This is not just in international schools, where – let’s be honest we have heard about this going on for some time – but also now right here in UK schools. Leadership by bullying, by fear.

Teachers Rising to the Challenge

Teachers working overseas are subject to a whole different contract, often with a range of ‘interesting’ expectations which can lead to whole new areas of interest and specialism being developed by wonderful teachers who are up for the challenge, and who see opportunities to meet the needs of the school. These teachers are education gold: self-motivated, eager to adapt their practice, leadership is an open door for them to step through as they develop their skills and confidence. Wowee – how lucky schools are to have these amazing teachers!

Teachers here in the UK don’t often have these surprise requests pass their way, but due to the recruiting crisis many schools are currently facing this is beginning to happen with increasing frequency, and it is to the credit of wonderful teachers that they embrace the challenge of diversity with equal enthusiasm to their overseas counterparts.

The Rise of Toxic Leadership Tactics

So, we have these amazing teachers who are diverse in their thoughts and responsibilities, show incredible resilience in the face of challenge and are firmly on the path to leadership success in the schools that have nurtured them. What is going wrong? Why are they leaving these schools with such terrible stories of bullying and financial manipulation?

Let’s look at some very common scenarios:

• New senior leaders come in and want to bring their own team – so getting the existing team out of the way as soon as possible is their priority.
• Senior Leaders join a school with little/no experience with the ages taught in that school or limited cultural understanding. Staff they supervise are confident and know what needs to be done. An atmosphere of feeling threatened by competent staff, mistrust and push back begins.
• Schools have new owners or management, contracts are re-offered or realigned with new expectations, and staff are given ultimatums, giving little choice and huge penalties if they do not sign. This includes increased hours and reduced salary, threat of no shipping allowance or return flight home, threats of court action to stop them working in other schools etc. if they refuse to sign or choose to leave.

This certainly sounds like teachers are being placed increasingly in high stakes situations, where they are subject to threats by leadership, and in the case of many overseas teachers whose families may also be with them, these situations are incredibly frightening.

The Impact of Fear on Professional Wellbeing

We know the playbook:

• Emails containing threatening, ‘legal-speak’ text sent out at the end of the day on Friday with no chance to speak to HR until after the weekend.
• Being told they cannot discuss anything with family and colleagues, essentially isolating them.
• Humiliation by publicly being ‘sent for’ during work hours, with the rumour-mill fully engaged with possible reasons.
• HR policy not being followed and teachers left with no way of knowing how to proceed to support themselves.

Fear makes the brain do funny things; you make strange decisions as the delicate chemical balance is altered. You literally cannot think straight. To be faced with a situation where there is no comprehension of where this situation has come from, nor where it is going, is to be faced with an inexplicable situation based on an alien set of values.

We all want to go to work, do a good job, and be free to move on if a better opportunity, or one where family needs can be better met, arises. Imagine now being told you have to stay, that you cannot move on or face financial ruin if you do, and that even though you stay your work will be highly scrutinised and devalued.

We know there are amazing schools who value their staff and go way beyond the extra mile to meet their needs and keep them. The shocking situation we now see emerging, of fear leadership, is a warning that this recruitment crisis is far from over.