Sustaining Resilience in Leadership : Stories from Education

As a facilitator of a national leadership programme for experienced headteachers, Julia Steward noticed how frequently competent and apparently confident headteachers admitted to their fear of being ''found out''. Along with the fear of being found out, it seemed, was a twin fear of anyone finding out that they worried about being found out. The fear was compounded by a sense of isolation: each one imagined everyone else was feeling supremely confident. Julia''s excellent book reassures leaders at all levels in schools that they are not alone, and offers practical advice and support to help readers sustain the physical and mental resilience needed to allow themselves and others to thrive. The book is based on Julia''s experience of working with hundreds of leaders, most of who have been working in schools, along with insights from her academic research, reading, and own experiences of life and leadership. Exercises, designed to support the reader to reflect on ways in which they can develop more helpful habits to sustain their own resilience, are given throughout.