So You Want to Be a School Leader: 3 Signs to Know You’re Ready

As the academic director and a professor at Wake Forest University School of Professional Studies for the Master in Educational Leadership program, I have weekly conversations with educators who are interested in becoming school leaders: principals, assistant principals, directors, heads of school, and superintendents. In these conversations, I frequently work with people to see if they’re ready for this leap. If you are considering a similar switch in your career, here are three signs to know if you’re ready for a leadership role:

1. You’ve been told by numerous leaders

Leaders can spot leaders. Are you the teacher who is constantly being asked to represent the grade level or school by the principal? Have you been asked to serve as a mentor or model classroom? Do you serve on committees with district personnel on curriculum or data? Have you had a principal say “You would make a great principal?” These are signs that school and district leaders see something in you. I know I was given those opportunities as a teacher by my principals and then I later provided those for my teachers who I saw leadership potential.

2. You have vision and drive for change

It’s easy to get caught up in the “I wish this was better” or “If they only knew” conversations that permeate through school hallways. But are you the one who is doing something about it? Do you have a vision for how to make your classroom, grade level, or school better? And then more importantly, do you take action on those visions? If you can say that you have made your school a better place by what you contribute beyond the classroom, you may be a great fit as a school leader.

3. You still love teaching

If you are considering a school leadership role because you are tired of teaching or you’re burned out of being a teacher, being a school leader is probably not for you. Being a school leader means that you are the LEAD teacher, the LEAD motivator, the LEAD innovator for instruction. Teachers, students, and parents deserve and desire instructional excellence, and as the leader, you should be encouraging, supporting, and moving that bus forward. As the school leader, you have just transitioned from the teacher of a single classroom to the teacher of an entire school of classrooms.

Every leader’s journey is different, so there is no one-size-fits-all way to know if you are truly ready for the leap into school leadership. These three indicators are a start to figuring out if it’s right for you, but there are plenty of other considerations you should make along the way. Leading a school is a privilege, and while the days can be long, the years are short, and making an impact should not wait.

If you are considering making that leadership jump, I would love to talk to you about my Educational Leadership program! I am also available for professional development for schools and districts that cover many leadership topics. Head over to my contact page to reach out.