Kambala Institute of Teaching Excellence 

Diversifying the Leadership Mould

“My crown is in my heart, not on my head; Not deck’d with diamonds and Indian stones. Not to be seen.” – William Shakespeare

“I want to live in a world with braver, bolder leaders, and I want to be able to pass that kind of world on to my children.” – Brené Brown

Both William Shakespeare and Brené Brown capture the nuances of leadership. In Shakespeare’s work, his character Henry VI speaks to a form of invisible leadership that 'needs not be seen' because it is driven by compassion. For Brown (2018), the commitment to fostering 'braver, bolder leaders' aims to create a future that is 'courageous, wholehearted' (p. 4). This past week, our KITE programme focused on such varying ideas associated with leadership.

Our Leadership in Action programme with Heather de Blasio—an accomplished educator, speaker, and co-author of the best-selling book Five Ways of Being—concluded 2024 with a session on the qualities required for middle leaders to make an impact in both formal and informal interactions. We also hosted our final Year 11 Alliance for Girls’ Schools meeting, an initiative that brought together students from Ascham and Kincoppal Rose Bay to discuss the complexities and possibilities of girls' leadership. Alongside exploring the challenges of self-authorship amid sociocultural influences, we unpacked the importance of fostering sisterhood beyond our school walls and how to secure a meaningful ‘seat at the table.’

On Wednesday, the Kambala and Ruyton Action Research Collective presented their findings during our professional learning afternoon. Our teachers were inspired by the depth of insight shared, with Hattie Wilson and Samantha Nahum also leading a Project Zero thinking routine to explore different studies on girls’ approaches to and experiences of leadership.

We hope that with our ongoing commitment to expanding the concept of leadership, students and teachers alike will work towards 'the kind of world' that Brown envisions.

Ms Lauren Walsh

Acting Director of KITE