Dave Harris - Leadership Dialogues II: Leadership in times of change

Praise for Leadership Dialogues II

Our leadership teams have never needed more training in their roles as they do now during these challenging times. And as the original Leadership Dialogues has proven to be such a powerful tool for leaders, I believe Leadership Dialogues II will be another important step in the process of developing and improving their skills.

Harris and West-Burnham offer a serious reflection on leadership with very interesting resources which enable the reflourishing of previous thinking on the topic, and they expertly tackle a wide variety of key points from the importance of useful meetings to the real purpose of education from the most particular points up to the most general and crucial ones.

Juan Carlos Garca, Pedagogical, Pastoral and Innovation Department, Escuelas Catlicas de Madrid

At a time when school leadership is pressurised into consisting of leading a school to a decent set of exam results and an inspection that keeps them off your back for a few more years, Leadership Dialogues II puts the heart, the soul, the integrity and the moral purpose back into its core. It combines common sense, wisdom and research based practice to great effect in imbuing school leaders with the tools, knowledge and bravery to be the leaders that any education system truly deserves.

Ian Gilbert, founder, Independent Thinking

In the same way that the original Leadership Dialogues became an indispensable manual for reviewing the fundamental aspects of school leadership, Leadership Dialogues II takes leadership teams on similar journeys into deeper and currently relevant areas for review; from securing equity and engagement to analysing the use of research in education, via a debate on the purpose of education. Such is the quality and depth of content and the ease of reading, leadership development is unavoidable.

Dont expect that this book will give you all the answers, however it wont. What it will do is stimulate and structure thinking, and challenge leadership teams to find the answers from within their own schools. This book is the catalyst, not the solution.

Paul Bannister, Junior School Head Teacher, Jerudong International School

From cover to cover Leadership Dialogues II provides a rich array of highly engaging themes as well as practical tools; yet it serves no straight answers. It is a gem of a read, a book many school leaders have always hoped someone would write just for them in order to boost their leadership capacity, help explore sensitive topics through asking relevant questions, back them up when empowering staff and stakeholders to generate optimum solutions for students, schools and communities, and provide a shot of inspiration to build a society centred around improved well-being.

Janja Zupani, Head Teacher, Louis Adamic Grosuplje Primary School, Slovenia

To address todays issues, and those beyond the horizon, we need support in finding solutions, and these are best constructed through well-formed dialogue which begins by interrogating good practice before moving on to building consensus. This is the distinct aim of Dave Harris and John West-Burnhams Leadership Dialogues II.

So whether you are looking at challenges as diverse as developing middle leadership, considering alternative staffing models or raising the achievement of disadvantaged pupils, this book will provide evidence and research to consider, questions to help form discussions and, finally, guidance to help you act to make your school or trust as effective as possible.

Paul K. Ainsworth, academy adviser for a system leader multi-academy trust and author of Middle Leadership and Get That Teaching Job!

Leadership Dialogues II has the moral imperative of education at its heart: to create happy, confident and successful learners. School leaders reading this book will be encouraged to focus on the key questions they have about their own settings and to then take action based on a holistic view of learning and learners, collective responsibility and shared mental models. Educational wisdom, insightful dialogue and challenge are balanced with simple yet extremely powerful reflective tools. Leadership Dialogues II is a flexible resource that will galvanise leadership of positive change in schools based upon the learning needs of children and young people.

Jan Gimbert, education adviser and trainer

Leadership Dialogues was always my go to book when planning for more strategic work towards school improvement. This follow-up picks up from where the first left off, adding sections on topics such as purpose, engagement and developing evidence based practice.

Some of the chapters are perennial favourites when it comes to educational thinking; however, the difference with this is the fresh perspectives and divergent thinking it provides. I particularly like the theme of doing things differently which other educational book would give you the idea of looking at your school as if it were a car, as Harris and West-Burnham have?

Essential reading for those of us lucky enough to be leading education.

Keith Winstanley, Head Teacher, Castle Rushen High School

Relevant, practical and packed full of great resources, Leadership Dialogues II is essential reading for leaders at all levels in schools. It offers both theory and practice, which is great for busy leaders, and provides a really good platform for reflection, thinking and dialogue. The authors really understand the complexities of leadership, and inspire possible solutions and ways forward in a thoughtful but practical way. I highly recommend this book.

Stephen Logan, Deputy Head Teacher, Malet Lambert School

Asking some of the biggest questions of our time, the hugely influential and respected Dave Harris and John West-Burnham provide an external perspective and a range of support materials to aid schools internal constructive dialogues and decision making. Their think pieces and diagnostic review tools aim to help school leaders make value led, deep rooted, wise decisions for the pupils and staff they lead.

Far ranging and simply brilliant, Leadership Dialogues II is a group reader that all those working in schools should use and engage with.

Stephen Tierney, CEO, Blessed Edward Bamber Catholic Multi Academy Trust, blogger (leadinglearner.me) and author of Liminal Leadership