Dear Aspiring School Leaders,
Over more than two decades in education, I have had the privilege of working with many dedicated teachers, coordinators, academic leaders, vice principals, and principals. I have also been involved in appointing several school principals.
Some of those appointments turned out to be among the best decisions our schools made. The leaders we selected brought clarity, stability, trust, and a renewed sense of purpose. They helped teachers grow, strengthened academic systems, built positive relationships with parents, and created environments in which students could thrive.
A few appointments, however, did not work as we had hoped.
In some cases, the candidates had impressive qualifications and many years of experience. They interviewed confidently and spoke convincingly about school improvement. Yet, after joining, they struggled to build trust, listen to teachers, manage difficult situations, or translate their ideas into consistent action.
Those experiences taught me an important lesson:
A principal is not selected only because of what they have achieved in the past. A principal is selected because of the leadership they are capable of providing to a school in the future.
When schools hire a principal, they are not merely filling a senior vacancy. They are choosing a person who may influence the direction, culture, academic quality, reputation, and long-term growth of the institution.
If you aspire to become a principal, I hope this letter helps you understand what schools may genuinely look for—and how you can prepare yourself for the responsibility.
We Look Beyond Qualifications
Educational qualifications are important. A strong academic background, relevant teaching experience, leadership training, and professional development provide an important foundation.
However, qualifications alone do not make a successful principal.
During recruitment, we may see candidates with similar degrees, similar years of experience, and comparable positions. What often differentiates them is their ability to demonstrate:
* Educational vision * Sound judgment * Strong communication * Emotional maturity * Team leadership * Problem-solving ability * Integrity * Adaptability * Commitment to student learning
A principal must understand education, but they must also understand people.
A school is not managed through policies and timetables alone. It is a community made up of students, teachers, parents, support staff, administrators, and leaders. Each group has different needs, expectations, concerns, and perspectives.
The ability to bring people together around a shared purpose is one of the most valuable qualities a principal can possess.
We Look for a Clear Educational Vision
One of the questions I often ask aspiring principals is: “What would you want this school to become over the next three to five years?”
The answer tells us a great deal.
A strong candidate does not usually begin by making grand promises. Instead, they demonstrate an understanding of the school’s current strengths, challenges, community, and context.
They may speak about:
* Improving the quality of teaching and learning * Strengthening student well-being * Supporting teacher development * Building a positive school culture * Improving assessment practices * Increasing parent engagement * Developing leadership capacity * Using technology purposefully * Creating sustainable systems
A useful vision is not a collection of impressive words. It should guide practical decisions.
One candidate I remember spoke passionately about making the school “world-class.” It sounded ambitious, but when we asked what that would mean in practice, the answers remained vague.
Another candidate gave a quieter and more thoughtful response. They began by discussing the school’s strengths and then identified a few realistic priorities. They explained how teachers would be involved, how progress would be measured, and how improvements could be sustained.
That candidate demonstrated something important: **vision must be connected to understanding, action, and people.**
We Look for Leaders Who Understand Teaching and Learning
A principal may not teach every day, but they should remain deeply connected to teaching and learning.
A school leader should be able to:
* Understand curriculum expectations * Recognise effective teaching practices * Support teachers professionally * Use student learning evidence appropriately * Identify academic strengths and gaps * Encourage meaningful professional development * Promote inclusive and student-centred learning
One of the strongest principals I worked with made classroom visits regularly. These visits were not designed to find faults or create anxiety. They helped the principal understand what students were experiencing and what teachers needed.
After observations, the principal would ask questions such as:
“What worked well in this lesson?”
“What did students find difficult?”
“What support would help you?”
Teachers felt supported rather than judged.
That principal understood that classroom observation is not only an accountability process. It can also be an opportunity for learning and professional growth.
We Look for the Ability to Lead People, Not Just Manage Tasks
A principal may be responsible for schedules, policies, reports, budgets, meetings, admissions, compliance, and many administrative tasks.
However, administration and leadership are not the same.
A person may be highly organised and still struggle to inspire or support a team.
A strong principal knows how to:
* Build trust * Communicate expectations * Listen to different perspectives * Recognise good work * Provide constructive feedback * Support teachers during challenges * Address poor performance fairly * Develop future leaders * Encourage collaboration
One principal we appointed was exceptionally efficient. Reports were completed on time, meetings were well organised, and systems were carefully monitored.
However, over time, teachers began to feel that decisions were made without consultation. They felt that their concerns were heard but not considered. The school became more organised, but staff engagement declined.
The lesson was clear:
Efficiency is valuable, but people need to feel respected, trusted, and included.
A principal does not have to agree with every suggestion. However, teachers should understand that their professional knowledge and experiences are valued.
We Look for Emotional Intelligence
School leadership involves people, and people bring emotions, expectations, disagreements, and concerns.
A principal may need to:
* Support an anxious teacher * Address a parent complaint * Respond to a student crisis * Resolve conflict between colleagues * Discuss poor performance * Manage pressure from school management * Make a difficult decision
In these situations, technical knowledge is not enough.
We look for leaders who can remain calm, listen carefully, understand different perspectives, and respond thoughtfully.
One candidate we interviewed had excellent experience and a strong record of academic achievement. However, during a discussion about conflict, the candidate repeatedly described difficult staff members as “problems” that needed to be controlled.
Another candidate spoke about understanding the issue, listening to all sides, clarifying expectations, and addressing concerns directly while preserving dignity.
The second candidate showed greater emotional maturity.
Emotional intelligence does not mean avoiding difficult conversations. It means handling difficult situations with fairness, self-awareness, empathy, and professional courage.
We Look for Good Judgment
Principals make decisions every day.
Some decisions are routine. Others may affect students, teachers, families, finances, or the reputation of the school.
A strong principal does not rush to act simply to appear decisive.
They ask:
* What are the facts? * Who will be affected? * What information is missing? * Have the relevant people been heard? * Is the decision consistent with school values? * Is it fair? * What are the short-term and long-term consequences?
One of the best principals I worked with did not always have an immediate answer. At first, some people interpreted this as hesitation.
Over time, we understood that the principal was careful. They listened, gathered information, considered different perspectives, and then made a clear decision.
Good leadership is not about making the fastest decision. It is about making a responsible decision and being able to explain it.
We Look for Problem Solvers
Every school has challenges.
A principal may face:
* Teacher turnover * Student learning gaps * Parent concerns * Staff conflict * Behaviour issues * Financial limitations * Changing regulations * Declining enrolment * Communication problems * Resistance to change
We look for candidates who can move beyond identifying problems.
A candidate may say:
> “Teacher motivation is low.”
A stronger leader asks:
> “What evidence do we have? What may be contributing to this? What are teachers experiencing? What changes are within our control?”
The best principals do not solve every problem alone. They involve the right people, use available information, and create shared ownership.
One successful appointment involved a leader who inherited a school with low staff morale. Instead of introducing major changes immediately, the principal spent the first few weeks listening.
They met teachers individually, observed school routines, reviewed existing systems, and identified areas where small improvements could build trust.
The changes were not dramatic. Communication became clearer. Meetings became more purposeful. Teachers were involved in decisions that affected their work.
Over time, staff engagement improved.
That experience reminded me that sustainable improvement often begins with careful listening.
We Look for Integrity and Professional Courage
Trust is one of the most important forms of leadership capital.
A principal must be trusted by:
* Students * Teachers * Parents * School management * Support staff * The wider community
Integrity is demonstrated through everyday actions.
It includes:
* Being honest * Keeping commitments * Respecting confidentiality * Applying policies fairly * Accepting responsibility * Avoiding favouritism * Giving credit to others * Admitting mistakes * Acting in the best interests of students
A principal may sometimes need to make a decision that is unpopular.
Professional courage means being willing to address difficult issues while remaining respectful and fair.
A leader who avoids every difficult conversation may appear pleasant, but unresolved problems can eventually affect the entire school.
A principal should be approachable without being unable to set boundaries, and firm without becoming unapproachable.
We Look for Strong Communication
A principal communicates constantly.
They communicate through:
* Meetings * Emails * Announcements * Classroom visits * Parent interactions * Staff feedback * Public speeches * Everyday conversations
We look for leaders who can communicate clearly and respectfully.
Strong communication is not about speaking the most. It is also about listening.
During interviews, we often notice:
* Does the candidate answer the question directly? * Do they listen carefully? * Can they explain complex ideas simply? * Do they speak respectfully about previous schools? * Can they handle disagreement professionally? * Do they communicate with confidence without becoming dismissive?
One warning sign is when a candidate speaks negatively about every previous employer, principal, or colleague.
Every school has challenges. However, a mature leader can discuss difficult experiences without blaming or disrespecting others.
We Look for Leaders Who Develop Teachers
A principal’s impact is multiplied through teachers.
A school cannot improve sustainably if the principal is the only person expected to lead.
Strong principals:
* Identify teacher strengths * Provide meaningful feedback * Encourage professional learning * Create opportunities for leadership * Mentor emerging leaders * Support teachers through challenges * Build collaborative teams
One principal we appointed made teacher development a priority.
Teachers were encouraged to lead workshops, share effective practices, and take responsibility for improvement projects. The principal did not need to be the expert in every area.
Instead, the leader created opportunities for others to contribute.
The school developed stronger internal leadership, and teachers felt that their growth mattered.
That principal understood:
A leader’s success is not measured only by personal achievement. It is also measured by the growth of the people they lead.
We Look for Adaptability and a Willingness to Learn
Education continues to change.
Schools must respond to:
* New teaching methods * Technology * Changing student needs * New curricula * Evolving parent expectations * New educational research * Social and cultural changes
We look for principals who remain curious.
A leader who says, “This is how we have always done it,” may struggle to guide a school through change.
At the same time, change should not be introduced simply because something is new.
A thoughtful principal asks:
* Why is this change necessary? * How will it improve learning or school operations? * Are teachers prepared? * What support is needed? * How will we evaluate the outcome?
The strongest leaders combine openness to innovation with sound educational judgment.
We Look for Evidence, Not Only Promises
During interviews, many candidates use phrases such as:
* “I am a transformational leader.” * “I believe in teamwork.” * “I am student-centred.” * “I empower teachers.”
These statements may sound impressive, but we want evidence.
We may ask:
“Can you describe a time when you led a significant improvement?”
“How did you support a struggling teacher?”
“Tell us about a difficult decision you made.”
“Describe a conflict you helped resolve.”
“What did you learn from a leadership mistake?”
Strong candidates use specific examples.
They explain:
* The situation * Their responsibility * The actions they took * The people involved * The outcome * What they learned
A principal should be able to demonstrate leadership through experience, not only describe leadership through theory.
Why Some Principal Appointments Succeed
Looking back at successful appointments, several patterns are clear.
The strongest principals often:
* Took time to understand the school * Listened before making major changes * Built trust with teachers * Remained connected to students and classrooms * Communicated clearly * Made fair and consistent decisions * Developed other leaders * Used evidence to guide improvement * Accepted feedback * Continued learning
They did not try to change everything immediately.
They understood that schools are communities and that meaningful change requires trust, participation, and time.
## Why Some Appointments Do Not Work
When principal appointments are unsuccessful, the reasons are rarely limited to one issue.
Some leaders struggle because they:
* Focus on authority rather than relationships * Introduce major changes without understanding the school * Communicate poorly * Avoid difficult conversations * Fail to develop teachers * Make decisions without consultation * Become disconnected from teaching and learning * Resist feedback * Blame others when problems arise * Expect immediate results from complex changes
Sometimes, the school itself also contributes to the difficulty.
A new principal may receive unclear expectations, limited support, insufficient authority, or unrealistic demands.
Successful leadership requires both a capable leader and a school environment that provides clarity, support, and appropriate responsibility.
A Message to Aspiring Principals
If you hope to become a principal, begin preparing before you receive the title.
Develop your leadership through daily practice.
* Observe experienced leaders * Keep a leadership journal * Reflect on difficult situations * Seek feedback * Learn to communicate clearly * Support colleagues * Lead meaningful projects * Understand school systems * Study educational leadership * Develop your ability to solve problems * Learn from mistakes * Build a record of positive contribution
Do not focus only on becoming a principal.
Focus on becoming the kind of leader a school can trust.
Ask yourself:
“Would teachers feel supported by my leadership?”
“Would students benefit from the decisions I make?”
“Would parents trust my judgment?”
“Would colleagues feel respected?”
“Would I continue learning after receiving the title?”
These questions may be more important than any interview question.
Final Thoughts
After more than 20 years in education and involvement in several principal appointments, I have learned that the best leaders are rarely those who claim to have all the answers.
They are often the people who listen carefully, learn continuously, act with integrity, make thoughtful decisions, and help others succeed.
A principal’s role is not to be the most powerful person in the school.
It is to provide direction without losing empathy, maintain standards without losing fairness, lead change without losing trust, and make decisions without losing sight of students.
If you aspire to become a principal, continue developing your knowledge, skills, and experience.
But also develop your character.
Titles may open doors, qualifications may strengthen your application, and experience may build credibility. Yet the leadership you demonstrate every day will determine whether people choose to trust and follow you.
A school does not simply need someone to occupy the principal’s office.
It needs a leader who can help people believe in what the school can become.
With Love, Shanavas Habeeb