School Leaders’ Panel,
Leading for Impact: Resilient Schools, Empowered Staff
Chair: Vaughan Couillault (Principal, Papatoetoe High School)
Adeline Blair (Former Principal, Kelston Boys High School)
Chris May (Principal, Tauwhare School)
Billie-Jean Potaka-Ayton MNZM (Principal, Kaiti School)
Steve McCracken (Principal, Whangaparāoa College)
Moving past the usual jargon, this panel discussion (at our previous School Leaders’ Summit) explored 4 leadership themes in NZ education: leadership identity, applying Te Tiriti, radical well-being, and the complex challenge of leading a staff of adults.
1. The Self-Awareness Test: “Who Are You as a Leader?”
Chris May opened the session with a story about a blunt question he was once asked: “Who are you as a leader?” When he couldn’t answer it fluently, he realized: if you don’t have self-awareness, you can’t be responsible for leading others. For Chris, successful leadership requires a clear “lens” – values that act as your North Star during “important conversations” (his preferred term for the difficult ones).
Steve McCracken echoed this focus on grounded leadership, speaking about the “moral purpose” of the role. He emphasized that the heart of leadership is the students. “Our sole role is to care for and protect every single young person that walks through our gates,” Steve noted. “If you don’t have the kids at the center of everything you do… I’ll challenge you straight to your face and ask why you’re in the job.”
2. Te Tiriti: Moving Beyond the ERO Visit
The panel was clear: giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi isn’t a checkbox for when the Education Review Office (ERO) shows up. It’s about “doing the do.” Billie-Jean Potaka-Ayton shared how Kaiti School puts this into practice by ensuring Māori voices aren’t just invited, but leading.
Whether it’s “hunting down” Māori graduates to mentor them into kaiako (teacher) roles or ensuring Board Māori representation, the goal is visibility. Billie-Jean described a unique approach to whānau (family) hui: the Board stays silent. They give parents the floor for 60 minutes to share their aspirations, and then the school follows through – whether that means building a new turf one year or installing turf shades the next year.
Adeline Blair offered a powerful perspective as a leader of Chinese-Singaporean descent. She argued that being a migrant is no excuse for avoiding this mahi. In fact, many migrant teachers come from colonised backgrounds and deeply understand the journey of reclaiming identity. Her advice? “Do not be afraid to learn. You’re going to make mistakes… but you have to want it bad enough for your kids.”
“Our sole role is to care for and protect every single young person that walks through our gates.”
3. Radical Well-being: The “Nissan Sentra” and Professional Support
The discussion on well-being moved from “self-care” to Radical Wellbeing Ownership. Chris used a striking analogy: Imagine your first car (his was an “awful Nissan Sentra”). If you knew that was the only car you’d ever own, you’d treat it with incredible care. “Same with your body,” he said. “Same with your mind.”
Steve reinforced this, insisting that leaders must seek professional support; they are often “the counselors” for everyone else, carrying the heaviest load. Because of this, Steve was adamant that every leader needs a coach or counselor. “It’s the best time and money you’ll ever spend on yourselves,” he said, adding that “your school should be paying for it – 100%.”
To maintain this balance, Chris suggested every leader build a five-person support network:
1. The Cheerleader: To spotlight the great things you are doing.
2. The Strategizer: To help you plan and keep the road ahead on track.
3. The “Cheese Mentor”: To pick holes in your ideas and find the difficult truths.
4. The Mentee: To support someone else, which helps refine your own thinking.
5. The Non-Silo Member: Someone outside education to provide a fresh perspective.
4. Teaching the Grown-ups (and the “Green Table”)
The hardest shift in leadership is moving from teaching kids to “teaching the grown-ups.” Adeline noted that adults, unlike students, have long-held opinions and can often try to “sit you out” until you give up on a new direction.
Navigating this requires “stickability.” She spoke about the importance of sharing the “Why” and being relentless with the vision. She mentioned removing the “green table” – in her case, the literal spot in the staffroom where the naysayers gathered. “Sometimes as a leader,” she said, “you have to be clear: if you’re not on the focus, maybe it’s better you jump off.”
Billie-Jean added a final grounded tip: keep teaching. By staying in the classroom every day, she ensures she never loses touch with the actual demands she’s placing on her staff.
Build a Sustainable Leadership
As Vaughan noted, quoting Todd Whitaker: “If the principal sneezes, everybody gets a cold.” Leadership in 2026 isn’t about being a superhero; it’s about being a high-functioning human who treats their own “Nissan Sentra” with care, invests in professional support, and keeps the tamariki (children) as their North Star.
Continue the conversation – Early bird closing this week!
Don’t miss our upcoming Future Principals’ Development Forum, where we dive into more of the biggest topics for new and developing principals.
📌 Future Principals’ Development Forum
30 – 31 March 2026 | Rydges, Auckland
29 – 30 April 2026 | Novotel, Christchurch Cathedral Square
