CS&A’s Focus on Leadership Transition

The announcement is out, the search has ended – time to celebrate and call it a day?

Celebrate, certainly, but a growing body of research shows that the most important work should just be getting started.

As schools prepare to welcome their new leaders over the summer, we are pleased to share thought leadership around an area we believe that schools, and school leaders, would be well-served to invest significantly more time and energy into: the transition phase of leadership.

We hope schools and their leaders find these stories and articles from industry and education experts useful and inspiring.

Supporting Women of Color in the First Year of Headship

As the leader of CS&A's DEI Consulting Practice, Lawrence Alexander reminds us not to forget about the leadership transition needs of one particular group.

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Supporting Women of Color in the First Year of Headship

At Carney, Sandoe & Associates we have made a concerted effort to focus our attention on women in school leadership. This work includes identifying and supporting aspiring women leaders, partnering with schools to ensure that talented women are included in headship searches, and offering expert support services for women heads in their early years as school leaders…READ THE FULL STORY.

Shakespeare and the Headship Transition

What does Shakespeare teach us about leadership transition? Longtime former head of Packer Collegiate, Bruce Dennis draws lessons for outgoing heads of school.

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Shakespeare and the Headship Transition

In Scene IV of Act I of Macbeth, one of Shakespeare’s great tragedies, Malcolm, son of Duncan, the King of Scotland, relays to his father commentary from a witness to the hanging of the disloyal Thane of Cawdor…READ THE FULL STORY.

Leading and Leaving: Getting it Right

After stepping down as head of Berkeley Carroll School this past June, CS&A consultant Bob Vitalo shares lessons learned from the transition process and what an outgoing head needs to consider.

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Leading and Leaving: Getting it Right

Leaving the headship position is a highly personal decision that has significant consequences for a school. What’s important for everyone involved is that the process be done right — for the departing, the head-elect, and the entire school community…READ THE FULL STORY.

The End is Just the Beginning

Once a new head is appointed, the real work of the board starts. CS&A senior consultants Ralph Davison and Skip Kotkins offer key factors in a successful head/board relationship.

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The End is Just the Beginning

As independent school search consultants, we are called in when a school needs to change its leadership. There are many reasons for such a change. Some transitions are natural and well planned. But some changes in leadership are unplanned and, thus, disruptive to the school…READ THE FULL STORY.

The Key to Successful Headship Transitions: Shedding Old Thinking, Building New Frameworks

Keith Evans, President of the Westminster Schools, shares his perspective on why effective leadership transition sets the stage for effective long-term leadership.

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The Key to Successful Headship Transitions: Shedding Old Thinking, Building New Frameworks

One of the defining character traits of independent schools is our relentless optimism. It is hopefulness born of necessity as few other organizations succeed in a marketplace where they charge money for a product that is otherwise given away for free…READ THE FULL STORY.