The Headship Mindset
Online Institute Beginning in January 2027
Fee: $750 Per Person
The Headship Mindset is an eight-session virtual professional development experience designed for education professionals interested in deepening their understanding of independent school leadership. While many school leaders already think broadly about their institutions, Headship brings a particular vantage point: the need to continually consider how decisions in one area affect the larger institution and to weigh the needs, priorities, and perspectives of the school as a whole.
Leading from that vantage point requires both institutional understanding and self-understanding. Participants will build fluency in core areas like enrollment, finance, athletics, college counseling, governance, and development. At the same time, they’ll examine how their own strengths, instincts, and leadership style shape the way they interpret information, make decisions, build relationships, navigate conflict, and respond to competing priorities. Through strengths-based reflection, practical exploration of school leadership, and insight from experienced school leaders, participants will consider not just the issues that land on a Head’s desk, but how the leader sitting behind that desk shapes what happens next.
What does the institute include?
- 8 Webinars from our team of experts running from January through May 2027
- Follow-Up “Office Hours” with Faculty Members with Q&A and Discussion
- Complimentary CliftonStrengths Assessment and Report
- Access to Webinar Recordings
- Access to Resource Library of Materials
Facilitated by
Allison Gaines Pell
The Headship Mindset 2027 Schedule*
| Date & Time (All Times are EST) | Session | Focus | Consultants |
| Mid January 2027 | Considering Readiness for Headship | Participants examine what readiness for Headship actually looks like: the skills, experience, and personal goals that matter most, and where they stand against them. We walk through the top considerations for anyone entering a Head search, covering timing, and what search committees actually look for. Participants leave with a clearer sense of their own readiness and a realistic picture of what a search involves. | Webinar led by Marsha Little Office Hours led by Darryl Ford |
| Early February 2027 | Know Yourself, Lead Others: Building Your Leadership Capacity | Self-awareness, leadership strengths, managing teams, building culture, navigating conflict, and understanding how your leadership style affects others. The webinar will provide insights for those who complete the complimentary Gallup CliftonStrengths assessment and have their report. | Webinar led by Katie Rocker Office Hours led by Katie Rocker |
| Late February 2027 | Enrollment Is Everyone’s Business: Leading Through an Enrollment Lens | Enrollment strategy, market position, retention, value proposition, demographics, and the connections among enrollment, program, mission, and finance. | Webinar led by Bill Leahy Office Hours led by Bill Leahy and Heather Hoerle |
| Early March 2027 | Mission, Money & Margin: Understanding Independent School Finances | The independent school financial model; budgets; tuition; compensation; financial aid; sustainability; and how Heads balance mission and financial realities. | Webinar led by Elyse Waterhouse Office Hours led by Elyse Waterhouse |
| Early April 2027 | Story, Strategy, and Support: The Essential Partnership Between the Head and Advancement | Fundraising fundamentals; articulating the case for support; donor relationships; advancement strategy; and the Head’s role as chief storyteller and relationship builder | Webinar led by Sara Shulman, Nancy Kehoe, and Myles Amend Office Hours led by Sara Shulman |
| Late April 2027 | More than the Scoreboard: Aligning Athletic Culture with Institutional Mission Beyond the Acceptance Letter: The Head’s Role in College Counseling | The athletic experience: mission, culture, expectations Supporting families through the search and application process, calibrating expectations; and the Head’s role in leading the office | This week participants will choose between two offerings. You can choose one or attend both: Tim Green (athletics) or Jennifer Christensen (college counseling) Office Hours led by Tim Green & Jennifer Christensen |
| Early May 2027 | Partnership with the Board: Trust and Leadership from the Top | Board governance fundamentals; building trust with the Board Chair; navigating the Board-Head relationship; managing information flow and expectations; and the Head’s role as steward of governance and institutional trust. | Webinar led by Skip Kotkins Office Hours led by Skip Kotkins |
* This schedule is tentative and some sessions will be subject to change.
