First Drop!
Making the most of first impressions
Table of contents
Practical guidance for every stage of the journey.
Twenty-six chapters across six focused sections, moving from the first days of principalship to the long game of sustainable, purpose-led leadership.
00
Opening bat
The purpose, intent and best way to use this book
Getting Started
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Growing into Your Role
Shaping trust, tone and expectations in the first days
High Leverage Leadership
Catalysts for influence, culture and trust
Force Multiplier Leadership
Strategic sharing and planning
Building a Thriving School
Why a Christian School for My Child?
Managing perceptions and maximising the positives
Building Schools Positively
Growing enrolment through trust, clarity and reputation
Understanding the Numbers ($$$)
Mastering fees, funding and budgets
Building the Brand
Reframing perception and building trust
Leading People Well
Dealing with a Difficult Deputy or Coordinator
Clarify and reset
Dealing with a Challenging Teacher
The reset play: rebuilding professional ownership
Working with an Overly Controlling Supervisor
Holding your ground with clarity and professionalism
Two-Way Street: What Makes a Good Deputy?
Building trust and communication
School Boards and Advisory Groups
Key strategies for productive governance
Administrative Style
What is your default style under pressure?
Risks and Boy Scouts
Being prepared to provide safety
Personal Sustainability
Partnership, Perspective and Emotional Load
Preventing build-up and burnout
Sustaining the Person Behind the Role
Managing the daily reality of leadership
Building for the Long Game
Sustaining growth, not just survival
Future-Proofing
Investing through mentoring
Working with Parents
The Joy of School Parents: A Practical Playbook
Navigating parent relationships positively
Raising the Bar
Expectations
Clarity, consistency and collective ownership
Technology, Culture and Accountability
Instructional leadership in a changing world
Leading Learning in an Age of Intelligent Tools
Making sense of artificial intelligence
People Matter Most
Building a team that makes a difference
Reading the Room
Observing, listening and interpreting school culture
Why
Returning to purpose at the heart of leadership
Resources & practical tools
Built to be put to work.
The play book closes with ready-to-use materials for reflection, planning, finances, recruitment and professional discussion.
Helpful Resourcesp. 138
Discussion and Reflection Materialsp. 140
Financial Dashboardp. 141
Lesson Catalystsp. 144
Case Studiesp. 146
Why an Adventist School for My Child?p. 153
Recruitment Conversationsp. 156
Mind Mapp. 158
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