The day before she will be leading the Leadership Skills Training Day, Founder and Lead Coach, Leonie Hurrell of The Thinking Academy reflects on the importance of soft skills to empower leaders. 

In today’s fast-paced educational world, being an effective leader is more important than ever. Many leaders know they need to handle tough conversations, motivate disengaged team members, and rebuild trust.
 
But figuring out how to do these things can be tricky.
 
As a coach for educational leaders and a former Headteacher, I have noticed that whilst we have plenty of knowledge and tangible skills, we often miss out on developing those essential soft skills. Most professional development courses focus on content, strategy, and evaluation — all valid areas. But without the necessary soft skills, our strategies may struggle to make meaningful impact.
 
That is why I created the "Leadership Skills" course that is all about helping leaders boost their self-awareness, build connections, and communicate clearly, so they can really thrive and create effective and energised teams.

​The Power of Soft Skills
Research shows that strong soft skills can make a huge difference for school leaders, especially Headteachers.
 
A study from the National College for Teaching and Leadership points out that effective leadership goes beyond technical skills; it includes emotional intelligence, trust-building, and communication (National College for Teaching and Leadership, 2015).
 
Leaders who develop these skills can better navigate interpersonal relationships and create a positive, safe and engaging environment in their schools.
 
Brené Brown, a well-known researcher on vulnerability and emotional intelligence, highlights that leaders who embrace vulnerability and build genuine connections create more resilient teams. When leaders connect with their teams, they foster collaboration and support, boosting morale and job satisfaction (Zins & Elias, 2006). Schools led by emotionally intelligent leaders often cultivate vibrant cultures.
 
Research shows that when Headteachers prioritise soft skills, it leads to improved teacher morale, student engagement, and overall school performance – demonstrated in the study by George Washington University that discovered schools with strong emotional intelligence practices saw better academic outcomes and lower dropout rates (Brackett et al., 2019).

As schools face  continued recruitment challenges, investing in leadership development is more critical than ever. By nurturing the soft skills of our current leaders, we are preparing tomorrow’s resilient leaders. This proactive approach not only helps keep talent, but also ensures our schools have visionary leaders capable of inspiring teams and building brighter futures for our children.

The Leadership Skills Course is designed to blend theory with practical application. Over one impactful day, participants will dive into emotional intelligence, learn effective communication, and gain strategies for navigating conflict. Our interactive workshop focus on enhancing presence, active listening, and powerful questioning techniques. Participants will explore various soft skill methodologies and develop personalised strategies to fit their unique leadership styles. There is also plenty of time for deep reflection and action planning, so leaders can create the clear steps they need to apply their new skills.

Feedback from participants on the course has been incredible, with an impressive rating of 9.9/10 last month.
I am looking forward to tomorrow's session that I know will highlight the transformative power of learning at SWIFT and the importance of investing in leadership development. 

Together, we can create environments where leaders thrive, teams collaborate effectively, and everyone feels valued nurturing a positive atmosphere for every child in our care.

Feedback from this week’s Leadership Skills Training Day:
"It was valuable to be reflective and a great opportunity to plan next steps for my leadership." 
"Just a fantastic day.  I know I can empower my team. It was so so good!"
'It was great to really think things through in relation to my role and school.  Such an informative and useful day." 
"An excellent course!" 
"So useful to takeaway learning that can be applied to our everyday role."
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By Leonie Hurrell, Founder & Lead Coach, The Thinking Academy

Recent wellbeing surveys show that over three quarters of school staff feel stressed, with senior leaders reporting the highest levels of exhaustion and emotional overwhelm. Teaching Unions echo the same picture: almost 80% of leaders say their workload is unacceptable, and nearly nine in ten say they struggle to protect time for strategic leadership because urgent issues keep flooding in. Three quarters of school staff feel stressed, with senior leaders reporting the highest levels of exhaustion and emotional overwhelm. Teaching Unions echo the same picture: almost 80% of leaders say their workload is unacceptable, and nearly nine in ten say they struggle to protect time for strategic leadership because urgent issues keep flooding in.
 
Schools are managing a level of emotional and operational complexity that would have been unthinkable just years ago - safeguarding demand, behaviour escalation, emotionally exhausted families, stretched external services, and the expectation to “stay resilient” even when you are running on fumes.

This is where supervision comes in - not as a performance tool, but as a protected space to breathe, think, and be human for an hour. It is a moment to look after the part of you that holds everyone else together. Other high-pressure sectors have relied on supervision for decades because it helps people stay grounded, safe, and emotionally resourced. Education is only now starting to catch up.
 
We know from cross-sector studies that effective supervision reduces burnout and improves decision-making. It gives leaders structured reflection, emotional containment, and time to make sense of the hardest parts of the job.