Brave Heads: How to lead a school without selling your soul

There are few things in the literature of school leadership as compelling and authentic as a leader telling their own story in an analytical and rigorous way. Dave Harris has achieved this in a highly engaging account of his own leadership which combines a powerful narrative with thoughtful reflection and careful analysis. He skilfully unites theory and practice so that each informs the other in a way that enhances understanding and relevance. At a time when many of the fundamental assumptions about school leadership are being questioned Dave Harris focuses on the ideas of personal authenticity and moral courage in a way that provides a compelling model for all school leaders not just head teachers. Brave Heads is a personal account, a smart synthesis of current thinking about leadership and an invitation to reflect on and review how leadership might need to change to respond to a turbulent and often contradictory environment. It is a powerful and very welcome addition to the literature on how leadership needs to develop in order to create an educational system rooted in authentic values and a belief in the transformational potential of schools. –John West-Burnham, Professor of Educational Leadership, St Mary s University College, Twickenham

The book takes a refreshing look at both the challenges and the joys of leading a school, describing the bravery needed by head teachers in respect of facing up to external political imperatives, curriculum design and delivery, securing short- and long-term success, the leadership styles necessary at different times and the wealth of research into school leadership that can have real-world relevance and application. –Mike Butler, Chief Executive, Djanogly Learning Trust, Director of the Independent Academies Association