While many people in the independent school world are slowing down as they move into summer breaks, about 100 or so school leaders are preparing to start new journeys as heads of school, and many of them will be joining us in Atlanta next month for the Institute for New Heads.
Even as they are wrapping up previous positions and responsibilities, they are learning all they can about the cultures, norms, and traditions of their new schools; getting to know their board chair and team members; and often uprooting themselves and their families to full embrace life in their new community. It is an exciting yet daunting transition, one made more manageable with the help of those who have been there before.
As summer has approached over the past few years, I have asked experienced heads what advice they would give to a brand-new head and shared their collected pearls of wisdom in a Dear New Heads blog post. This has been one of my favorite annual projects. Not only have these words of wisdom made a lot of sense—and made me laugh—they also demonstrate the generous spirit of independent school heads.
These heads know that headship is more than a job; it’s a calling. One that is deeply rewarding and meaningful but also demanding. And even amid those demands, these heads make time to offer encouragement, support, and practical advice to those just beginning the journey. They know that this work can be some of the most fulfilling, exciting, impacting, and rewarding that a leader can embrace.
In the spirit of this this advice-gathering exercise as well as the Summer 2026 issue of Independent School magazine, we are taking the collective wisdom a step further with a yearlong Independent Ideas blog series focused on headship. Over the last two decades, headship has grown more complex in nearly every respect, and if there is one thing we have learned, it is this: No two headships are the same—even if served by the same individual—and we want to share the full breadth of that experience.
A Year of Insights and Inspiration
Starting in July, we will feature a blog post each month from heads offering perspectives shaped by different backgrounds, school types and sizes, and communities across the country. Some of these contributors are relatively new heads, some are mid-career, and some are seasoned heads reflecting on many years of school leadership.
The posts will reflect on important leadership issues, such as decision-making in times of uncertainty and trust and team building. Some will digest a particular situation, such as cutting a program, sustaining enrollment, or addressing community challenges, and what they learned from it. Others will focus on the personal elements of the journey and ways to ensure support systems and the sustainability of the role.
We hope that the blog series will provide heads—especially new heads—valuable insights and ideas, along with a strong sense of the community and support surrounding them.
Why Support for New Heads Matters
For us at NAIS, these thoughtful insights also give us a nuanced view into the experience of headship, illuminating the stories behind the facts and figures. Supporting school leaders is pivotal to all we do; after all, sustained and effective leadership is crucial to healthy, thriving schools, and therefore to the students they educate and nurture.
Guided by our recent strategic planning work, we’re focusing on three key ways to support leaders:
Studying and mitigating against unexpected turnover. It takes leaders around five years to begin making lasting change, and leadership instability––no matter how understandable––can lead to decreased enrollment and teacher retention. While unexpected turnover has decreased from its peak—about one in five new heads will leave their roles within three years or less of starting compared to nearly one in three at the height of the post-pandemic spike—there is still a need to support and sustain leaders in their early years.
Strengthening alignment. The Leadership Alignment Project, a multiyear effort at NAIS, will focus on creating the conditions for strong alignment among boards, heads, and other leaders through research, practical tools, and programming designed to help schools navigate leadership transitions with confidence, clarity, and shared purpose. This is important at all stages of a leader’s journey, but it is especially critical at the outset, beginning before the hiring process.
Articulating clear leadership pathways. Importantly, we want to consider each of these stages of headship and the school leadership journey more broadly. Our new strategic plan reflects that commitment by calling on us to better understand and articulate what leaders need at each stage of that journey, and aligning our resources, programming, and support accordingly. At a moment when school leaders are navigating extraordinary complexity, from enrollment pressures and workforce challenges to polarization and rapid technological change, that clarity and intentionality matter more than ever.
As I look back at the pearls of wisdom of years past, one of my favorite recurring themes is acknowledging the joy that comes with the job. One head calls it a protective power: a steady source of purpose that carries leaders through the most difficult moments. It is a unique opportunity to know you have offered young people places and communities of learning, support, belonging, growth, and fun. Education is serious business, but it’s also joyful one.
I am eager to see the energy, innovation, and inspiration the next generation of heads will bring to our community and remain incredibly grateful for those who continue to welcome them into the fold. As someone who has worked with school leaders for over 25 years, I can say that you will not meet a better or more supportive group of colleagues.
Register for the Institute for New Heads
Don't forget to register for the 2026 NAIS Institute for New Heads (INH), July 11-17, Atlanta. You’ll build a strong peer and mentor network, gain an understanding of the essential tasks of headship, and return to school supported by a toolkit of valuable resources. The registration deadline is June 22.