APEX Program for School Leadership

As Jim Collins famously said in his best-selling leadership book, Good to Great, “It is better to first get the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats, and then figure out where to drive.” Extraordinary organizations are built by leaders capable of aligning their teams around a common vision, pursued by a diverse team of competent, committed members – and hiring is crucial to that end.

Intended for any teacher or rising leader, this course seeks to build awareness of the larger context of leading school change and managing transitions. While not exhaustive, it aims to develop an awareness of the process of change and the ways a leader can manage and facilitate change and transitions. This overview includes an introduction to how adults learn and make change and to understanding and managing the progression of transitions, and offers some tools for all leaders to use when implementing or facilitating a change.

In the classical school, all elements of school life reflect the leader’s vision, including scheduling, recruitment, enrollment, budgeting, and facility management. This course takes current and prospective school leaders through some aspects that you need to consider when operationalizing a vision for a school, including delegating strategically. This is by no means a comprehensive treatment of all the operations of a school—some elements are emphasized more heavily than others. However, this course is meant to give you a glimpse into some of the most important daily, monthly, and/or yearly needs of a school, as well as a chance to reflect on your operational sensibilities as a leader.

You will engage with ancient and modern voices, such as Shakespeare, Donald Cowan, and Peter Drucker. You will also meet several successful headmasters in the Great Hearts network and read about their unique approaches to the operations of their respective schools at the time of the interviews. The course will culminate in a 30-60-90 day plan as it might relate to your task as a headmaster. You will present your plan to your peers at the end of the course.

This course builds upon the wisdom of the three Delphic maxims inscribed in the Temple of Apollo: “know thyself,” “nothing in excess,” and “certainty brings ruin.” It combines classical models of leadership with modern management practices. Its anchor, however, remains the medium of tragedy, the realm of truth and self-discovery par excellence. The lyric voice will also feature prominently, as the “star to every wand’ring bark,” as Shakespeare writes in Sonnet 116.

This course encourages self-reflection about such topics as leadership style and bringing the best in those whom one serves. It seeks to reveal the contours of leadership (rather than details) so as to engender an understanding of leadership as an art in the sense of the ancient Greek word techne. It does not focus on operationalizing one’s vision in a school. This course contains synchronous elements and requires a personal mentor.

It is a daunting task to offer a course on one of the most important people in history. It is not possible, in such a short time, to capture the breadth and depth of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We are not quite done capturing his magnificence, and continued reflection—from poets, historians, philosophers, teachers, and the public at large—can only produce a better understanding of the man. Rather than attempt to give a comprehensive view, then, this course aims to engage with some of Dr. King’s most pivotal writings and most crucial events. As you work your way through the modules, feel free to supplement them with your own research. The hope is that this course will inspire you to live up to the kind of community that Dr. King was trying to shape.

This course serves as an introduction to the life and leadership of Sir Thomas More (1478-1535), Chancellor of England and a pillar of the Western intellectual tradition. Drawing from a selection of works written by More and about him, we will examine the variety of ways in which More responded to the contingencies of his day, as well as the virtues he cultivated which made such responses possible. Particular emphasis will be given to More’s characteristic combination of sobriety and good humor, his concern for the danger of pride, his diligent regard for his fellow citizens, and his dynamic approach to the moral life.

In this course, learners will examine Xenophon’s life and work. They will explore several themes related to leadership, including how following well is a prerequisite to leading well, what it takes to become a leader, and how interpersonal relationships evolve in the transition into leadership positions. The course concludes with an opportunity to reflect on what was learned and apply it explicitly to the practicalities of institutional leadership. Additionally, learners will participate in an open forum with Headmaster Poppleton which will allow the opportunity to ask questions about his experience in leadership in light of our study of Xenophon.

Readings include Xenophon’s Anabasis of Cyrus and a selection from Xenophon’s Education of Cyrus as well as Diogenes Laertius’ biographical essay “Life of Xenophon.”