Lessons from the Institute for New Heads (INH) Class of 2006: Ten Headships--134 Years of Hard-Earned Experience

Ten years ago in July 2006, 64 mostly starry-eyed men and women attended the NAIS Institute for New Heads (INH) in order to learn the ropes of headship. These newly minted heads were filled with enthusiasm, commitment, and passion, along with humility and a bit of healthy trepidation. One core group connected under the careful guidance of "homeroom teacher" Reveta Bowers, INH Team Leader and head of the Center for Early Education (California). After a week of bonding, this group of heads (and some adopted classmates from other homerooms) promised to both keep in touch and to reunite 10 years later to share their collective years of wisdom at the 2016 NAIS Annual Conference. This article is the realization of that promise. While they have different approaches to leadership and lead schools with distinct needs, what the authors collectively shared arises from the firm foundation they received during that week, their commitment to educating their students, and their affection for each other. A search of their email would reveal the respect and reliance that they all have had for each other, the incredulous queries that could only be shared with intimate colleagues, and the unexpected circumstances that made soliciting advice both advisable and necessary. Presented in this article are 10 lessons: (1) Learn from the experiences of your fellow INH alumni; (2) Build a strong administrative team; (3) The pen has power; (4) Get on the right track with your trustees; (5) Be prepared to feed the elk; (6) Make sure your family gets the support it needs; (7) Use all available means; (8) Keep your friends close, your neighbors even closer; (9) Expect the unexpected; and (10) Everything is going to be OK. [This article was written with Reveta Bowers.] [Online Feature]