PiXL Leadership Bookclub

The PiXL Leadership Bookclub makes a return this week, with Rachel Johnson speaking virtually with school leaders Sonette Schwartz and Hamira Shah. The trio discuss their key takeaways from Matthew Syed’s book 'Rebel Ideas: The Power of Diverse Thinking’, applying them to a school setting. Could your team be collectively blind, operating in an echo chamber of validation? Where do the best ideas come from – and are you harnessing the power of cognitive diversity to tease them out? PiXL is a partnership of 3,000 schools and colleges spanning KS1-5, focusing on equipping leaders and teachers to bring a better future and brighter hope to young people. Learn more at www.pixl.org.uk

Brené Brown’s book ‘Dare to Lead’ holds the central tenet that when we dare to lead, we don't pretend to have the right answers; we stay curious and ask the right questions. In this episode, Rachel Johnson, Nav Sanghara and Aziza Ajak exemplify this leadership approach: they explore vulnerability, perfectionism, self-compassion and fear of failure in this ‘whole-hearted’ and open discussion that we hope will allow you to reflect on your own leadership style. PiXL is a partnership of 3,000 schools and colleges spanning KS1-5, focusing on equipping leaders and teachers to bring a better future and brighter hope to young people. Learn more at www.pixl.org.uk

In this episode, Rachel Johnson, Lindsay Skinner, and Joe Sparks gather together to share the insights they gleaned from Patrick Lencioni’s 'The Five Dysfunctions of a Team'. They wrestle with the book, the ideas in it, and what it’s meant for them and examples of how they have handled ‘dysfunctions’ in teams. PiXL is a partnership of 3,000 schools and colleges spanning KS1-5, focusing on equipping leaders and teachers to bring a better future and brighter hope to young people. Learn more at www.pixl.org.uk

In this episode, Chris Edwards and Matt Burton join Rachel Johnson to explore the ideas in Damian Hughes’ book 'The Barcelona Way'. Although it's the backdrop, this is not about football! It is about high performing teams, which we find in schools across the country. Such teams aren't made overnight, nor are they made by accident, but are created by 'cultural architects', who are clear role models of the desired values, and relentless in their determination to celebrate all expressions of where they see this in action. PiXL is a partnership of 3,000 schools and colleges spanning KS1-5, focusing on equipping leaders and teachers to bring a better future and brighter hope to young people. Learn more at www.pixl.org.uk

School leaders Colette Firth and Patrick Cozier discuss leadership principles from 'Turn The Ship Around'. They share experiences on turning leadership situations around, getting the best from others, and deciding their leadership style. They talk about challenges in leading others and fostering a culture of openness, trust, and collaboration in educational settings.

 In this episode, Rachel Johnson is joined by school leaders Dominique Gobbi and James Heale to discuss Simon Sinek’s book, 'The Infinite Game'.   Reflecting on their own experiences in leadership, the trio discuss Sinek’s view of an ‘infinite mindset’ and how it could lead to stronger and more progressive school environments. They draw on the importance of collaboration, the notion of ‘worthy rivals’ rather than competitors, and the fallacy of focusing just on performance outcomes as a metric. PiXL is a partnership of 3,000 schools and colleges spanning KS1-5, focusing on equipping leaders and teachers to bring a better future and brighter hope to young people. Learn more at www.pixl.org.uk.

This show is about school leaders reading non-education books and learning lessons that we can apply to our school leadership. Subscribe now to download every episode directly to your phone automatically. PiXL Leadership Bookclub is a We Are In Beta production. PiXL (Partners in Excellence) is a partnership of over 1,600 secondary schools, 500 sixth forms, 830 primary schools and 75 providers of alternative education. Through our support for schools together we share best practice to raise standards and to give students a better future and brighter hope. For more information visit: https://www.pixl.org.uk/