The balance of the high performing school leader is a daily tight rope walk. Tracey Ezard has been studying high performing leaders over the last 15 years in her work. She is the author of two books – ‘The Buzz. Creating a Thriving & Collaborative Staff Learning Culture’ and ‘Glue. The Stuff That Binds us Together to do Extraordinary Work’.

Her latest research and observation has been focussed on leaders who are able to display a ferocious commitment to students, learning, growth and outcomes while balancing that with the compassion and nurturing that bring people with them on the journey. These leaders build strong trust and psychological safety, as well as creating cultures with high expectations of learning and achievement.

Currently writing her third book: Ferocious Warmth – Connecting Heads and Hearts to Transform Education, Tracey has been interviewing and observing principals and education leaders from around Australia, New Zealand and Canada who have affected positive change and transformation, to identify their behaviours and mindsets.

• Explicit, yet empowering
• Strategic, yet people focussed
• Challenging, yet providing psychological safety
• Clear direction, yet open to co-creation
• Compassionate, yet with high expectations
• Courageous, yet vulnerable
• Open to influence, yet with purposeful intent
• Focussed, yet open to ambiguity and flexibility