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Leading in a Climate of Change: Courage, Clarity and Connection

Earlier this month, we hosted a fabulous Hot Topic event, Leading in a Climate of Change, which brought together three generous and insightful leaders from across the Western Australian education sector, Peter Allen, Principal of Guildford Grammar School; Lisa Fogliani, Principal of Aranmore Catholic College; and Stephen Jeffrey from the Campaigns and Projects team at the Department of Education, for an evening of conversation. Hosted by Dr Ray Boyd, Principal of Dayton Primary School and one of our ACEL WA executive team, the evening explored what it means to lead, not only through change, but as part of the change itself.

The conversation on the evening offered a powerful reminder that leadership in times of change is rarely neat, linear or fully formed. Thus, this noble work requires courage, humility, persistence and a willingness to keep showing up, even when the path ahead is still emerging. Peter Allen shared his experience of leading Guildford Grammar School following its significant shift from a long-standing boys’ school to a co-educational setting. His reflections centred on the complexity of honouring tradition while also recognising when aspects of the past need to be let go. For Peter, one of the key leadership challenges was not simply introducing change but reframing the reality he inherited as an opportunity. Rather than becoming stuck in why things were the way they were, he focused on what needed to be done next. A strong message from Peter was the importance of standards as he spoke about the need to hold firm to personal and organisational standards, while also being clear about which traditions move a school forward and which ones hold it back. His leadership was also marked by transparency, storytelling and trust-building. By repeatedly communicating the direction of the school and the reasons behind key decisions to the broader school community, Peter highlighted how leaders can shape the narrative with their communities. He also offered an important personal reminder: leaders cannot sustain change if they do not also look after themselves. If you ever bump into Peter, ask him to tell you the story of the whale!

Lisa Fogliani, who kindly hosted our event at her school – a beautiful venue for the evening - brought a deeply human perspective to leading the amalgamation of two distinct school communities at Aranmore Catholic College. Her reflections captured the complexity of bringing together different histories, identities, systems and expectations. Lisa spoke about the need to be highly visible and present, particularly when communities are uncertain or still forming trust. For her, leadership in change meant being at the “opening of envelopes,” crossing the road between campuses, listening carefully and deliberately building connection. Lisa’s key takeaways centred on alignment, high expectations and high support. She emphasised the importance of using clear frameworks to guide decision-making, including student-centred leadership, school improvement tools and perceptual data. These frameworks help ensure that change is not driven by the loudest voice or the latest idea, but by evidence, priorities and the needs of students. Lisa also reminded us that change takes time and her view that the amalgamation may take until 2030 to fully settle was a powerful reminder that meaningful cultural change cannot and should not be rushed.

Stephen Jeffrey offered a different but equally valuable perspective, speaking from his journey as a teacher, middle leader and now system-level communications leader. His reflections highlighted that leadership is not always about having a formal title. Often, it is about how we shape understanding, build trust and support others to make sense of uncertainty. Stephen spoke about the identity shift that occurs when moving into leadership. As a teacher, he described the comfort of belonging to the team; as a leader, he had to learn what it meant to represent the team, shape conversations and communicate decisions before every detail was fully clear. His key message was that leadership in change is not about waiting for perfect certainty, it is about stepping forward with honesty, clarity where possible, and a commitment to bringing people along the journey.

Across the three speakers, several common themes emerged. Change requires leaders to communicate clearly and consistently. It requires the courage to have difficult conversations and the wisdom to know which battles matter most. It requires leaders to protect what is sacred in a community, while being brave enough to release what no longer serves students. Most importantly, it requires trust; built through visibility, transparency, relationships and follow-through.

The evening left us with a strong sense that leadership in a climate of change is both demanding and deeply purposeful. Whether leading a school through structural change, cultural renewal, amalgamation, growth or system-level transformation, the work is never just technical, it is relational, emotional and values-driven. As Stephen captured so well, in what he suggested should go on a motivational poster; the value of leadership does not sit in having certainty, but in having the courage to lead without it.

New ACEL WA Members

It’s always awesome to welcome new (and reinstated members) to the ACEL WA collective. It is such a joy to have you all join us, and we look forward to seeing you at one of our upcoming events in the coming weeks (Book Club, Innovation Network), or at the National Conference in September/October!

• Joe Bell, Department of Education, WA

• Clare Slyth, AISWA

• Gabby Raggio, Department of Education, WA, School Curriculum and Standards

• Rebecca Lanzel, Lathlain Primary School

• Catherine Clarnette, The University of Western Australia

• Merrilee Wright, Real Schools

• Narelle Bubb

• Wendy Roediger, Margaret River Independent School

• Mark Ashby, Kennedy Baptist College

• Vanessa Smith, Austin Cove Baptist College

• Alana Baltovich, Dayton Primary School

• Taryn Ball, Dayton Primary School

• Natalie Weinbrecht, Dayton Primary School