PiXL Speech: Daring Leadership and Thriving in Our Roles

This is the piece I wrote for the National PiXL English Festival on Thursday 23 November 2023. This is the Main Stage speech (even though I did not read this and spoke from memory).

As English teachers, I’m certain that we understand the power of stories, so let me tell you mine. My story, like many others, consists of adversity, of challenges, of determination, of mistakes and an overall desire to succeed and thrive.

This is me as a child. I was a happy child, a shy child and even then, a chronic people pleaser. I wanted to please my parents, my siblings, my teachers and my friends. Being a middle child, number five out of eight probably contributed to this, I think. This desire to ensure others are pleased with me and always see me in a positive light has followed me into my professional life.

As a self diagnosed ‘people pleaser’, I found leadership at different levels really challenging because 1. I learned quickly that as leaders, we can’t keep everyone happy and 2. this particular fact led me into feeling like I was a failure and a fraud and not worthy of being a leader.

It didn’t matter what the data or facts said or what others told me about myself and my capabilities because my inner critic told me that I was not good enough.

As you’ll be able to see from my career timeline, I’ve had a number of roles, many within English teams. Despite securing outcomes, my inner critic was scathing and ruthless and as a result, I struggled and wrestled with mostly myself as a leader, rather than others.

Image: My Career Timeline

Until I discovered coaching. Through coaching, I have been able to listen to this negative self talk and interrupt my tendency of letting it control me and all I do. I remind myself that I am not a fraud. I am not a failure but I am human.

Through coaching, I have been able to identify my values and lead with my values so that different parts of my role are connected to my ‘why’ and I continuously remind myself of those values on a daily basis. It’s helped me find my ‘red threads’, those parts of my role that I love, that I get lost in and that keep me motivated in this wonderful job.

Through coaching, I’ve continued to be 10% braver, and built confidence to secure a Deputy Headteacher from January 2024.

While my inner critic and imposter syndrome may have had me doubting myself and my capabilities, the loved ones around me did not. So, another way to thrive in your role is to surround yourself with incredible people who elicit the brilliance within you and remind you why you ARE good enough while challenging you to achieve excellence.

All of these phenomenal women you see on this screen, Hannah Wilson, Bukky Yusuf, Vivienne Porrit and Thahmina Begum, are women who have helped me to thrive in my professional role and beyond.

Having these amazing women as my advocates, mentors and coaches has empowered and inspired me to face the challenges of being an English teacher and a leader.

I’ve learned from them that leadership and teaching is not something to do in silo but in fact requires internal and external networks to support us to thrive.

Bukky reminded that knowledge is power and knowledge builds expertise so if you’re seeking to enhance your practice or aspiring for that next role, read, read and read some more. That should be pretty fun for us English teachers!

So what can you do to help you thrive in your leadership?

1. Lean into your values

2. Build knowledge as it builds expertise even when you don’t have the experience yet.

3. Be 10% braver- what’s the worst that could happen?

4. Build your internal and external networks

5. Find your mentors, coaches, advocates and sponsors.

AND remember, like Bukky told me once, we are gold dust, all of us in this room so be 10% braver. What’s the worst that could happen but more importantly what’s the best thing that could happen to you?

Thank you.