Leadership From the Middle

by Andy Hargreaves

In the face of a global pandemic, catastrophic weather events, war, racism, and attacks on democracy, how should educational leaders respond? How can leaders enable their schools and districts to be agile, safe, and effective places of learning that help young people develop the knowledge and character that will empower them to shape their futures? While some schools and districts have taken top-down or bottom-up approaches, renowned education scholar Andy Hargreaves explores a new type of leadership – "leadership from the middle" – which becomes a driver of transformational change. Drawing from research with educational leaders across the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada, Hargreaves discusses a type of leadership that regards obstacles as opportunities, embraces leadership paradox, and is collaborative, inspiring, and inclusive. This ground-breaking book unpacks not only what this type of leadership looks like, but also how it is most effective in addressing complex problems and in educating young people to develop diverse global competencies to prepare them for their futures.

196 pages, Paperback

Published August 17, 2023

About the author

Andy Hargreaves is Research Professor at Boston College, Visiting Professor at the University of Ottawa, Distinguished Visiting Professor at Hong Kong University, Professor II at the University of Stavanger, and Honorary Professor at Swansea University. He is Past President of the International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement, Adviser in Education to the First Minister of Scotland and from 2016-2018 to the Premier of Ontario. Andy is founder of the Atlantic Rim Collaboratory (ARC): a group of 9 nations committed to broadly defined excellence, equity, wellbeing, inclusion, democracy and human rights.
Andy has consulted with the OECD, the World Bank, governments, universities and professional associations worldwide. He has given keynote addresses in 50 countries, 47 US states and all Australian states and Canadian provinces. Andy’s more than 30 books have attracted multiple Outstanding Writing Awards. Andy is ranked in the top 20 scholars with most influence on US education policy debate. In 2015, Boston College gave him its Excellence in Teaching with Technology Award. He holds Honorary Doctorates from the Education University of Hong Kong and the University of Uppsala in Sweden.

Reviews

[Steve Sider]

An excellent overview of leading from (not in) the middle. Ch 4 (7 principles) is particularly helpful in considering leading districts.

A key quote: “Strong natural systems are bio-diverse rather than standardized and homogeneous. So are strong organizations that promote the cross-pollination of learning. Ideas, and of the capacity within a system and its diverse, local resources to bounce back and recover quickly in the face of adversity… It is about a whole ecosystem supporting whole schools that serve the whole child, in rich cultures and networked relationships of collaboration for every young person’s learning and well-being.” p. 77