Approaches to Leadership Development and Succession Planning in Canadian Accredited Independent Schools

Despite the significant research on succession and leadership development in the management literature, similar research in K–12 education is limited, including very few studies on Canadian K–12 independent schools. Meanwhile, Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS) face a significant wave of leadership change, with 6 out of 10 CAIS leaders citing plans to leave or retire from their current school within five years, and board chairs citing leadership succession as a top concern facing their schools. This study examines how CAIS school leaders are approaching leadership development and succession planning in their organization, via qualitative interviews with 20 leaders (heads, HR leaders, board chairs) in seven CAIS schools. An analysis of these interviews reveals significant variation in the sophistication of these schools’ leadership development and succession planning processes. Additionally, from these interviews, six key findings emerged: (1) succession practices across schools are varied, and most of what is being done across schools is replacement rather than succession planning; (2) organizational elements that inhibit or support succession planning and leadership development include: presence of strategic HR, a culture of professional development, access to stretch opportunities for emerging leaders, and the tenure and career stage of current head; (3) succession efforts need to be driven by the head and board chair to be successful; (4) governance succession processes in CAIS schools are strong, if not always well-executed; (5) heads feel that search committees’ reluctance to appoint first-time heads has limited leadership development efforts within CAIS schools, and they raise concern over the rise of international head appointments to CAIS schools; and finally, (6) sponsors who advocate for high-potential leaders are important. The recommendations from this research highlight the desire CAIS school leaders have for more support in structuring succession and leadership development processes in their schools, as well as a call for a national body, like CAIS, to promote the leadership training programs they operate with school boards and executive search firms. This research establishes the groundwork for future, further examination of leadership and succession pathways in Canadian independent schools.Ph.D