Orphaned, isolated school leaders

Tshwarelo Hosia | Monday May 11, 2026 06:00

The heavy weight of leadership is felt most in circumstances where academic excellence is an elusive, mobile target. They often say that when times are hard, friends are few.

The worst treatment and indignity a person in a position of leadership can experience is when those who are supposed to offer support turn their school leader into a pariah. Yes, leaders should take responsibility, but singling out one leader at the top as a pariah amongst others in the system can be a traumatising experience. The scapegoat culture, more often than not, characterises struggling schools.

When times are good, the accolades are generally shared. On the contrary, when things go wrong, condemnation goes to the person at the helm. Apportioning blame to a single leader and identifying that person as a pariah is a consequence of the absence of collective responsibility. One person takes the flak when the fortunes of a school are expected to rest on the wisdom and labours of a single entity. A school that relies heavily on one person’s accountability is fragile and disjointed, standing on shaky ground. All schools require a firm and rock-solid foundation.

That foundation is found in a people-centred school. Of course, there is no denying the importance of leadership in setting the right tone, lofty expectations and ambitions. Leaders are chosen and remunerated to lead and lead well. For a school to become durable, it needs to sit on a strong foundation of collective responsibility.

Collective responsibility thrives in a school where every individual takes responsibility for what is happening and not happening in his or her area of speciality, while also assuming a keen and supportive posture towards the overall affairs of the school. Collective responsibility creates a sense of oneness while undermining a culture of indifference. Where everyone is concerned about the overall health of an institution, a project becomes ours and not a monopoly of the few.

While leaders have an obligation to provide inspirational leadership, they, too, need a team that reciprocates their efforts. It is therefore important to caution against the dangers of overreliance on a single leader.

A culture of overreliance takes shape where there are too many fence sitters, watching the proceedings and processes from a distance. People sit on the fence when they feel alienated, less valued and unappreciated. If disengaged people can resort to keeping quiet. And passivity is no good for a school.

Here is the panacea: Involving everyone in the game can change the situation for the better. Those who elect to go on a silent mode when others are busy wrestling with issues often choose a convenient time to spring into action. The right time in this context is when things go wrong.

The most convenient thing for the disaffected members of staff is to finger the school principal, because in their world, an institution rises and falls on one person. When the blame game is the order of the day, school principals should act to de-escalate and slow the pace. Negative energy cannot build a school because all the efforts are invested into scapegoating the principal. This is not to suggest that school principals should not be corrected when at fault. There is a need to make everyone feel wanted. Restoring mutual trust and respect by appreciating everyone’s efforts and creating platforms to solicit ideas on the way forward is fundamental.

Everyone must be made aware that running a school is a collective enterprise, not the sole responsibility of a single individual. School principals should play a leading role in ensuring a quick shift from one-person accountability to group accountability.

A culture of collective responsibility can be built and sustained through delegation. School principals should distribute work evenly among their charges and strictly monitor progress. No school head should claim any monopoly on knowledge and wisdom.