What can leaders learn from cuttlefish?

A cuttlefish can become almost anything, change its colour, its pattern, even the texture of its skin, and blend in wherever it is completely. For a cuttlefish, that's effortless. It's built for it. The trouble is, a lot of school leaders are trying to do the exact same thing and we are not built for it. Today, why is

that? And what is it quietly costing you? Hey, I'm Shane Leaning, welcome to Education Leaders, the chat-topping international podcast for leaders in schools around the world. I'm an author and organisational coach and in this show, I bring you practical ideas and honest conversations to help you lead with confidence and clarity. This episode is supported by CC and the International Curriculum Association.

Stay tuned to learn more. So I want to talk about a creature I keep coming back to in my word, the cuttlefish. If you've never watched one camouflage itself, well, looking up later is genuinely really incredible. You know a chameleon, right? It changes its colour to match its surroundings.

Well, a cuttlefish does that and a lot more. Colour, pattern, even the texture of its skin, it can blend into almost anything. It can become almost anything. And there's something in that I think every leader needs to hear because a lot of us are doing the exact same thing. I call it the cuttlefish dilemma. Here's what I mean.

So we all come into leadership with our own identity, our own way of being, right? But somewhere along the line, we pick up this idea that to be a leader, you've got to be a particular type of person, a particular way. And let's be honest, for a long time that picture has been a fairly masculine one too. The confident one in the room, the one with all the answers. A bit of hero leadership.

So what do we do? Well, we adapt. Just like the cuttlefish, we change our colours to match what we think a leader is meant to look like. And the thing is, we can actually do that. Most of us are quite good at it actually. You put on the

voice, right? You do the posture, that power pose, the certainty, and from outside it passes as leadership. But there is a difference. Because for the cuttlefish, blending in is natural. It's who it is. But for us, holding a version of yourself

that isn't real, well that's not natural at all. And that's what drains you. You get tired really quick when it's not actually you. Now connect that to something I talk a lot about on this podcast, Cognitive Overload. You're already carrying

so much as a leader, right? The meetings, those decisions, the difficult conversations, the constant requests coming at you. And on top of all of that, you're spending energy playing a version of yourself that isn't real. Well, it's no wonder you're shattered by Wednesday, right? And this is the bit

that gets missed. We stack a performance on top of an already full plate. And then we wonder why the job feels so heavy. Now I see this in how we develop leaders too. A lot of leadership programs, even good ones, they hand you a picture of

what a great leader looks like. And then they kind of try to mould you into it. Stick a few plasters on, smooth off the bits that don't quite fit. And it's very fragile. It's very fragile form of leadership development, because the

second things get hard, that borrowed identity you've taken, well, it cracks, and there's nothing underneath it holding you up. And the leaders I actually see thriving are doing the exact opposite. They're not trying to blend in to match someone else's idea of leadership. They're leading from who they already are. So what do you do instead then? Well, I'd say you start

with you. Tell me if this sounds familiar. Your board asks for a school-wide report on academic achievement, and you've got 24 hours to deliver it. So you start digging. But elementary data, well, that is on one system. Middle

school is on another. High school data is somewhere else. And then there's exam boards on top of that. Well, by the time you've tracked down the 10 to 15 places your data lives, there is no time left for actual analysis. But the thing is, that status quo is not normal. It is just

what we've gotten used to. And the good news is CC changes that. CC brings every part of your school into one simple platform so you can spend less time compiling reports and more time leading. If that sounds familiar, you can check out CC.org or S-I-S-I.org.

This episode is supported by the International Curriculum Association. The ICA have been around for 30 years now, championing quality, unlocking potential and improving learning in international schools. And what I really love is that right at their core is the model for improving learning. This is a model focused on the learning experience, and they have got tons of great curriculum materials, PD resources, and even an accreditation pathway for schools just like yours. If you're interested, head to

internationalcurriculum.com. Now, when I'm working with leaders one-to-one, we don't usually open with strategy or a big change project. We start with values, because if you don't know what you actually stand for, you're going to end up in these collisions where someone asks you to do something that grates against who you are, and you've never worked out how to handle it. So you do it through gritted teeth and it drains you that little

bit more. And then after values, we also look at your experience, because most of you have experience. You didn't come to leadership new, at least you were definitely a teacher first, right? You've already built up loads of instincts that work in a classroom. You've just never

been shown how to carry them into leadership. And when you do that, you're not blending in. It's actually the opposite, because you're bringing more of yourself into the room, not less. This is actually what we did in the last cohort of my leadership intensive. We had 20 leaders around

the world, and we started right there, values and experience before anything else. And honestly, that shift was really, really useful. And we saw some significant improvements over the 10 weeks. But the bit I'll remember a lot is where some of those participants felt like they could stop performing and start actually leading as themselves and seeing what value they brought to them. You know, this one really sticks with me,

because one participant actually described the program as the most unique and thought-provoking community-based leadership development program out there, which, whoa, I'll be honest, that means a lot. Now, I've also got a book coming out next year, all about leadership levers we use with Crown House, and more on that soon. It's very linked to this, and I won't spoil it yet. But the next cohort of the intensive, well, that kicks off in September. And this is what I just wanted to

mention to you, because applications are actually open now. It's a small group on purpose, because it only works if it's properly interactive, real practice, peer coaching, people actually holding each other to it. I'd love to have you there, if you fancy it. We've already got a good cohort building. But, you know, whether or not you

join in September or not, here's what I'd love you to leave this episode with. Have a think this week about, well, where are you changing your colours? Where are you performing a version of leadership that isn't really you? And just ask yourself, just honestly, is it serving me? Or is it just draining me? Because I'll tell

you now, you don't have to become someone else to lead well. You need a few solid fundamentals, that's true. But they are in service, so that the real you actually has space to show up. That cuttlefish blends in to survive, and you don't have to. If you're wanting on September,

everything, by the way, is at shaneleaning.com forward slash intensive. There's a link in the show notes. The big advice, stop blending in. Lead as yourself. Told you, super

short episode today, and I was really, really happy for you to join me on it. Let me know your thoughts, as always. I'm on all the different social channels, so reach out there. Always good to hear from you. Education Leaders is hosted by me, Shane

Leaning. Thanks to the show editor, Pete McGill. Production assistance by Skyler Rose-Sturman, and for the original music by PMA Silver. And thank you so, so much for tuning in today. If we don't speak before, you know the line.

I'll see you here next week. If you want to learn more about CC or the International Curriculum Association, check out the links in the show notes.