During my first month as interim head of school at an arts boarding high school in California, I made a fateful decision: I offered to host a “drop party” on my front porch for the release of Taylor Swift’s new album, Midnights. My wife and I were living in the head of school’s house, which had a spacious front porch with a breathtaking view of the San Jacinto mountains. The food service team was happy to provide a portable fireplace, complete with all the s’mores and snacks from a teenage dream.
When the designated hour came, swarms of students arrived, and from then on, my credibility in the community was sealed. The students liked me, the faculty and staff embraced me, and the board looked smart for hiring me. The year of interim headship was just beginning, but the path was set for success.
This was my first experience as an interim head. I’ve served as head of three independent day schools in the Northeast, and at two of these schools, I was preceded by an interim head of school. By extension, I’d heard a lot of insights about the role and its potential upsides, things like:
- Being “pre-fired” provides significant professional freedom; you’ll be able to fully be yourself, and in that freedom gain enormous professional development.
- You’ll have a community, but you’ll be a consultant––the best of both worlds.
- You’ll have space to be honest with the board like never before, without the worry of repercussions.
- You will experience all of the intrigue, but half the anxiety.
I was intrigued, and with our kids out of college and fully launched, my wife—an independent school counselor for over 30 years—and I saw an opportunity to create a series of one- or two-year adventures that would leverage our skills and passions. I quickly learned that the interim role can satisfy a desire for adventure and service, draw on years of experience, and help a school thrive during a time of transition.
An Opportunity for Reset
Boards may have no choice but to appoint an interim––whether a long-term, highly regarded head is departing, or the institution needs new leadership and healing due to various scenarios. No matter the path, the board has a rare opportunity for a strategic reset, either to affirm or alter the trajectory of the institution they govern. But the entire success of the interim role rests on the ability of the board and the interim to get on the same page quickly and move forward together—to communicate clearly, quickly, and with an uncommon level of open vulnerability.
It starts at the interview stage––with a conversation about why an interim? Both parties should emerge from that with a clear understanding of and answer to that question. To get there, it’s important to establish clear ground rules from the start. The dialogue, mutual feedback, and the ability to listen and respond will foster the chemistry necessary for a successful partnership. The interim and the board members should be prepared to discuss—and emerge with clarity and alignment on:
- What can the interim do to set their successor up for success? How do those insights align with the school’s mission and core values?
- What concerns are the school currently facing? Every school deals with challenges, and the interim should hear about them first. Also, what are the school’s strengths that must be fortified and preserved?
- What are the board’s priorities for the upcoming year? Consider this thought experiment: it’s June of next year, and although several challenges remain, the interim has made demonstrable progress in three areas of school culture or strategy. What are these areas, how will progress be measured, and what does success look like?
Fulfilling the Role
Interim work requires a unique combination of skills and experiences that align with a specific time in one’s career. Being an interim head also teaches an entirely new set of skills. I’m in my second interim headship now and see that I’ve developed a deeper sense of an interim’s capacity to adapt to any moment: to bring change while bringing calm; to bring a plan while acknowledging evolution; to bring a listening ear while moving essential tasks forward. Here’s some of what else I’ve learned about the work.
The interim should be as present and public as possible, particularly in the early days. As a colleague said, “You will be a curiosity, and everyone will want to get a look at you.” It is easiest to demystify this unusual role when you are out and prominent in the community. Being public and present lowers angst and increases a sense of calm and confidence that there is a head of school in charge.
Both the board and the interim should specify the length of the interim’s tenure and have a quick, clear definition of the interim head’s role to share with all constituents. For example: “The interim’s job is to create a calm, sturdy, and graceful bridge from their predecessor to their successor.”
The interim should be ready to listen and give everyone a chance to tell their story. Never deny a community member an opportunity to respectfully advocate for their point of view.
Based on the goals and conversations with the board, the interim should implement a handful of best practices that align seamlessly with the school culture. For instance, the interim may initiate a comprehensive “listening tour” designed to surface both the employees’ and the parents' sense of what is working well, and what needs tending. Or the interim could describe their decision-making process, including who will be consulted, the time frame involved, and how the decision will be communicated.
It’s also important to know how and when the interim will represent the school at various off-campus events, such as conferences, and the interim’s role in selecting a new head. At one school, I simply met the candidates as they progressed through the process. I was not part of the hiring committee and learned about the decision at the same time as the community. At another school, I was deeply embedded in the process and served on the hiring committee, and I believe I added significant value. Both of these approaches have their time and place, so let this be another discussion topic between the board and the interim.
Measuring Outcomes
We’ve all heard the saying, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” So, how can boards and interim heads assess whether the experience was successful? First, revisit any established goals. For example, go back to the previously mentioned thought experiment: Now that it’s June, what worked well, and how has the community responded to the decision to appoint an interim head?
In an ideal outcome of the interim experience, the school community:
- widely agrees that the board’s decision to hire an interim was a wise choice.
- can identify two or three specific accomplishments of the interim that align with the school’s mission and strategic direction.
- is united in its strong support for the newly appointed permanent head of school.
The interim moment is a rare opportunity to take a breath and assess the mission, the market, and to look around the corner on behalf of the entire school community. It allows for a short-term reset that can recalibrate a long-term path. When done well, the entire experience exudes potential to unite the community, focus on the future, and spread drop-party energy for the entire school.