The 90-Day Leadership Planner helps you move from practising behaviours to applying them. It is not about improving one behaviour in isolation, but about using the right combination of behaviours to solve real leadership challenges.

Each 90-day cycle focuses on deliberate application by identifying a challenge, diagnosing which behaviours are most relevant, and acting with intent to achieve measurable impact.

How it fits in the Leadership Cycle

In Step 5 (Coach & Practice), you strengthen specific leadership behaviours through guided questions and deliberate rehearsal.

In Step 6 (Plan), you use this planner to apply those behaviours in the real world by choosing a challenge or improvement priority and identifying which of the 54 behaviours you’ll rely on.

In Step 7 (Lead), you use the Scenario Finder to test your approach against authentic examples and measure your growth.

How to use the 90-Day Leadership Planner

Each 90-day cycle begins with a real leadership challenge, something that genuinely matters in your school.

The planner guides you to move from reflection to results in a structured, evidence-informed way.

1. Identify a Challenge or Priority. Choose a specific area of focus, such as improving consistency, strengthening team culture, or addressing a pressing issue. The aim is not to take on everything, but to work purposefully on one clear improvement priority.
2. Diagnose Relevant Behaviours. Review the 54 leadership behaviours or use the Scenario Finder to identify which ones will make the biggest difference in addressing your chosen challenge. These may include both strengths and areas you want to grow.
3. Define Success and Lead Measures. Describe what success will look like at the end of 90 days. Then identify lead measures, which are the small, consistent actions you can measure before success is visible. These are the daily and weekly habits that predict progress.
4. Create Your 90-Day Plan. Set three to four focused goals linked to your challenge and behaviours. Map out the actions you will take, who will be involved, and when key milestones will be reviewed.
5. Track, Reflect, and Adjust. Use the planner’s review checkpoints at 30, 60, and 90 days to evaluate what’s working, make adjustments, and record evidence of impact. Reflection keeps you accountable and responsive to feedback.
6. Apply and Share. Use the Scenario Finder to compare your experience with examples of similar challenges. This helps you refine your judgment and share insights with others facing comparable situations.

Download the 90 Day Leadership Planner template

A downloadable template has been created to help you structure each 90-day cycle clearly and consistently. It includes sections for defining your challenge, identifying relevant behaviours, setting lead measures, and tracking your progress at 30, 60, and 90 days.

In Step 6 (Plan), you use this planner to apply those behaviours in the real world by choosing a challenge or improvement priority and identifying which of the 54 behaviours you’ll rely on.

Why a 90 day cycle?

Ninety days provides enough time to see meaningful change, but not so much that goals lose focus. It encourages urgency, clarity, and sustained action; this is the rhythm of continuous improvement.

By working in 90-day cycles, you can apply behaviours purposefully, measure impact, and celebrate progress before moving to your next challenge.

To help you get started, we’ve created completed examples of the 90-Day Leadership Planner for each level of leadership. These show how leaders at different stages apply the 54 behaviours to real challenges in their roles.

The examples below demonstrate how leaders at every stage can utilise the 90-Day Leadership Planner to address a specific challenge, apply the appropriate combination of behaviours, and achieve a measurable impact.