Key insights

• Habits compound over time (p15) – Small changes can feel insignificant in the moment, but they accumulate into remarkable results. For leaders, this highlights the value of consistent routines that raise standards across the school.
• You rise to the level of your systems (p24–28) – Goals set direction, but systems create progress. Leadership teams need clear processes that make the right behaviours predictable across classrooms and departments.
• Identity drives behaviour (p36–38) – Every action is a vote for the person you want to become. School leaders can model identity-based habits such as calmness, organisation, and high expectations to shift team culture.
• Make habits obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying (p55) – This four-part model explains how to design behaviour change that sticks. Leaders can use it to shape practice routines, CPD structures, or student habits.
• Environment determines behaviour (p81–94) – People with strong self-control build environments that remove temptation rather than relying on willpower. Schools should design systems that make the right actions the easiest ones.
• The Goldilocks Rule keeps people motivated (p231–237) – People stay highly engaged when tasks are just beyond their current ability. Effective CPD sits at this level, with rehearsals that stretch staff without overwhelming them.
• Never miss twice (p200–201) – Consistency matters more than perfection. Leaders should help staff recover quickly from setbacks and return to positive habits.

Links to the 54 behaviours

• S8 Find the Lead Measures – Clear shows that progress depends on daily behaviours, not long-term goals. Lead measures make these behaviours visible and measurable.
• S9 Leverage Marginal Gains – The book illustrates the power of one per cent improvements and how small changes accumulate into exceptional outcomes.
• S10 Sustain Change – Habits become automatic when systems support them. This aligns with the need to anchor improvements through routines and follow-up.
• L4 Model the Way – Identity-based habits emphasise the importance of showing others what great looks like. Leaders influence culture through behaviour, not intention.
• T5 Build Others Up – The Goldilocks Rule mirrors your approach to well-designed practice and feedback, stretching people without overwhelming them.
• Y9 Build Habits That Last – Clear’s four laws link directly to designing sustainable personal habits that strengthen leadership performance.
• Y6 Organise for Clarity – Making behaviours obvious and lowering friction supports your emphasis on clarity and thoughtful environment design.
  

Potential actions for school leaders

• Redesign one CPD routine using the Four Laws, make the practice obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying.
• Identify one leadership habit to strengthen this month and track it using a simple visual cue.
• Audit your team’s environment and remove one source of friction that makes effective habits harder.
• Use the Goldilocks Rule to plan rehearsal tasks that stretch teachers just beyond their current performance level.
• Replace a long term goal with a weekly system that focuses on small, repeatable actions.

Why it matters

Atomic Habits reinforces the core message of Everyone Succeeds: leadership growth comes from deliberate behaviours repeated over time. The book demonstrates how systems drive outcomes and how small improvements shape culture, teaching, and decision making. It strengthens the idea that leaders must design environments where the desired behaviours become the easiest behaviours. Readers who want a deeper understanding of habit formation can explore James Clear’s work online.

Favourite quote

“You do not rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems.” (p28)

Buy the book

You can buy a copy of the book from Amazon by clicking here.