Encouraging leaders to balance humility with aspiration, helping others believe they can achieve more than they thought possible.

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To lift expectations, cultivate belief, and ensure that ambition remains a defining feature of the school’s culture.

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Action Steps	Key Questions	Practice
Define what greatness means for your context.	What would it look like if we were truly great in this area?	Ask the leader to write a vivid description of the school at its best in three years’ time.
Inspire belief through clarity.	How can you make this vision feel possible, not abstract?	Practise articulating the vision in one clear, motivational sentence for use with staff.
Connect ambition to daily actions.	What does aspiring to greatness look like on an ordinary Tuesday?	Practise explaining how everyday actions align with long-term aspirations.
Celebrate progress toward greatness.	How can you recognise growth without losing stretch?	Practise writing a short recognition message that celebrates improvement while reinforcing continued ambition.

Action Steps	Key Questions	Practice
Define excellence clearly.	What does excellence look and feel like in our school?	Ask the leader to describe excellence in their context in three observable statements.
Identify what makes it last.	Which routines or habits protect excellence from fading?	Practise mapping the systems that currently sustain success and where gaps exist.
Distribute responsibility.	Who else should own aspects of maintaining excellence?	Practise a conversation where the leader delegates maintenance of a standard or routine to another colleague.
Build rhythm and reflection.	How will you keep reviewing and refining high standards?	Practise leading a “what’s holding strong, what’s slipping” discussion with a team.

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