Last year the team at Vivedus undertook a national survey of principals, asking them what they would most love to achieve at their school.
At the top of the list was a clear ambition: to become known as an innovative school.
But what exactly do school leaders mean when they say they want their school to be innovative? For some, it might mean embedding AI tools to ease teacher workload. For others, it could be launching an entrepreneurial program. For a few, it might even mean redesigning the school day or structures to better meet the needs of young people.
At its core, innovation means introducing something new that adds value and becomes embedded within the organisation (Crossan & Apaydin, 2010). Many school leaders have great ideas that could bring value, but the real challenge is implementation. Ideas only become innovations when they are lived, embedded, and sustained.
Why innovation matters in schools
Innovation in schools always means change. And education, as a sector, is notoriously conservative (Fullan, 2016). Add to this the reality of a workforce that is already overstretched and under strain, and innovation can feel like the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
So why do leaders pursue innovation? Often it is because they know what is currently happening in classrooms is not working as well as it could. Deep down, educators know there has to be a better way to “do school.”
At its best, innovation is not about shiny new products, but about rethinking how we engage students, promote deeper learning, improve outcomes, and prepare young people for success beyond school. Teachers want this too. It is why most of us entered the profession. But to achieve that vision, something has to change.
Leadership is innovation
Most principals are strong managers. They can balance budgets, manage timetables, and ensure compliance. But leadership requires something more. Leadership is about transformation. It is about taking people somewhere new. And in that sense, leadership is fundamentally about innovation (Kotter, 2012).
But leading innovation requires more than good intentions. It requires understanding how people respond to change.
The Rider and the Elephant
I often draw on Jonathan Haidt’s metaphor of the rider and the elephant (Haidt, 2006). Haidt argues that we have two systems in our brain: the rational and the emotional. The rational mind is like the rider, trying to direct the elephant. But the elephant represents our emotions, and unless the elephant is engaged, the rider cannot move it.
Chip and Dan Heath (2010) built on this metaphor in Switch, showing that change succeeds when leaders both appeal to the emotional side and give clear direction to the rational side. In practical terms, that means leaders must do three things:
- Motivate the elephant by tapping into people’s emotions.
- Direct the rider by showing a clear path forward.
- Shape the path by removing obstacles and making it easier to adopt the change.
Read more about a Framework for Change.
Clearing the path
Too often, schools layer new initiatives on top of existing ones without removing anything. This only adds to teacher overload. If leaders want innovation to succeed, they must be intentional about clearing the path. That may mean removing outdated programs, streamlining compliance tasks, implementing better systems, or investing in professional learning so staff feel confident.
Consider the common frustration: “We don’t want a repeat of that last platform we tried. Hardly anyone used it.” In most cases, the issue is not the platform itself but the lack of a change management strategy, ongoing onboarding, and support. Without this, innovation fails to embed.
Tools for leaders
A useful framework is The Emotional Culture Deck developed by Riders and Elephants. Paired with the Change Management Canvas, it provides a practical tool for designing strategy that considers both rational and emotional responses to change. Leaders who use tools like these can better anticipate resistance, engage staff emotionally, and support adoption.
Innovation that sticks
Innovation is not innovation unless it is:
- New.
- Valuable.
- Embedded.
If it is not embedded, it remains just an idea. And poorly managed ideas can increase stress and accelerate burnout. But with the right leadership understandings, empathy for those implementing change, and a carefully curated plan, innovation can truly transform schools for the better.
Vivedus is about innovation in learning: Taking learning beyond. It achieves this with the provision of a Platform for teachers that reduces their workloads, supports them to grow their practice to better engage students, deepen learning and improve outcomes. The Vivedus team are experts in change management and provide support to schools in the development of a clear plan to success.
References
Crossan, M. M., & Apaydin, M. (2010). A multi‐dimensional framework of organizational innovation: A systematic review of the literature. Journal of Management Studies, 47(6), 1154–1191.
Fullan, M. (2016). The New Meaning of Educational Change (5th ed.). Teachers College Press.
Haidt, J. (2006). The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom. Basic Books.
Heath, C., & Heath, D. (2010). Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard. Crown Business.
Kotter, J. P. (2012). Leading Change. Harvard Business Review Press.
