Paul Ainsworth: Welcome back to the No Silver Bullets podcast, the nine steps to executive headship. I'm Paul Ainsworth and today I want to take a few minutes to reflect on the conversation I had with Anthony Benedict, CEO of Ambition Community Trust, a conversation that has stayed with me long after we stopped recording. This short episode is a chance to pull out some of the most powerful ideas Anthony shared. connect them to the themes in step one, building one vision and look ahead to next week's episode with Dr. Kulvarn Atwel on fostering a shared purpose. And just a reminder, the nine steps to executive headship will be published at the end of 2026. So as you listen, keep these ideas in mind and look out for the book when it lands. Anthony's why and why it matters. One of the most striking moments in our conversation was when Anthony talked about his personal why. Here's the line I keep coming back to. The clarity of that purpose, rooted in children, ⁓ not structures, is exactly what step one argues for. Before we talk about vision statements, values or mission documents, we have to talk about the why that gets us out of bed on those cold November mornings. Anthony's story reminds us that executive leadership isn't about managing more buildings, it's about widening your circle of influence so more children benefit from the thing you believe in most deeply. Vision as a way of working, not a poster.
Anthony Benedict: I came into teaching to change the world. You know, I didn't come in to shout at children
Paul Ainsworth: Another moment that stood out was Anthony's honesty about the early days of leading to Proust. that humility is a leadership strength and it connects directly to the chapters argument that a vision must be lived, not laminated. In step one, we explore the tension between having one vision across a federation. or allowing schools to retain their own. Anthony's approach, building everything around relational inclusion, shows what it looks like when a vision becomes the writing in that stick of rock. It shapes how staff greet children, how adults regulate themselves, how policies are written, how decisions are made, and how success is defined. It's not a slogan. It's a way of being. The power of collaboration and co-construction. One of my favorite insights from Anthony was his description of co-constructing culture. The shorter the piece of writing, the longer the process takes. That line could be the subtitle of step one. Whether you're forming a federation, joining an existing trust. or leading across two schools. The chapter argues that vision building must be collaborative, not imposed, not inherited by default, not laminated and forgotten. Anthony's examples from relational inclusion champions to morning check-ins show how shared practice grows from shared purpose. So why does this matter for executive leaders? Step one ends with a simple truth. A vision only becomes real when you hear it echoed back by staff, pupils and even parents. Anthony's work demonstrates this beautifully. When the vision is clear, lived and rooted in children, it becomes the catalyst for progress, not another document in a drawer. In next week's episode, we'll talk to Kulvarn Atwal about fostering ⁓ a shared purpose. Kulvarn's work on professional learning communities and culture is some of the most compelling in the sector. So if step one is about building one vision, step two is about bringing people with you. and Kulvarns's insights on trust, collaboration and collective efficacy are the perfect next step in this series. join the conversation. One thing I'd love to explore this season is listener discussions. So rather than me giving my thoughts on a podcast, I'd love to hear a listener's viewpoint. If you're up for it, I could send you an advanced copy of one of the podcasts in this series. And we could even record a short conversation to include in a future episode, a chance to build a genuine community of executive leaders.
Anthony Benedict: I knew less than thought I knew and but ⁓ you know and I suppose and I think ⁓ you've got be confident enough in your own ability and open enough your own ability to say actually I don't
Paul Ainsworth: learning together. If you found this reflection useful, please like, comment, subscribe and share the podcast with colleagues who might benefit. Your support helps the series reach more leaders and ultimately more children. Thanks for listening and I'll see you next week for our conversation with Dr Kulvarn Atwell.
Anthony Benedict: we had a full day ⁓ with a leadership coach and we had the of our trust board or governing body or whatever of all the governing bodies ⁓ and all the executive leaders or headteachers and leadership coach and we spent a day just writing out what our vision would be and what our purpose would be
Anthony Benedict: I came into teaching to change the world. You know, I didn't come in to shout at children
Paul Ainsworth: Another moment that stood out was Anthony's honesty about the early days of leading to Proust. that humility is a leadership strength and it connects directly to the chapters argument that a vision must be lived, not laminated. In step one, we explore the tension between having one vision across a federation. or allowing schools to retain their own. Anthony's approach, building everything around relational inclusion, shows what it looks like when a vision becomes the writing in that stick of rock. It shapes how staff greet children, how adults regulate themselves, how policies are written, how decisions are made, and how success is defined. It's not a slogan. It's a way of being. The power of collaboration and co-construction. One of my favorite insights from Anthony was his description of co-constructing culture. The shorter the piece of writing, the longer the process takes. That line could be the subtitle of step one. Whether you're forming a federation, joining an existing trust. or leading across two schools. The chapter argues that vision building must be collaborative, not imposed, not inherited by default, not laminated and forgotten. Anthony's examples from relational inclusion champions to morning check-ins show how shared practice grows from shared purpose. So why does this matter for executive leaders? Step one ends with a simple truth. A vision only becomes real when you hear it echoed back by staff, pupils and even parents. Anthony's work demonstrates this beautifully. When the vision is clear, lived and rooted in children, it becomes the catalyst for progress, not another document in a drawer. In next week's episode, we'll talk to Kulvarn Atwal about fostering ⁓ a shared purpose. Kulvarn's work on professional learning communities and culture is some of the most compelling in the sector. So if step one is about building one vision, step two is about bringing people with you. and Kulvarns's insights on trust, collaboration and collective efficacy are the perfect next step in this series. join the conversation. One thing I'd love to explore this season is listener discussions. So rather than me giving my thoughts on a podcast, I'd love to hear a listener's viewpoint. If you're up for it, I could send you an advanced copy of one of the podcasts in this series. And we could even record a short conversation to include in a future episode, a chance to build a genuine community of executive leaders.
Anthony Benedict: I knew less than thought I knew and but ⁓ you know and I suppose and I think ⁓ you've got be confident enough in your own ability and open enough your own ability to say actually I don't
Paul Ainsworth: learning together. If you found this reflection useful, please like, comment, subscribe and share the podcast with colleagues who might benefit. Your support helps the series reach more leaders and ultimately more children. Thanks for listening and I'll see you next week for our conversation with Dr Kulvarn Atwell.
Anthony Benedict: we had a full day ⁓ with a leadership coach and we had the of our trust board or governing body or whatever of all the governing bodies ⁓ and all the executive leaders or headteachers and leadership coach and we spent a day just writing out what our vision would be and what our purpose would be
