From Winter to Spring: A Leader’s Honest Reflection on Change, Growth, and Self-care

Seasons come and seasons go both in life and in the wild and wonderful work of leading a school. Change is inevitable, and this year I’m learning that there’s less to fear when I am open to the changing seasons of life and start learning from what is happening in and around me.

There are many ways to consider what each of the seasons might represent. I have found it helpful to align life experiences with the seasons in the calendar year and, more broadly, to reflect on the seasons of my career and leadership.

As I mentioned previously, Spring for me represents new beginnings and fresh growth. I’m definitely in an extended Spring, with some winter remnants hanging on. The winter I have experienced has been a time of challenge -a season of significant burnout. While reflecting on its impact on my personal and professional life, I have learned that burnout is not a badge of honour; rather, it’s a professional risk that can quietly erode impact, clarity, and flourishing. I’m learning that deliberate recalibration does not erase the past, but it has certainly protected my health, deepened relationships, and unlocked a more sustainable path forward. Coming out of Winter, I recognised that I had to let go of many things that were important to me -the joy of my work, so much of my identity, my successes and achievements, passions, projects, vision, and, most importantly, the privilege of a shared journey with students, families, teachers, my school community, and wider professional colleagues. Warning signs within my body, energy levels, irritability, and my mental health were telling me to let go. With so much at stake, a new season, a turning point was necessary, and what was needed was the courage to let go.

When it comes to letting go, there are two paths we can choose. One path is attachment, not letting go at all -a fixed mindset, clinging to nostalgia and the glory moments, forgetting that the sun did not always shine as brightly as you recall. The other path is curiosity, growth, hope, and wisdom -sounds simple, but believe me, it’s as scary as hell.

Perhaps you are in a winter season of your own -sometimes this can be relatively intense and short, part of the annual cycle of leading a school, and all that’s needed is to make it through to the end of the school term. But what do you do when the school holidays do not replenish your spirit, strength, and vitality as they once did? Perhaps your winter is a long and relentless grind of leadership challenges (not to mention the added pressures of your personal life and the ones you love) - you might see your relationships splintering, a very short fuse, the kids and people you love working with starting to irritate and annoy you, or that evening glass of wine becoming a weekday necessity. It took me two and a half years to listen to my doctor’s repeated warnings before I started to really listen. My turning point came when my anxiety was frequently debilitating -catastrophising even the smallest work-related problems and issues - the things I once confidently handled with professional skill and ease. Something is clearly not right when you begin to dread something you love so much.

Which season are you in right now?

I encourage you to use the current school holidays to reflect on which season you find yourself in. If it’s spring, enjoy all that’s new and wonderful - the anticipation of a fresh responsibility, a new role or project. If it’s summer and you're loving life, be filled with humility, generosity and gratitude for your vitality, productivity, and abundance. If it’s autumn, it’s a time for pruning, so have an open mind for creating new space, decluttering -be honest with yourself about what you need to change and let go of. If you are in a time of winter, experiencing emptiness and despair, I pray that you stay strong. Balance the grief and the hurt you are experiencing with gratitude. Know that you are not alone; God is always present. Seek help and support however this might be needed -people love you more than you know, and perhaps you feel.

One of the wonderful aspects of leading a school community is that which is found in contrasts - celebrating achievements, mourning loss, living the highs and the lows, the joys and the sorrows with others, experiencing the growth and the challenge. Change is inevitable. Embrace the season you’re in, learn from it, understand that you are growing no matter what the circumstance, and keep moving forward with curiosity. The season will change despite your resistance or hanging on for dear life. In all of this your wellbeing isn’t optional. The people in your life who matter most need you to be your best self -and so do you. Love yourself.

If this resonates, I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment if it helped, or DM me if you’d like to connect. If you’re navigating a challenging season, I’m happy to point you toward resources that helped me.

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