Leadership Profiles – Irene Cheung

                                                                       Leading with Recognition, Empathy, and Vision

 

 

Irene Cheung’s journey into educational leadership began when she was shoulder-tapped—an acknowledgment of the influence and ability others already saw in her. Having spent considerable time in the classroom, Irene felt a growing desire to extend her impact beyond the four walls of teaching. She was drawn to the “bigger picture” of education, where she could contribute to shaping systems, culture, and vision in ways that supported both students and teachers to thrive.

 

 

 

 

Throughout her career, Irene has been inspired by the leaders she encountered—both as a student and as a colleague. She recalls the profound influence of leaders who truly saw her, leaders who remembered her name and made her feel recognized. For Irene, this experience shaped her own leadership philosophy: to notice, acknowledge, and support people to be the best they can be. She particularly admires the female leaders she has worked alongside, noting their empathy, strength, and ability to lead with recognition at the heart of their practice. These role models helped her define the kind of leader she wanted to be—one who creates an environment where people feel seen and valued.

Among her proudest accomplishments as a leader is the momentum she has helped foster around Te Reo Māori and cultural responsiveness within her school. Irene is quick to emphasize that her role has been to facilitate rather than to direct, enabling others to take ownership and drive meaningful change. She has taken a similar approach to reshaping the narrative around student behaviour—working collaboratively with like-minded colleagues to rethink beliefs, redesign processes, and establish practices that better serve students and staff alike. For Irene, leadership is about placing the right people in the right spaces so that authentic transformation can unfold.

At the same time, Irene values the power of good systems and processes. She believes that empathy and recognition must be balanced with structures that enable growth and flourishing. For her, effective leadership involves creating frameworks that allow people to thrive, supporting both innovation and consistency. The leaders she most admires combine humanity with clarity of process, and Irene strives to emulate this balance in her own practice—helping to develop systems that not only guide but also liberate teachers and learners to do their best work.

Reflecting on the uniqueness of New Zealand’s educational leadership, Irene highlights the continuum of leadership styles that the system allows. Unlike her experiences teaching in the UK—where principals were often “cookie cutter,” heavily shaped by government agendas and inspection frameworks—New Zealand’s educational landscape offers scope for authenticity and diversity. Here, leaders can align their style with the vision and character of their schools. Irene embraces this freedom, choosing to work in communities where the vision resonates deeply with her own values. She believes leaders thrive when they are in schools where the direction, kaupapa, and community feel right, allowing them to lead with authenticity and purpose.

Irene’s leadership philosophy is grounded in humility and service. She resonates with the work of Brené Brown and is also influenced by the idea that true leadership creates conditions for others to flourish—so much so that, at the end of the day, people feel, “we did it ourselves.” While she is comfortable in the spotlight, she does not seek it; instead, she is motivated by doing what is right in the moment and by cultivating environments where others can succeed.

 

For Irene, leadership is less about fixed principles and more about moments in time—finding what fits authentically, much like putting on the clothes that are most comfortable. She sees leadership as a way of being that evolves with each new epoch, always rooted in empathy, recognition, and the belief that education is most powerful when it uplifts people and communities together, guided by both compassion and the steady support of strong systems and processes.