Leadership Profiles – Paul Kennedy
Paul Kennedy is a leader who views his role as a privilege—an opportunity to serve others and give back. His leadership journey has been shaped by experiences with both a wide range of leaders, both exemplary and flawed, as well as in a wide range of roles. He believes some of the most valuable lessons come from ineffective leadership, as they highlight what not to do.
At his core, Paul sees leadership as fundamentally about people. Though he doesn’t consider himself a natural “people person,” he is deeply committed to leading those he has the honour of working with. His career has taken unexpected turns, shaped by both positive and challenging circumstances, each providing new insights into leadership. Despite never holding traditional senior leadership roles like Deputy Principal or Assistant Principal in a school before becoming a Principal, he has found the journey both demanding and rewarding.
Paul’s middle leadership experience was outside of teaching, which he considers an advantage. It allowed him to approach educational leadership without being confinedto conventional school leadership moulds. He describes himself as an adequate teacher, recognizing that while in his opinion he may not have been outstanding in theclassroom, his relationships with students were always strong and this has allowed him to lead strongly in a school setting.
One of Paul’s key leadership beliefs is that the biggest mistake leaders make isthinking they are the most important or most knowledgeable person in the room. He works hard to ensure that his leadership style fosters collaboration and diverse perspectives. This became particularly clear when he joined schools that traditionallyoperated with a hierarchical structure that emphasized authority. Paul made it a priority to shift this culture, ensuring leadership was more accessible and inclusive.
He values having a leadership team with diverse perspectives rather than a group of deputies who simply mirror his own views. Robust discussions and even disagreements are welcomed, as they lead to stronger decision-making. He adapts his leadership style based on the people he is working with, much like teachers adjust their approach to suit their students.
A wise principal once advised Paul to treat the staffroom as his classroom, a philosophy he has carried throughout his career. He sees his role as that of a coach—bringing wisdom, experience, and thoughtful pauses to situations. His time in the police force, including nine years in middle leadership, reinforced the importance of making quick, decisive choices when necessary. However, he has learned that in education, some decisions require reflection, adjustments, and at times, a willingness to admit mistakes and make amends.
Currently, Paul is focused on change management. His first major change project came in the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquakes, where he was involved not only in rebuilding a school but also participating in advisory groups that were operating in broader network-wide education changes. Since then, he has led transformation efforts in four different schools, each requiring major shifts in culture and operations. He has even written a book about the experience.
Emotional intelligence is central to Paul’s leadership. He understands that teaching is a profession of the heart as much as the head, and effective leadership requires empathy. He rejects the notion that empathy is a “soft skill,” instead seeing it as essential to navigating change, resolving conflict, and leading people through challenging transitions. He often references the Haim Ginott quote about the teacher being the decisive element in the classroom and applies that to his leadership of the entire school, applying the same principle to leadership.
Paul is deeply invested in shaping school culture. Unlike corporate environments where a memo can enact immediate change, schools require leaders to win hearts and minds. In his experience, successful change leadership demands constant engagement, genuine empathy, and the ability to navigate ongoing conflicts.
His career has spanned a wide range of educational settings, from residential schools for students with behavioral and intellectual challenges to elite private institutions. He has also served as an executive principal for New Zealand and South America of a global network of schools, overseeing 20 campuses—17 in New Zealand and three in Argentina. In that role he led a global project to shift campus culture across 1schools in 24 countries. Leading across international campuses brought new challenges. Many of the communities he worked with had a rigid, black-and-white view of education, whereas teachers often operate in shades of grey. Additionally, working remotely meant he couldn’t rely on the everyday presence that naturally influences school culture.
Instead, he had to develop a coaching and mentoring approach, guiding on-site leaders from a distance. While he would address entire staff groups a few times each term, he knew that real impact came from empowering local leaders rather than relying on directives from afar.
Paul acknowledges that he misses the immediacy of influencing leaders up close. While he has thrived on the challenges of large-scale change projects, he finds particular fulfillment in working directly with leaders, helping them grow and navigate transformation. His leadership philosophy remains grounded in humility, collaboration, and a steadfast commitment to making a meaningful difference in education.
“I’ve come to a frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It’s my personal approach that creates the climate. It’s my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or dehumanized.” Haim Ginnot