by Aprajita Ralli
As I reflect on my journey as Principal of Sreenidhi International School this past year and a half, I find myself deeply moved by how the concept of leadership has evolved within me. It’s no longer just about decision-making, guiding, or instructing – it’s about becoming more aware of my thinking and learning how to intentionally shape my actions in ways that empower others. While I am an evolving leader, I have been continuously following the LYIS ethos of “creating more leaders”, enabling my team members to own their teaching journeys. Metacognition – thinking about thinking – has become a cornerstone of my leadership approach, allowing me to be more self-aware, reflective, and adaptive. This reflective process has been eye-opening, shifting my mindset on what it means to truly lead.
From Authority to Influence: The SDGs Teaching and Learning Initiative
One of the first and most formative experiences that helped reshape my understanding of leadership was the Sustainable Development Goals’ exploration initiative. While a certain number of students had volunteered to participate in the annual school production of the “sound of music”, – others were encouraged to work on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. At the outset, I saw the project through a traditional lens of authority: as a programme to be carefully designed, implemented, and monitored. My initial thoughts were about organising the logistics – setting up physical spaces, creating guidelines for posting, and ensuring participation. But what happened next was a lesson in letting go of control. As the initiative evolved, I saw teachers and students begin to take ownership, adding their creative spins to the concept. The students, particularly, proposed expanding the idea into digital spaces and launching community outreach programmes. At first, I was hesitant. I had envisioned a more structured, controlled version of the project, but I recognised that this was an opportunity to practise the leadership principle of empowering others. Instead of tightening the reins, I stepped back and allowed them to drive the innovation.
Watching the students’ passion and creativity unfold in unexpected ways, I realised that leadership is not about exerting control – it’s about fostering an environment where others can flourish. What started out as creating awareness amongst students and maybe assigning some tasks to them transitioned from a static display to a dynamic, evolving force within our school community. The shift from “ego-system” thinking – where I was the centre of the action – to “eco-system” thinking – where leadership was distributed and collaboration was pivotal. This initiative taught me that true leadership often arises from creating spaces for others to contribute, innovate, and lead in their own ways.
Embracing Vulnerability in Decision-Making
The IGNITE 30-hour Sreenidhi Hackathon and Makeathon, a Design Thinking interschool challenge. Students were given situations and global issues and they sought solutions through sustainable actions and design thinking. This was another pivotal moment in my leadership journey this year. I had always prided myself on being a decisive leader, but when faced with unexpected logistical challenges during the planning stages, I was forced to confront a hard truth: I didn’t have all the answers. My first instinct was to shield the organising team from my uncertainties and project an image of unwavering confidence. However, after some reflection, I realised that this would only perpetuate a false sense of security. I chose instead to be vulnerable and open about the challenges we faced.
When I shared the concerns with the organising team – our limited resources, time constraints, and the complexities of hybrid formats, I was surprised by the collaborative response. Teachers, students, and staff members rallied around the idea of adapting the event to a one of a kind “Interschool night and day Hackathon’. This collaborative solution, born out of vulnerability and shared decision-making, not only solved the immediate problems but also resulted in higher participation rates than we had anticipated. This experience taught me that leadership is not about having all the answers; it’s about creating an environment where others feel safe to share their insights, ideas, and concerns. By embracing vulnerability, I discovered that the best solutions often arise from collective problem-solving rather than top-down directives.
Data-Informed but People-Led: A Balancing Act
My lessons this year also included how to balance data with human insight, particularly in the context of formative assessments. As we implemented a more rigorous approach to data analysis to track student progress, I found myself initially overwhelmed by the volume of information. Data metrics were important, of course, but they didn’t tell the whole story. During our weekly reflection sessions, I made it a point to listen closely to both teacher observations and student feedback. One instance that stands out was when a particular group of students showed slower progress in a specific subject, according to the data. While this warranted attention, it was the teachers’ insights that revealed the full picture: students were engaging more deeply with the material through project-based learning, even if their test scores didn’t reflect it.
Listening to these insights, I realised that leadership isn’t about blindly following data – it’s about using data as one of many tools, but always placing people at the centre of decision-making. The most significant growth came not from the numbers themselves, but from understanding the context behind those numbers through the voices of teachers and students.
Cultural Competence Through Daily Practice
Leading an international school community presents its own unique set of challenges, particularly around cultural competence. This year, our Annual Day celebration revealed both the beauty and complexity of our diverse student body. During the event, a minor cultural misunderstanding arose between one group of teachers and another teacher who had just joined the school; this could have been easily swept under the rug or addressed with a simple administrative solution. However, after reflecting on the situation, I realised that this was a prime opportunity to foster dialogue and deeper understanding. Instead of rushing to provide a top-down resolution, I encouraged the adults involved to share their perspectives in a facilitated discussion. This open, reflective conversation not only resolved the misunderstanding but also allowed students to express their diverse experiences and backgrounds. It was a powerful reminder that cultural competence is not a checkbox to be ticked – it is a continuous practice that requires openness, patience, and a commitment to creating spaces for voices to be heard. This experience deepened my understanding of facilitative leadership – leading not by dictating, but by creating an environment where others can engage in meaningful dialogue, solve problems, and learn from one another.
Future-Focused Yet Present-Minded
As I engaged with our school’s five-year strategic planning process, I was struck by how easy it is to become overly focused on the future and lose sight of the present. There were moments when I found myself obsessing over long-term goals and projections, but I quickly realised that the vision we were building needed to be grounded in the current needs and realities of our school community. To stay connected with the present, I made it a priority to visit classrooms regularly, engaging in informal conversations with students and teachers. These visits allowed me to understand firsthand the challenges they were facing, the successes they were celebrating, and the needs that had yet to be met. Grounding our long-term strategy in these day-to-day realities ensured that our vision for the future was not just aspirational but also achievable and aligned with our present needs.
Looking Ahead While Looking Within
As I look ahead to the next year, I know that the journey of leadership is far from complete. The greatest lesson of this year of metacognitive reflection is that leadership is not a destination but a continuous process of learning, unlearning, and relearning. It is about engaging in a constant dialogue with oneself, being open to growth, and adapting to the changing needs of the community.
Some of my key growth areas for the coming year include:
●Developing stronger active listening practices to better understand the needs of all stakeholders.
●Creating more opportunities for distributed leadership, where teachers and students are empowered to take on leadership roles.
●Strengthening feedback loops to ensure that our decisions are informed by the voices and perspectives of everyone involved.
●Building sustainable systems that rely on the collective strength of the school community, not just on any one leader.
Ultimately, my journey of self-reflection has reinforced the idea that leadership, at its core, is about service – service to the community, service to the students, and service to the educators who are shaping the future. Through metacognition, I have come to understand that the more we reflect on our leadership practices, the more we enable ourselves and those around us to grow. By embracing continuous learning and self-awareness, we create not just better schools, but better educational communities for all.
Aprajita Ralli is the Secondary School Principal, Sreenidhi International School, India.
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