ACSI Research Fellow Program

Christian schools tend to thrive when leaders are intentionally identified, cultivated, and developed. Leadership doesn’t emerge by accident; it grows through prayerful formation, intentional development, and wise stewardship of gifts. Every organization tends to rise or fall on the quality of its leaders. If we don’t invest in growing leaders, we’re essentially leaving the future of our organizations to chance. Development provides leaders with the tools to adapt, wisdom to make better decisions, and character to influence in healthy ways. The challenges of tomorrow often require us to build on yesterday’s strengths while also developing new leadership capacities.  

Leadership development ensures there’s always a pipeline of people ready to step into responsibility with clarity, resilience, and vision. Without it, we get stagnation and even burnout; with it, we get growth, health, and sustainability. In their new book, “Lead Everyday,” Mark Miller and Randy Gravitt describe this prioritization: “A leadership culture is a place where leaders are routinely and systematically developed, and you have a surplus.” For Christian schools, the goal is to build and sustain a healthy leadership culture that extends the mission and multiplies overall impact. Here are five strategic ways to develop leaders and deepen a culture of growth: 

1. Create Stretch Opportunities with Support 

Leaders develop best when they are given responsibility that stretches their capacity while still being supported. Whether through leading a project, chairing a committee, or piloting a new initiative, these “stretch roles” provide space to practice decision-making, communication, influence, and problem-solving. 

Strategy in practice: Adopt a scaffolded approach by assigning tasks just beyond a leader’s current skill level, then provide coaching and feedback loops. This balance of challenge and support fosters both growth and confidence. *This process requires dedicated time and may “feel” like an infringement upon capacity and time; however, this is NOT timed wasted; it is time invested. 

2. Build a Culture of Ongoing Learning 

Leadership development is not a one-time program but a continuous journey. Schools that embed professional growth into their culture raise leaders at every level. These schools encourage learning through collaborative inquiry groups, reflective practice, or mentoring experiences. Most importantly, school leaders who model humility demonstrate that even seasoned leaders remain learners. 

Strategy in practice: Establish regular rhythms such as leadership book studies, peer learning circles, or “lessons learned” debriefs after major initiatives that normalize leadership growth for all staff. This all begins with the hiring process—expect lifelong learning and a growth mindset from day one!  

3. Speak to Leadership Blind Spots 

Every leader has blind spots or areas where they lack perspective, awareness, or skills. Left unaddressed, these blind spots can limit effectiveness and detract from school culture. Healthy leadership development creates structures where blind spots can be revealed in a spirit of trust, grace, and growth. By naming and addressing these areas, leaders grow in humility and maturity while modeling teachability to those they lead. 

Strategy in practice: Build intentional feedback loops such as 360 reviews, peer feedback sessions, or mentor check-ins that create safe environments for leaders to hear truth about their strengths and growth areas. Normalize feedback as a gift, not a threat, and teach leaders to welcome constructive conversations as part of their spiritual and professional development. 

4. Establish and Exemplify Rhythms of Active Listening 

Active listening can be an underdeveloped leadership skill. Too often, leaders equate leadership with speaking, directing, or inspiring others. Yet the most impactful leaders are exceptional listeners. They make people feel seen and heard, and that builds trust, which is the foundation of true community and influence. Listening is not passive. It’s an active discipline of curiosity, humility, and empathy. In a world filled with noise and distraction, leaders who exemplify true listening demonstrate a necessary skill that creates organizational clarity and connection, allowing everyone to make wiser decisions and lead people or programs more effectively. 

Strategy in practice: Create intentional spaces for listening. Leaders can practice this by scheduling regular “listening sessions” with staff, students, or parents where the goal is to hear perspectives rather than present solutions. During team meetings, designate time for open dialogue where leaders ask clarifying questions before responding. Use tools like a “listening partner” system which pairs leaders to debrief challenges by listening first without interruption or advice. Finally, model active listening behaviors such as paraphrasing what was heard, validating emotions, and capturing feedback in visible ways. These practices show that listening is not just courtesy but a core leadership discipline. 

5. Model Reflection & Adjustment  

One practice that can accelerate personal growth is building intentional reflection time into the calendar. Leadership is fast-paced, and it’s easy to keep running without ever stopping or pausing to ask, “What am I learning? What could I have done differently? What adjustments need to be made? Where do I need to grow?” It is important to set aside time to evaluate key interactions, decisions, and outcomes. This rhythm helps turn experiences into lessons and growth opportunities. Reflective practices and healthy adaptation transform activity into growth. It keeps one from repeating mistakes and allows leadership to grow in greater self-awareness and intentionality.  

Strategy in practice: Build reflection into leadership routines. For example, leaders might set aside 15 minutes at the end of each day to journal lessons learned, hold a monthly “leadership reflection” meeting where teams review recent decisions and outcomes, or schedule quarterly retreats focused on evaluating progress toward goals. Encourage leaders to ask feedback questions such as, “What is one thing I could do better?” and model making adjustments based on what they learn. This creates a culture where reflection and adaptation are expected, not optional. 

Building and sustaining a culture of personal and professional growth has many organizational benefits. From alleviating burnout, increasing capacity, and creating ownership to enhancing innovation and problem-solving—leadership development is foundational to organizational health. In glory of God and His good work, may we continually be a growing, maturing, becoming people.