Name: Braxton Brady

Title: Head of School

Organisation: Evangelical Christian School

I have been in private, Christian school education for twenty five years. I am currently beginning my sixth year as Head of School at ECS in Memphis, TN. We are a k-12 school serving 955 students.

Thank you to the 2,000 leaders who’ve generously done the 7 Questions on Leadership!

I hope Braxton's answers will encourage you in your leadership journey. Enjoy!

Cheers,

Jonno White

1. What have you found most challenging as a leader?

Giving up the need for control. I often default to doing it myself instead of empowering and delegating to others.

2. How did you become a leader? Can you please briefly tell the story?

I was promoted after my second year in my first job from classroom teacher to assistant principal. Our principal saw the need for a relational figure to help with discipline and teacher morale.

The Lord opened the door that second year and I have been in some form of school leadership ever since.

3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

I use Carey Nieuwhof's At Your Best model. I schedule out every portion of my day according to my prime, middle and low level energy times.

These blocks of time might have specific times for task management or freedom within those blocks to deal with issues that come up or time outside my office to be with students.

4. What's a recent leadership lesson you've learned for the first time or been reminded of?

Two quotes from Derwin Gray have been at the forefront of my heart and mind lately.

"People live out of either the hurt they feel or the healing Jesus provides."

"If you never heal from what hurt you, you will bleed on people who didn't cut you."

5. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your leadership so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?

The Power of Moments is a fantastic book by the Heath brothers. It opened my eyes to how marking moments for students can change the culture of your school.

6. If you could only give one piece of advice to a young leader, what would you say to them?

Find ways to serve.

7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a leader, so far?

I recently turned fifty and received notes from our students. The notes were genuine and quite humbling. The notes had a common theme: presence.

They loved that I actually spent time with them during the day. I was reminded that presence prevents and solves so many things in an organization.