Name: Rodger Brook

Title: Head of Financial operations

Organisation: Genesis Christian College

I have been the CFO of a large independent school in Brisbane for 25 years. When I commenced the school only had a couple of hundred students. It now has 1,600 students, a childcare center, a dance academy, Osh, and an aquatic center. I have also served on the ISQ Block Grant Authority for 13 years and 4 years on the executive leadership team of ASBA (Association of School Business Administrators).

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

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

Cheers,

Jonno White

1. What have you found most challenging as an Educational Leader?

The most challenging part has been managing all the different expectations of the various groups within a school. Everyone at a school believes their area of responsibility is the most important. My job has been trying to spread the financial resources as evenly and fairly as possible and trying to prioritize the most important for the growth and development of the school.

2. How did you become an Educational Leader? Can you please briefly tell the story?

I was working as an accountant for a large corporate company and driving larger and larger profits was the main priority. I wanted to work in an industry that focussed on the next generation that had other priorities other than just profit. An opportunity came to join a school accounting team in 1997 and I jumped at the opportunity.

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

I start the day with a 2 km walk, followed by lifting some weights at home. Then I have breakfast with my wife. I listen to business or political podcasts on my way to and from work. A couple of nights per week I like to read mainly business, leadership, or political books. I will also do a few more emails before I go to bed.

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

The importance of resilience is a lesson that occasionally hits you. Some people will disappoint you and some people will hurt you over your journey as a leader. You need to realize that hurting people will hurt other people. A small number of staff members may have had traumatic childhood experiences and occasionally that trauma may manifest against you as the leader. You need to not take it personally, and realize that the person may be carrying a lot of hurt in their life. You must learn to be resilient if you want to be a long-term leader.

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

21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership By John Maxwell. This book has many great lessons on leadership by one of the greatest writers on leadership of all time. I particularly liked the chapter on the Law of Connection. Leaders must connect with the heart before they ask for a hand. Build personal relationships with staff before they follow you. Spend time with staff and ask them about their children and their favorite activities etc. Leaders are in the people business. Share your life with openness and sincerity and build trust.

6. If you could only give one piece of advice to a young educator who aspires to be an Educational Leader, what would you say to them?

Work for the school as if you own it. have an employer mentality and not an employee mentality. Try and see the big picture of the business and not just your little patch. Work hard and always go over and beyond. If you do these things you WILL succeed.

7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as an Educational Leader, so far?

Compromise is not cowardice. As a leader you serve with a group of leaders and collaboration and compromise is essential for a successful leadership team. I remember when we banned soft drinks in the tuckshop because teachers said the sugar hits were disrupting the classroom. I disagreed with our leadership decision but went along with the majority decision.

Soon after the ban one very entrepreneurial student brought an esky to school in his locker and was selling soft drink cans out of his locker. Most of the senior management wanted to suspend the student. I argued that the student should win an entrepreneur award. The student found a market and he filled that market and was making good money.

The senior management team discussed our differing opinions. The result was I did not win, however I helped achieve a much lighter disciplinary action for the student. Overall a good compromise I thought. This was a light-hearted example, however, compromise at times is essential for a good leader in a team.