What shapes resilient educational leaders? Sue Aspinall's remarkable journey reveals how personal challenges can forge professional strength. Growing up in northern England, Sue watched her widowed mother raise four children with unwavering determination, a powerful example that instilled independence and resilience from an early age. This foundation propelled Sue to become the first woman in her family to pursue higher education, choosing teaching as a career path that promised stability while fulfilling her passion for learning.
Sue's leadership journey spans continents and cultures. From her early teaching days in England's diverse inner-city schools to founding headship in rapidly developing Kuala Lumpur, each experience built upon the last. After valuable mentorship under an executive head in London, Sue led the British School in Tokyo before spending a decade at the British School in the Netherlands. Her leadership philosophy emphasises longevity – staying long enough to embed meaningful change and develop strong succession plans rather than making brief stops at multiple institutions.
Now working as a leadership coach, Sue addresses the critical factors that drive talented leaders from education, including perceived career ceilings, insufficient professional development, challenging workplace relationships, and emotional responses to difficult situations. She draws a thoughtful distinction between coaching and mentoring, emphasising proper qualifications when seeking support. Sue's current focus on ethical leadership particularly resonates in international education, where diverse communities require inclusive environments grounded in clear moral frameworks. Her story demonstrates that great leadership isn't merely about navigating systems, but about creating pathways that enable others to follow, just as her mother once did for her.
Sue's Bio: I have spent 35 years as a teacher, Headteacher and Executive Leader working in Asia, Europe and the UK. In recent years, I became a leadership coach and trainer, an author, speaker and podcast co-host.
I offer personalised coaching and mentoring to leaders working in international settings at all levels. I co-design equitable, evidence-informed and caring leadership development programmes which provide sustainable change in schools.
You can find me on LinkedIn
www.linkedin.com/in/sue-aspinall-1311b284/
via my website:
on the podcast I host with Cazzie Jude
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