It’s the start of a new term. Some of your staff may be walking back into school running on empty, not because they don’t care, but because they’ve lost sight of why it matters.

What educators actually need to feel purposeful again isn’t another wellbeing afternoon or a gratitude wall. According to this week’s guest, it’s a reconnection to vision, and that’s something a school can teach, build and sustain.

In this episode of Well-Led Schools, I'm joined by Glen Gerreyn, speaker, author, youth advocate and founder of The Hopeful Institute. His work, spanning two decades and hundreds of schools globally, is grounded in one powerful idea: hope is not a passive feeling. It's a skill. It's a strategy. And it can be taught.

In this episode:

• Glen's personal origin story: from elite athlete to disability pension to Young Australian of the Year
• The three components of Hope Theory: goals, pathways, and agency
• Why disengagement is often a vision crisis, not a behaviour problem
• The Hopeful Schools Framework and how it works in practice
• Why purpose and meaning matter as much as curriculum in education
• What leaders can do to build hope into school culture systemically

About Glen Gerreyn:

Glen Gerreyn is a speaker, author and youth advocate who has dedicated his career to building hope in young people and the educators who work with them. After overcoming a serious a chronic illness that ended his career as a state champion sprinter, heGlen rebuilt his life through purpose, resilience and connection to meaning, and was named Young Australian of the Year in 1998.

He is the founder of The Hopeful Institute and has worked with more than 300 schools across Australia and worldwide. His work draws on Charles Snyder's Hope Theory and translates it into practical frameworks that schools can embed into their culture. He is also the author of Men of Honor, a book on sexual ethics and character development for young men.

Links and Resources

• 50 Book Summaries for Educators
• 7 Infographics (burnout, procrastination and more)
• Well-Led Schools Partnership Program

If this episode resonated, leaving a review wherever you are listening means the world. Thank you for listening!

Connect with Glen via:

Website: www.thehopefullinstitute.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glengerreyn/

Pinterest: https://au.pinterest.com/glengerreyn/

Connect with me via:

My website: adriennehornby.com.au

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/adrienne-hornby-a4126a205/

Email: hello@adriennehornby.com.au

In this episode, I chat with fellow school wellbeing consultant Aimee Parkinson where we exchange ideas on our approach to coaching educators hoping to foster a culture of wellbeing at their school.

About Aimee:

After spending over 12 years in the education system as both a school leader and educator, Aimee saw first-hand how well-being easily becomes a low-level priority when other pressing matters demand attention. Along with these experiences, she combined her Masters of Educational Leadership, a Health and Wellness Coaching Professional Certificate and her research conducted through her podcast The Wonders of Wellbeing to create Well-Nest. Aimee's vision is to plant wellbeing at the heart of who schools are and what they do. She aims to support schools that are finding it tremendously difficult to not only support staff wellbeing but to know where to even begin.

Well-Nest consulting and coaching services supports school leaders, teachers and administrators by helping individuals and teams take gradual steps towards identifying and addressing the issues affecting wellbeing, both personally and professionally. Through personalised guidance, they provide strategic wellbeing growth maps that break down the process into manageable, actionable steps, ensuring progress is made toward restored wellness.

In this episode, we cover:

• The four key pillars of wellbeing that Aimee integrates into her coaching approach
• Common challenges educators are facing when it comes to establishing a culture of wellbeing
• The importance of addressing not just professional wellbeing, but also personal wellbeing of leaders and staff
• The steps in Aimee’s “Growth Map” approach
• How having a vision for wellbeing can act as a motivator and reminder of our purpose

Links and Resources:

Anonymous Staff Wellbeing Survey

Connect with Aimee via:

Her website: Well-Nest

Her podcast: The Wonders of Wellbeing

LinkedIn

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Well-Led School podcast, I am joined by change leadership expert and author of the book Valuable Change, Brendon Baker. We discuss what it really takes to inspire and create meaningful change within workplaces and schools and how simple mindset shifts, like how we define success, can lead us towards the changes in culture we seek.

About Brendon

Brendon is a leading expert in getting what you want from your projects. He has led and guided over $10 Billion in transformative projects and programs across more types of change than would be reasonable to list out here. Just know that it includes everything from transformations to teddy bears. Through it all Brendon has learned two things:

First - Change is HARD, so we need to ensure it’s worthwhile.

Second – The answer often lies in simplicity.

He is the author of the best-seller Valuable Change, and niche top seller Creating High Value PMOs. His pioneering work in the internal influencer space is world leading. Brendon now spends his time forging change leaders and working with them to drive more worthwhile organisational change. His clients include high growth tech firms, key ASX100 companies like AGL and South32, various Not-For-Profits, as well as all three levels of the Australian Government.

Join us for a thought-provoking conversation where we cover:

• What it really takes to create meaningful change at work
• How reframing how we define and measure success can help us achieve change
• How to make sure the changes you’re implementing aren’t surface level
• Why context and clarity are key to driving change
• How recognition, rewards and incentives can be leveraged to motivate change
• Ways that school leaders can ensure their change initiatives stay at the forefront for all staff
• Why wisdom is the key to valuable change
• The importance of narrowing your focus
• What the momentum path is and how it can be applied to create change over time

Links and Resources:

Learn more about creating change in schools by reading these articles:

• The Secret Recipe For Motivating Your Staff To Implement Change In The Workplace
• Leading Through Complex Change: How to Adapt Our Leadership Style To Support Staff During A Pandemic

View/download the momentum path image

Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.

Connect with Brendon:

Visit his website

Connect on LinkedIn

Connect with me via:

My website

Linkedin

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Email

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In this solo episode, I reveal why a structured Staff Wellbeing Framework is the key to reducing burnout, improving retention and fostering a thriving school culture. Many schools believe they’re supporting staff wellbeing, but without a clear framework, efforts often rely on scattered initiatives like self-care workshops and social events—leaving the deeper causes of stress and burnout unaddressed. It’s time to shift from reactive, one-off solutions to a strategic, lasting approach that truly supports educators.

In this episode, I break down:

• The true purpose of a Staff Wellbeing Framework and how it differs from general wellbeing initiatives
• The biggest misconceptions about implementing a Staff Wellbeing framework
• Why a wellbeing framework is essential for schools struggling with burnout, high turnover, cultural issues or major changes
• How schools with already strong cultures can further enhance their staff wellbeing strategies
• A step-by-step approach to embedding a Staff Wellbeing Framework that actually works

Links and Resources:

Join our FREE online training to learn more about the 6-step process for building a Staff Wellbeing Framework that works. Sign up now at adriennehornby.com.au/free-training

Apply to join the Well-Led Schools Partnership program at https://adriennehornby.com.au/school-partnerships/

Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.

Season 3: Episode 2: Mitigating the Effects of Compassion Fatigue in Education – With Nichole Williams |

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Difficult conversations are a part of every educator’s world, whether it's addressing performance concerns, navigating team dynamics, or holding a student’s wellbeing at the center of a tough decision. But let’s be honest: many of us dread them. They’re uncomfortable, emotionally charged, and often feel easier to avoid. The problem is that avoiding these conversations can come at a high cost to trust, morale, and ultimately, the school's culture.

In this episode, I’m joined by leadership and culture expert Shane Michael Hatton, who has spent the past decade helping leaders across the globe communicate more effectively and build healthier, more connected teams. Shane shares practical insights and mindset shifts to help school leaders approach difficult conversations with more clarity, courage and compassion. Whether you’re a principal, middle leader, or classroom teacher, you’ll come away from this episode feeling more equipped to lean into the conversations that matter most.

In this episode, we explore:

• What makes a conversation “difficult”, and why they’re so commonly avoided
• The hidden costs of avoidance and what’s at stake when we stay silent
• Why the "conversations before the conversation" matter just as much as the main event
• How to foster psychological safety so that open dialogue becomes the norm
• The leadership traits and everyday behaviours that build trust and rapport with staff
• Shane’s simple framework for navigating difficult conversations with greater impact
• How to balance empathy and care with clarity and accountability
• What to do after the conversation, and why follow-through is where trust is either built or broken

About Shane:

Shane Michael Hatton is a globally recognised author, speaker, and leadership expert with over a decade of experience in helping leaders and teams thrive. Combining a strong foundation in business and psychology, Shane equips leaders to communicate with impact, build trust, and create high-performing team cultures. He’s the author of two books, including the bestselling Let’s Talk Culture – The Conversations You Need to Create the Team You Want, and the host of the podcast Phone Calls With Clever People.

Shane’s insights have been featured in renowned publications, including Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and The Australian. As an executive coach and facilitator, he’s worked with organisations across the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors, both in Australia and internationally. Today, Shane is on a mission to elevate how leaders think and talk about culture — one courageous conversation at a time.

Links and Resources:

Well-Led Schools Partnership Program

Watch Shane’s video series: Nine Leadership Shifts

https://shanemhatton.com/firsttimeleader/

Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.

Connect with Shane via:

His website: shanehattonspeaks.com

Instagram: instagram.com/shanemhatton

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/shanemhatton

Listen to his podcast: Phone Calls With Clever People Podcast

Connect with me via:

My website: adriennehornby.com.au

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/adrienne-hornby-a4126a205/

Email: hello@adriennehornby.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Constant exhaustion, chronic stress and anxiety, and physical symptoms like headaches and digestive issues are just some of the signs that you may be suffering from burnout. In today’s demanding world, many professionals struggle to balance life and work, and self-care is often pushed to the bottom of the priority list.

School leaders, teachers and staff are particularly susceptible to burnout. Our Australian schools survey data from the past year shows that on average, 56% of school staff report feeling burnt out. When more than half of the school staff across the country are feeling this way, it should be no surprise to see a massive exodus from the profession over the coming years.

Instead of just letting matters slip out of our hands blaming the profession entirely, there is plenty we can do on school grounds, starting right now, to make a profound and lasting impact that safeguards the wellbeing of staff and our students.

In this solo episode, I cover:

• The telltale signs of burnout
• The leading causes of teacher burnout
• My approach to addressing and supporting staff burnout in schools
• Effective ways to support burnt-out teachers and staff

Links and Resources:

Visual: Managing Staff Mental Health and Burnout

Anonymous Staff Wellbeing Surveys

Download the PDF Guide for Supporting Burnt Out Staff

Online Wellbeing Course for Educators

Blog article: 10 Practical Strategies For Beating Staff And Teacher Burnout

Blog article: The Age Of Burnout And How To Fight Back

Blog article: 23 Simple Ways To Manage Burnout So You’re Always Prepared When Stress Hits

Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.

Connect with me via:

My website

Linkedin

Instagram

Email

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In order to be great school leaders, we must possess a mix of skills, both academic and personal. But one of the most essential skills any effective leader should have is emotional intelligence.

As leaders, one of our primary responsibilities is to manage people. Without an awareness of our inner world and that of others and the ability to self-regulate and respond to others with empathy, it can be challenging to establish relationships built on trust and respect.

As you’ll discover by tuning into this episode, emotional intelligence comprises a subset of six skills, each of which is an essential aspect of becoming a “people person” and a leader that staff are inspired to follow.

In this episode, we cover:

• What emotional intelligence is
• Why leaders need to develop theirs
• The key skills that make up emotional intelligence
• Practical strategies to help you improve on each of these essential skills.

Links and Resources:

• Podcast: The Key Personal Attributes Every Effective Leader Should Master | Episode 28
• Blog article: The Key Skills You Should Be Building to Become an Emotionally Intelligent Leader
• Blog article: The Most Essential Attributes of an Effective Leader
• Big 5 Personality Test
• Via Character Strengths
• DISC Personality Test
• DOPE Bird Personality Type

Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.

Connect with me via:

My website

Linkedin

Instagram

Email

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.