Better doesn't mean Easier

Better Doesn’t Mean Easier

In leadership and the pursuit of improvement in schools and organisations, we often fall into the mindset that making or doing something "better" is associated with finding an effortless way to accomplish a task. Mistakenly, we can assume that these potentially more efficient methods are believed to make leadership easier. However, while efficiency is worth pursuing to achieve better processes and effective management strategies, it does not provide shortcuts or ‘quick fixes’ to leading improvement.

The phrase "better doesn’t mean easier" reflects a deeper truth about leadership: striving for better outcomes—whether in decision-making, culture-building, strategic planning, or initiative implementation— all of which require significant leadership effort. Efficiency and intentional planning are essential, but there are no "shortcuts" in leading people. The most complex, challenging, unpredictable, and dynamic element of leadership is also the very reason we become leaders: our people.

This article briefly explores why the path to "better" is seldom “easy” and how effective leadership embraces these better challenges for sustainable success.

The first seven words I wrote down when designing the leadership improvement model I have titled ‘The SKIM Model’, the foundation for my book "The Art of Skimming Stones: Leading Sustained Improvement in Schools." Where I delve into research and identify and then fill the gaps in our leadership development and ongoing capacity building, were:

“There has to be a better way.”

I could see, hear and read about the droves of school leaders leaving our profession, the lack of potential or aspirant school leaders lining up to take up the role, and the media having a field day giving school leaders an uppercut every chance they can. Colleagues are sympathising with this narrative, “I can see why they don’t want to be a school leader…”

With passion, optimism and obsession, I started jumping down rabbit holes, to find this metaphorical ‘better way.’ I too have been in the position of overwhelm or feeling the layering pressures of my role as a senior leader in education. I can empathise with my colleagues and the narrative that surrounds our privileged professions, but I can’t accept that there is not a better way. I was on a mission to find it.

I am under no illusion that better leadership does not link to easy leadership. In fact, I argue that to get better, we must be willing to face challenges and adversity head-on. Munby (2019) uses a great analogy in his book Imperfect Leadership (2019), stating, "Leadership is also about an attitude of mind. Feeling good is a skill. You can control it. It is possible to approach difficult situations with joy, provided you are clear about your values and the processes you are going to use. As leaders, we need to walk into the wind, not run away from it” (p. 179).

As a active, current leader, I have many “windy days”—days when unexpected challenges blow through my office without warning, and I had no pre-warning or "severe wind alert" from the Bureau of Meteorology.

When I refer to "better," I mean different. We need to look at our profession differently. Ask yourself: Has leadership changed and developed at the same rate our world and community have? Has research kept pace with the dynamics of the world in which we lead? "Better" doesn’t mean easy, but it does mean we must start thinking about things differently.

The idea that “better” does not equate to “easy” is supported by research across various fields, including psychology, management, and my obsession, educational leadership. Anders Ericsson’s (1993), Deliberate Practice Theory, argues that mastery in any domain—whether sports, music, business, or education—requires sustained effort and practice, often involving discomfort. Leaders willing to step into discomfort, "walk into the wind," and push themselves and their teams beyond their comfort zones are more likely to achieve meaningful and sustained progress. It won’t be easy, but it will be better.

This idea is also supported by Amy Edmondson’s (2019) work on Psychological Safety, which argues that achieving "better" involves discomfort. She suggests that creating a psychologically safe workplace where team members feel comfortable speaking up, engaging in healthy conflict, challenging assumptions, and experimenting with new ideas is essential. While this environment fosters better outcomes, creating a culture where this is not only accepted but expected is not an easy path to walk.

As a leader, I have often expressed frustration over tasks that are inefficient or ineffective, saying, "I need a better way to do this..." Honestly, what my emotional self was really saying was, "I need an easier way to do this..." We must acknowledge that leadership lacks ‘quick fixes’ for a reason. I challenge any leader to find research supporting a 'quick fix' approach. In Simon Breakspear’s Teaching Sprints Process (2019), the language suggests a fast sprint to an improvement process. However, Breakspear uses an improvement model to break down a larger process into manageable pieces, allowing for progress, review, adaptation, and celebration as improvement continues. Let's be honest—if there were a quick fix, for example, like a genuine cure for a hangover, we'd have a bigger drinking problem than we already do.

While I acknowledge that the path to "better" is not easier, the long-term and sustained benefits outweigh the temporary discomfort. Leaders who accept the pursuit of "better" are better equipped to navigate the complexities of today's dynamic and diverse environments. These leaders recognize that improvement requires effort, resilience, and a willingness to challenge the status quo. By fostering a culture that values perseverance, learning, and thoughtful risk-taking, leaders can successfully guide their teams toward sustained improvement.

There is a famous quote, not directly attributed to an individual: “You need to understand the details within your box before you can start thinking outside of it.” In terms of "better" versus "easy," if we want ease, status quo, quick fixes, and less discomfort in leadership, we must continue to work within our familiar metaphorical box. If we want "better," we need to learn to understand the skills, dispositions, capabilities, attributes, and, most importantly, the people within our box, and then step out of it. Become comfortable being uncomfortable. Better will never be the easy option, but it must be the option we choose in the interests sustained improvement and most importantly of the humans we lead.

Do not be afraid or turn your back on “better” simply because it is not easier. In fact, we want better, better outcomes, better connections, better wellbeing. All of which is achievable in unison. It may not be easy, but the effort, energy and outcomes will be worth pursuing better, not easier.

References:

Edmondson, A. (2019). The fearless organization: Creating psychological safety in the workplace for learning, innovation, and growth. Wiley.

Ericsson, A., Krampe, R. T., & Tesch-Römer, C. (1993). The role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of expert performance. Psychological Review, 100(3), 363–406.

Munby, S. (2019). Imperfect leadership: A book for leaders who know they don’t know it all. Crown House Publishing.

Breakspear, S. (2019). Teaching sprints: How leaders support teachers to improve practice. Corwin Press.