Stop Holding the Match: How Real Leadership Ignites Innovation

Stop Holding the Match: How Real Leadership Ignites Innovation

The biggest threat to innovation isn’t resistance—it’s leadership hoarding the spark.

Every school has people quietly sitting on ideas that could change everything.
They’re the ones rethinking how team meetings run, imagining smoother arrival routines, or asking, “What if we tried it differently?”

These aren’t just ideas. They’re sparks.
And as leaders, our job isn’t to control the fire—it’s to fan the flames.

Spot the Spark

Innovation starts at the top—but it should never stop there.

We may light the first match, but sustainable, culture-shifting innovation happens when others feel empowered to carry the torch. That means noticing the quiet instigators—those experimenting behind the scenes, questioning routines, or simply expressing curiosity. When we pause and say, “Tell me more,” we turn hidden potential into collective momentum.

From Missed Time to a Movement

When I first became principal, I discovered something shocking:
There was no real professional development plan for staff.

During the mandated weekly PD block, teachers were either watching isolated recordings on the InfoHub that had no relevance to their practice—or decorating bulletin boards. Neither activity supported growth. Neither improved student outcomes. Neither honored the brilliance sitting in the building.

I knew that had to change.

I immediately began designing and facilitating meaningful, purposeful PD sessions. These weren’t just content-focused—they modeled how professional learning could look and feel when it's done with intention.

As I facilitated, I kept my eye out for sparks. I noticed teachers who were engaged, curious, asking questions. I offered support, encouragement, and hand-holding where needed—and invited a small group to join me in an inquiry-based action research cycle with their students.

Fast forward:
Those teachers became the ones le