Are you actually leading — or just managing pressure? In this episode of the SLT Podcast, Ziggy sits down with Adrian McLean, executive headteacher, TEDx speaker, consultant, governor, trustee, and advocate for more diverse leadership in education. Adrian shares his journey from PE teacher to executive headteacher, reflecting on ambition, imposter syndrome, leadership progression, values, character, and the difficult decisions that shape who we become as leaders.

Together, they explore why education may not have a values problem — but a pressure problem. From behaviour, staffing, safeguarding, outcomes, inclusion, accountability, and school culture, this conversation challenges senior leaders to ask whether their values still hold when the pressure rises.

The episode also unpacks how to challenge SLT when something does not feel right, why curiosity is often more effective than confrontation, and whether leaders can genuinely lead on race and inclusion without first confronting their own biases.

💬 “Values are what we say is important to us. Virtues are how we act.”

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Chapters:0:00 – Intro: Adrian McLean introduces himself

0:33 – Who is Adrian McLean?

1:13 – Mentoring, advocacy, and supporting Black men in education

2:30 – Adrian’s journey from PE teacher to executive headteacher

5:53 – Kicking the door open in leadership6:13 – Moving into SEMH, behaviour, attendance, and school improvement

8:01 – Leaving roles that do not align with your values

10:28 – The 10 Character Commandments of Leadership

11:13 – Are you leading or just managing pressure?

11:40 – Education does not have a values problem — it has a pressure problem

13:50 – Values vs virtues: what leaders say vs what leaders do

14:37 – How do you challenge SLT when something is not right?

15:18 – Why curiosity works better than confrontation

17:39 – When leaders say the right things but actions do not match

19:42 – Integrity, courage, and accountability in leadership

21:36 – Why pressure changes how some leaders behave

22:05 – Can leaders lead on race and inclusion without doing the personal work?

23:05 – Why bias must be confronted before inclusion work can succeed

24:53 – A real classroom example of unconscious bias

27:33 – What senior leaders should reflect on this term

29:06 – Final thoughts and outro⸻

📢 About SLT Podcast:Hosted by Rena Johnson — Deputy Head, Designated Teacher, SENDco & DSL — and Ziggy Moore — Assistant Headteacher & Founder of Moore Education — the SLT Podcast is a bi-weekly series featuring powerful conversations with leaders doing impactful work in education and youth development. Each guest joins us for two episodes: one exploring their story, and one answering real questions submitted by parents, teachers, leaders, and the wider community.

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