What makes a great leader and where does that greatness actually come from?

In this milestone episode, Drew Janetzki sits down with Judy Hatswell teacher, registered psychologist, leadership consultant, and co-architect of the Art of Leadership program. For 14 years, Judy has stood in front of NSW primary school principals and helped them do the hardest work in leadership: understanding themselves.

2,186 participants. 398 schools. 14 years. This is the story of a program that became the Crown Jewel of NSWPPA's professional learning suite and the woman who built it.

In this conversation you will hear:

-> The moment in 1979 that changed Judy's understanding of human behaviour forever
-> Why external psychology, rewards, punishments, compliance is getting less effective, not more
-> What Choice Theory actually teaches, and why 40 years of neuroscience research now backs it up
-> The one thing every principal must do before they can truly lead others
-> The whiteboard moment that became the Window of Certainty used in hundreds of NSW schools today
-> What Judy wants her legacy to be, and what she hopes every school in this state will one day choose to believe

This is not a conversation about strategies and checklists. This is a conversation about the inner work of leadership.

--- ABOUT JUDY HATSWELL ---

Judy Hatswell is a teacher, registered psychologist and senior instructor through Glasser Australia. She is the co-founder of the Art of Leadership program and a leading authority on Choice Theory and Quality Schools in Australian education. She has worked in schools across every state of Australia, in Indigenous communities, and in more than a dozen countries worldwide, including Iran, Colombia, South Africa, Canada and Korea.

--- THE ART OF LEADERSHIP 2026 ---

The Art of Leadership 2026 program is now open for enrolment across 8 locations in NSW.
Enrol now: nswppa.org.au/art-of-leadership

--- RESOURCES MENTIONED ---

-> Choice Theory / Quality Schools Dr. William Glasser
-> The Window of Certainty Hatswell and Stones (2016)
-> Self-Determination Theory Deci and Ryan
-> Vivian Robinson instructional leadership effect size 0.84
-> Viktor Frankl Man's Search for Meaning
-> Harvard positive psychology research relationship as the primary driver of influence

--- CONNECT WITH NSWPPA ---

Website: nswppa.org.au
Art of Leadership: nswppa.org.au/art-of-leadership
Professional Learnings Podcast: professionallearningsnswppa.buzzsprout.com
LinkedIn: NSW Primary Principals Association

Links and References:

To view our Professional Learning Offerings, visit:
https://www.nswppa.org.au/professional-learning

To view our latest offerings, visit: https://www.nswppa.org.au/catalogue

In this insightful episode of Professional Learnings, host Drew introduces Season 4 with a powerful conversation featuring executive coach and leadership consultant, Annette Gray. Annette shares her profound insights on navigating leadership through crisis, fostering human-centred school cultures, and the critical importance of self-awareness for educational leaders.

Drawing from her experience supporting principals during the recovery phase of the 2019-2020 Australian bushfires, Annette discusses the emotional and professional toll on leaders and how a coach-like approach can help them support their communities while managing their own wellbeing. The conversation delves into practical strategies for having difficult conversations, building trust, and creating a thriving, constructive school environment.

About Our Guest

Annette Gray is an experienced educator, executive coach, and consultant specialising in leadership development within the education sector. With a passion for diversity and inclusion, she helps leaders create human-centred, inclusive, and effective learning environments. Annette is the founder of Annette Gray Consulting and offers a range of programs designed to enhance leadership capabilities, from foundational coaching skills to intensive group and individual coaching.

Connect with Annette:

•Website: www.annettegray.com.au

•YouTube: Annette Gray Consulting

Showcase Notes via Google docs to show all of Annettes Books

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sBw94nRp54zcJ3txgPXHyOHOjT-_gIrPOSYVN1Pw3mo/edit?usp=sharing

Key Takeaways

The Power of a Coach-Like Approach: Instead of giving advice, leaders can empower their teams by asking questions, listening deeply, and helping them find their own solutions. This fosters a sense of ownership and honours the expertise of individuals within their own context.

Self-Awareness is the Foundation of Leadership: Annette emphasises that self-awareness is the key skill for any leader. Understanding your own triggers, strengths, and areas for growth allows you to show up as your best self and lead with kindness and compassion.

Navigating Difficult Conversations: The episode explores the importance of direct management and having courageous conversations to address behaviours that are not aligned with the desired school culture. The goal is to be proactive and constructive, maintaining the relationship while holding people accountable.

Wellbeing and Presence: For busy principals, being fully present in conversations is a powerful way to make staff feel heard and supported. Annette suggests that if you cannot be present, it is better to reschedule the conversation for a time when you can give it your full attention.

Embracing Ambiguity: In today's complex world, leaders do not need to have all the answers. Annette encourages leaders to collaborate with their teams to make sense of uncertainty and move forward together.

Term 1 Program Opportunity

Annette is offering a pilot coaching program for leaders in Term 1. This is a unique opportunity to develop your coaching skills and leadership capabilities in a supportive group environment.

Annette Gray Pilot Coaching Program:

https:

Links and References:

To view our Professional Learning Offerings, visit:
https://www.nswppa.org.au/professional-learning

To view our latest offerings, visit: https://www.nswppa.org.au/catalogue

From the moment children develop basic motor skills, they begin role-playing the futures they can imagine. But by upper primary school, these dreams often narrow dramatically - limited by postcodes, stereotypes, and what they see in their immediate environment. What if we could change this pattern?

Liv Penny, co-founder and CEO of Become Education, is transforming how we prepare young people for their futures. Her journey began with a profound observation: watching smart, happy classmates take dramatically different paths based solely on where they lived. This sparked a mission to ensure all children could write their stories "from the inside out" rather than having their futures determined by external circumstances.

The evidence is compelling. OECD research shows 50% of students globally aspire to just 10 occupations, with even narrower patterns at the local level. Meanwhile, 80% of 10-13 year olds think about their futures weekly, yet less than 10% say a teacher knows their aspirations. We're missing a massive opportunity to tap into natural motivation.

Become Education's approach doesn't prematurely force career decisions but instead develops the skills to explore broadly and design meaningful future pathways. Schools implementing the program report remarkable outcomes - from a 205% increase in students feeling their school cares about their future to transformative stories of previously disengaged students finding purpose and hope.

One particularly powerful story involves a disengaged student with dyslexia who discovered animation as her "happy place" through the program. With newfound purpose, she crafted a beautiful email to a Disney animator who responded with encouragement and professional advice. "She was transformed," her teachers reported through tears. "She never spoke and now she has transformed."

The impact extends beyond career readiness to improved engagement across all learning areas. As PISA data confirms, students who connect current learning to future possibilities show improvement in all learning strategies. In a world of AI and rapid change, this approach develops the uniquely human capabilities - curiosity, creativity, agency - that will remain valuable regardless of technological shifts.

Ready to help your students design futures full of possibility? Visit the Become Education website to learn how your school or cluster can implement this powerful, evidence-based approach.

Links and References:

To view our Professional Learning Offerings, visit:
https://www.nswppa.org.au/professional-learning

To view our latest offerings, visit: https://www.nswppa.org.au/catalogue