Leader Professional Identity: An Australian Case Study

Some Important Questions

How does Hills Grammar impact our leaders as they develop their leader identities?

How does a leader’s identity then impact upon their leadership style, capacity, efficacy and success?

Why would we want to ask these questions, and then seek the answers?

The Answers

Hills Grammar has teamed up with Dr Scott Smith from Excelsior College to explore how our leadership professional identity impacts upon a number of aspects – including our style, effectiveness, resilience and wellbeing  - and the ways in which our Hills Grammar context influences this identity. This study will allow the opportunity for our leaders to participate in an Ethics/University approved Research Case Study, with all the benefits of high-quality planning, literature, research tools and approaches.

The Study is unique as it will capture data on the School holistically as an organisation by including both teaching and support staff leaders. Usually school / education-based studies focus only on leaders with teaching qualifications. The Study will culminate with Dr Chris Furner PhD and Dr Scott Smith PhD, publishing a Hills Grammar/ Excelsior Research paper in a global, peer-reviewed Journal in 2023, putting HG’s perspectives on leadership on the map!  

Dr Scott Smith

Scott has lived most of his life in Sydney, but he has also spent an extended period in China where he learned Mandarin and taught English. Prior to living in China, he worked as a secondary teacher for 9 years, teaching HSIE courses such as Geography, Legal Studies and Business Studies. Upon his return from China, he worked as the Academic Manager of a private English college in Sydney. After this, and following several years promoting Mandarin courses for the Department of Education, he went back into research. Scott has two adult children who both live in Sydney. 

Scott’s Bachelor’s degree at Macquarie University prepared him for secondary teaching in the area of HSIE. Whilst teaching he completed a Master of Arts in Geography at the University of Sydney. Following his time living overseas, he returned to Sydney and gained a Master of Applied Linguistics (TESOL) and a Master of Research in International Studies at Macquarie university. His subsequent PhD research focused on intercultural language teaching and teacher beliefs.