If you spend enough time talking to ALP’s senior partnerships consultant Amber Davis, you’ll notice one word comes up a lot: excellent. For Amber, school leadership isn’t just about managing people—it’s about striving for excellence while supporting those around you.
As a former high school principal, Amber has spent her career helping school and district leaders build their leadership capacity. And if there’s one thing she’s learned, it’s that excellence in leadership doesn’t happen in isolation.
Leadership coaching cultivates excellence.. Amber shares why coaching is a leadership accelerator, how it supports positive school culture and staff retention, and why it’s a powerful professional learning experience for every leader striving to grow.
Why Leadership Can Be an Isolating Role (And How Coaching Changes That)
Moving into school leadership often comes with unexpected challenges, one of the biggest being the sense of isolation. Many leaders go from being peers to leading former colleagues, which can create a difficult shift in dynamics. And since there’s often no one else in the building with the same role, it can feel like you’re navigating an entirely new territory on your own.
District and school leaders are promoted because they excelled in their previous roles, often as teachers or instructional coaches , but system leadership requires an additional complex skill set.
“You get into these new roles that require new skills, new mindsets, new strategies that you’ve never had to use before,” Amber explained. “And the people you used to collaborate with? They’re no longer in your circle. Leadership can be very isolating.”
Leadership coaching provides school and district leaders with a trusted thought partner: someone who understands the complexities of leadership and offers support, strategy, and collaboration.
What Leadership Coaching Actually Looks Like in Schools
For Amber, trust is the foundation of every leadership coaching relationship. She believes that without trust, even the best advice falls flat. Leaders need to know their coach truly understands their experiences before they can fully engage in the process.
“School leaders carry a lot on their shoulders, and they don’t always have someone they can turn to for honest, judgment-free support. My first priority is to build that trust, so they know I see them, I understand where they’ve been, and I’m here to help them move forward.”
By establishing genuine trust from the start, leadership coaching becomes more than just guidance, it becomes a partnership in growth and leadership success.
A leadership coaching session often includes:
- Assessing leadership styles – Identifying strengths, challenges, and leadership paradigms.
- Clarifying priorities – Determining whether to focus on improving weaknesses or building on strengths.
- Developing strategies – Creating a personalized leadership plan with actionable next steps.
- Measuring progress – Tracking growth through feedback, self-assessments, and district benchmarks.
Each session is highly personalized, meeting school and district leaders exactly where they are.
Tackling Burnout & Time Management for School Leaders
Beyond the emotional and professional benefits, coaching can also make a real difference in how leaders manage their day-to-day responsibilities. One of the biggest barriers to leadership coaching in education? Time.
“Nobody has time. Everybody is wearing too many hats. Leadership coaching feels like a luxury,” Amber acknowledged. “But in reality, it helps you become more efficient and effective with your time.”
Leadership coaching helps school and district administrators:
✔ Delegate responsibilities effectively
✔ Prioritize high-impact leadership tasks
✔ Improve decision-making and workflow
✔ Prevent burnout by creating balance
For those already experiencing burnout in their leadership role, Amber had one critical piece of advice:
“When we’re uncomfortable in leadership, we regress to the tasks we did before we were leaders. We bury ourselves in spreadsheets instead of leading. True leadership means stepping up, setting strategy, and empowering your people.”
How Leadership Coaching Impacts School Culture and Student Success
When K-12 leaders invest in leadership coaching, the benefits don’t stop with them. The impact ripples through the entire school system.
Amber emphasized that leaders set the tone for their entire school community. “Strong leadership sets the tone for school culture. If leaders feel supported, teachers feel supported. And when teachers feel supported, students benefit.”
One novice principal that Amber coached in the past lacked confidence in her leadership abilities and shied away from teachers and students when challenges in the school arose. She spent most of her time in her office and morale at the school was low. However, through coaching, the principal was able to build confidence and strategically address the challenges in the school which emboldened her to be visible on campus. She began visiting classrooms, interacting with teachers, and engaging with students. Morale among teachers increased because they saw their principal as being willing and able to address their needs.
Leadership coaching helps administrators make better decisions. From resource allocation to staffing and school-wide initiatives, coaching helps leaders develop clarity and confidence in decision-making. It creates long-term sustainability. Strong leaders go beyond fixing problems; they build systems that continue to thrive. Coaching isn’t just for struggling leaders, but rather a tool to enhance school leadership at every level, from aspiring principals to seasoned superintendents.
When leaders are engaged, energized, and visible:
- Teachers feel more supported.
- Students are more engaged in learning.
- Staff members collaborate more effectively.
- The entire school culture improves.
By investing in leadership coaching, district and school administrators create positive, thriving school cultures where students and educators feel supported and valued.
The Future of Leadership Coaching in Education
Amber forecasted that two major factors will shape coaching in the next 5–10 years:
- The Need for Change Management in Schools
With education policies, funding, and technology rapidly shifting, school leaders must become change management experts. Coaching helps them navigate transitions with confidence.
- The Impact of Generative AI in Education
Many school and district leaders feel uncertain about AI’s role in teaching and learning. For many leaders, it’s unfamiliar territory, which makes self-awareness and intentional decision-making more important than ever.
Coaching gives school and district leaders space to reflect on their mindsets, explore the unknown, and lead with curiosity rather than fear. Whether it’s AI or another emerging challenge, coaching helps leaders feel equipped to make thoughtful, forward-looking decisions.
As Amber put it, “The worst thing we can do is not acknowledge our own biases. Before making leadership decisions about AI, ask yourself: How do I feel about it? Have I explored it with an open mind?” Coaching helps leaders develop the mindset, strategy, and confidence to lead through change.
Measuring Success: How Schools Can Track Leadership Growth
For school districts looking to justify investing in leadership coaching, measuring success is key. Amber stresses the importance of aligning coaching goals with measurable school outcomes, ensuring that coaching is both strategic and results-driven. Coaching outcomes can be tracked through:
- Self-assessments & 360-degree evaluations
- Time-tracking improvements (e.g., reducing time spent on low-impact tasks)
- Staff & school culture surveys
- Increases in student attendance and achievement
The Journey to Leadership Excellence
Amber often speaks about excellence in leadership—but to her, excellence isn’t just about performance and accountability metrics. It’s about growth, self-awareness, and continuous learning.
“Even the best leaders have room to grow. Coaching doesn’t mean you’re struggling—it means you’re striving to be excellent.”
If you’re a school or district leader wondering whether coaching is worth it, take it from Amber: The best leaders don’t go at it alone.
Interested in leadership coaching for your district or school? Connect with ALP’s team to explore coaching opportunities that fit your leadership journey.
This blog post is based on a conversation with Amber Davis, Senior Partnerships Consultant at Advanced Learning Partnerships.
