About this episode

This episode discusses the 'science of leading' with Meg Lee, focusing on how cognitive science principles can enhance school leadership.

What if the principles that help students learn could also transform how you lead? This episode explores the powerful concept of the "science of leading" with Meg Lee, co-founder of Learning Science Partners and an internationally recognised advocate for evidence-informed teaching and professional learning. Meg explains why our leadership moves often fail when we act on "brittle knowledge," just enough understanding to be dangerous, instead of fostering the deep, flexible understanding needed to navigate complex organisations. This is a critical conversation for any leader feeling the tension between urgent action and sustainable implementation.   You'll learn how core principles from cognitive science, such as cognitive load, prior knowledge, and effortful thinking, directly apply to leading schools and systems. Meg, a 30-year public education leader, author of Mindsets for Parents , and US ambassador for researchED, shares practical strategies, including how to simplify your school's focus, make small incremental moves in the same direction, and build a shared language for change that honours your team's experience. If you want to move beyond initiative fatigue and lead…

People in this episode

Host: Shane Leaning

Guest: Meg Lee

Topics covered

• leadership
• cognitive science
• evidence-informed teaching
• professional learning
• school management
• change implementation

Keywords

• leadership
• cognitive load
• prior knowledge
• effortful thinking
• initiative fatigue
• sustainable implementation
• professional development

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Learning Science Partners, researchED

Books & works: Mindsets for Parents

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