Middle East School Leaders Conference

This February 5-6, Search Associate Bill Turner was privileged to join nearly 250 participants at the Middle East School Leaders (MESL) Conference, held at The Habtoor Grand Hotel in Dubai. The remarkable event brought together the most diverse group of senior delegates at a Middle East conference, by far, due to the range of curriculum and national backgrounds represented. The conference, organized by Leisa Grace Wilson (pictured at right with Bill), focused on legacy. 

Bill was able to attend two short presentations. The first was by Evelyn Forde, a British author and former Headteacher, who left school at 16 and, despite repeated rejections and discouragement, fought her way to being a successful Headteacher. Her book is called Herstory: A Leadership Manifesto. The second presentation was by Professor Rob Coe, Director of Research and Development at Evidence Based Education. His simple message was that every decision we make about school improvement should be focused on improving what takes place in a classroom, and he suggested that we have become distracted from this. Professor Coe is the lead author of the 2020 Great Teaching Toolkit: Evidence Review, co-author of the Education Endowment Foundation’s Teaching and Learning Toolkit, and the Teacher Development Trust’s Developing Great Teaching report. Both keynote speakers sit on national bodies advising education policy in England.

On the first morning, Bill joined two others on a panel of ex-Principals focusing on how they shifted into new work after leading schools, the skills they took with them, and the new skills they had to learn. The presentation centered on issues including identity, motivation, and community. Bill explains,

What do I tell people I am now? It was easy to elicit understanding and respect when I used to say, “School Principal.” It was also easy to be motivated as a principal; it is important to find a new source of motivation without that title. Finally, when you lose your place at the centre of a school community in which everyone looks at and to you, what replaces this and how will you manage it?

The delegates in attendance—many of whom are preparing to enter the workforce—were eager to gain insights from the presenters’ firsthand experiences. Their questions reflected a deep interest in navigating the evolving employment landscape and understanding how they can position themselves for success. In a world where industries, technologies, and educational pathways are rapidly changing, these discussions are more important than ever, equipping future educators and leaders with the knowledge and adaptability needed to thrive.