TLP: Ed Ladd, The American School in Japan

by | Sep 4, 2012 | The Leadership Project

Few school leaders have worked at as many high performing international schools as Ed Ladd, Head of School at the American School in Japan.  With a career that includes leadership positions in London, Israel, Taiwan, Qatar and Japan, Mr. Ladd’s experience has undoubtedly been a vital component in returning ASIJ to normalcy after the devastating earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear crisis that struck Japan in March 2011. Before meeting Mr. Ladd, I had heard his leadership style described as sometimes aggressive and demanding, but often effective.  What I found in our interview was an innovator who is passionate about “pushing the envelope” and a detective for genuine learning, something we should all hope to see in our schools but don’t always.  With obvious enthusiasm for positive change, it’s not surprising that Mr. Ladd has helped transform international education while others have been left watching. (If not specifically quoted, Mr. Ladd’s answers to these questions have been paraphrased) You’ve held overseas positions in many locations do you have a favorite?  “They’ve been so different I’ve really liked them all.  [I guess] my wife and I would probably say London because it was our first experience, and because I went there as a teacher and not as an administrator.” When and why did you decide to step into leadership? “Quite frankly I don’t think I was thinking ‘I want to be a leader’ or ‘I want to be an administrator’.”  It all started when I had an opportunity to apply to become the dean of students in London, but didn’t get the position.  Fortunately, a few years later I was asked to...