TLP: Stephen Dare, Hong Kong Academy

If you pay any attention to the status of international education in Southeast Asia, you know of the tremendous growth that has taken place.  Despite this growth, areas like Hong Kong continue to see demand outpace supply.  Some schools see this as an opportunity to expand.  Hong Kong Academy, currently located on Hong Kong Island, is not that kind of school.  It’s true that HKA will increase its enrollment from 470 to 600 students when they move to their new location in Sai Kung in 2013, but this is by no means a mega-school; and that’s exactly the point.

I had the pleasure of speaking with HKA Head of School Steve Dare, and what struck me most in our conversation is how he has helped shape a clear mission and vision that drives the school.  At the core of this vision is a focus on building an intentionally diverse community, which from what I could tell aligns well with Mr. Dare’s values as a leader.

Describe your leadership style?

“It’s hard to say one has a style, [instead] I try to be aware of what my strengths are and the challenges I have…[I believe] I have the capacity to bring people into the leadership conversation.”  I realize building a school isn’t just about my ideas as a leader, but it’s a conversation between stakeholders.  

“[One of my greatest roles] is as an ambassador for the school and because I have a clear vision and sense of direction for the school, I want to bring as many people in as I can who share that vision.”  In this process it’s important to always remember “that we’re working with human beings” and you must always value building community and relationships.

How have you developed from place to place? Did you grow more through moving to new schools or maturing in the same position?

I think it’s a mixture of everything.  Working at very different schools has allowed me the opportunity to see how well established programs operate, as well as experiment with new ideas.

What’s been really important in my development is to see what different communities value.  “Every school context is different, the more access you have to an international community, and different experiences [help] you become a better person…because you develop a much greater perspective.”  Schools are about community so working in these different locations has helped facilitate that better.

What’s your greatest priority when choosing teachers and administrators for HKA?  How important is leadership ability?

“It can sometimes be situational and depends on the job description…Teachers are leaders in their own capacity in their classroom.”

When it comes to administrators I need leaders who are ok with making decisions and can be innovative.  Much of what administrators do is manage change, which can be difficult for schools.  However, People are often afraid to change not because they don’t want it, but because they don’t understand or know how to go through the process. 

“[Great leaders] are able to convey things with simple language, because one of the problems we have in change areas is we over complicate things, use too much jargon and language and we lose people…these leaders are able to put things in very simplistic terms that make people feel good about the change and make it seem achievable.”

HKA’s mantra is “Small School, Big Ideas”, how do you embody this?

“We’re never going to become the school that’s looking to [enroll] 2000 students, we like the fact that we’re small…[and] we believe there are many advantages to being in a small school…

 “[For example] we strive for intimacy within our community…[and we value] really knowing the people in our population…I’ve never been in a school that is so dedicated to building community as Hong Kong Academy.”  Even outside of our school walls we try to engage the community.  Many of our new building and facility decisions were made by examining what the surrounding community could already provide so we could complement that.

“[Also] just because you’re small, doesn’t mean you have to miss out on big school opportunities.”  Our new purpose built facilities will give our students many of the same experiences as other schools in Hong Kong.

What advice do you have for the next generation of international ED leaders?

Keep building connections with people.  Especially peers at other schools who can help guide you in decisions you’re considering at your own school.

Don’t be afraid to be bold but be aware of your own strengths and challenges. Nobody expects you to know or to be able to do everything, but you are expected to get the best resources for the job in hand.

Empower others around you and always give credit to that that has made a difference.