In spite of substantial investments, the education system in the UK does not seem to be coping that well. As per business research conducted by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), the UK is on the lower rung among OECD members in mathematics, science and reading. In order to rectify this situation, a leader is needed who will quietly do sustainable work. Five leadership styles have been identified, only one of them will be effective as head of any educational institute. The first style is Surgeon who typically come from Religious Studies or Physical Education backgrounds. They believe in discipline above all else, trim the school numbers to only include the good students, resulting in improvements in test scores. These test scores though do not remain so for long, as the rot sets in, after they leave as no effort has been made to actually improve the younger or underperforming students. The next type Soldier mainly emerge from IT or chemistry backgrounds. They cut off all additional benefits to support staff, and all existing people need to be on their toes at all times. All frills are cut leading to improved financial performance, but no such effects on the test scores. Within a few years, the staff is exhausted and it all comes down once the person moves on. Accountants frequently come from mathematics stream and have an eye on numbers at all times. They ensure that revenues improve as they develop newer opportunities such as non-teaching offerings or school facilities being leased out for other purposes. However, exam results do not see any improvements. The Philosopher type believe in debates and discussion, while themselves originating mainly from English or language background. They believe that academics is the main task of the school, but do not deal with it head on. A few years later, school teachers realize no substantial gain has been made. The most productive are the Architect type who primarily come from Economics or History specializations. They are typically professionals who have worked in the corporate world before joining academics because of their need to give back to society. They take long term decisions and engage the local community, yet the benefits only appear slowly sustainably. Perversely, architects are the least rewarded by society, with surgeons and philosophers being on top of the pile and the other two types sandwiched in between in terms of national recognition.

source:https://hbr.org/2016/10/the-one-type-of-leader-who-can-turn-around-a-failing-school