The Speed Trap of Leadership

What if the problem isn’t a lack of leadership, but too much speed?

In schools, leadership often looks like motion.
Quick decisions. Swift announcements. Immediate action.

But pause for a moment and ask yourself:

How many times have you solved the same problem, just in a different form?
How often does taking quick action feel productive, yet nothing really changes? And why do certain challenges keep returning, no matter how firmly you address them?

This is where many leaders unknowingly fall into what can be called the speed trap of leadership.

When Acting Fast Feels Like Leading Well

Many principals and school leaders pride themselves on being proactive problem-solvers. Something breaks, they fix it. Something slips, they tighten it. Something falters, they replace it.

On the surface, this looks like strong leadership.
But is it always?

Peter Senge, a renowned American systems scientist, educator, and author—best known for popularising the idea of the Learning Organisation—offers a powerful lens to examine this habit. He challenges the belief that leadership is about reacting faster or pushing harder.

Often, what we call proactive is simply reactive behaviour with better branding.

In schools, this shows up when:

• A new policy is introduced every time tension rises.
• Timetables are reshuffled when stress peaks.
• Incentives are added when motivation dips.
• Frameworks multiply when clarity is missing.

Each decision feels necessary. Each action feels urgent.
Yet the same concerns quietly return.

So the question emerges, one that’s uncomfortable but essential:

Are we solving problems… or are we staying busy managing symptoms?

The Question Leaders Rarely Pause to Ask

True leadership doesn’t begin with answers.
It begins with better questions.

Before launching the next initiative, Senge invites leaders to pause and ask:

“What system created this problem in the first place?”

This single question changes everything.

Instead of focusing on what went wrong, it asks us to look at how things are designed to work. And often, the answers are hiding in plain sight:

• Cycles of teacher workload that peak predictably every term.
• Communication structures where messages dilute as they travel.
• Unspoken cultural expectations around compliance, not clarity.

When leaders begin to look at patterns instead of isolated events, they stop chasing one issue after another and start understanding why those issues keep appearing.

And once you see the pattern, you cannot unsee it.

From Speed to Sense-Making

Here’s the paradox:
Slowing down doesn’t weaken leadership—it strengthens it.

Reflective leaders don’t act less. They act more intentionally.

Instead of asking:

• “What should we fix next?”

They begin asking:

• “What keeps creating this situation?”
• “What are we rewarding without realising it?”
• “What behaviour is our system quietly encouraging?”

These questions don’t demand instant answers.
They demand honesty. And that’s where growth begins.

An Invitation, Not an Instruction

This is not a call to stop acting.
It’s a call to stop rushing.

Because schools don’t improve through constant motion.
They improve through clear seeing, thoughtful design, and patient leadership.

So the next time you feel the urge to act quickly, pause and ask yourself:

Am I just fixing today’s problem, or helping prevent it from coming back?

That pause; small, deliberate, intentional, might be the most powerful leadership move you make.