Jennifer Bertram on Trusting Your Inner Leadership Expert
The Ruckus Report
Quick take: International school leader Jennifer Bertram reveals how trusting your intuition can lead to unexpected leadership opportunities, and how joining a supportive community of fellow leaders transforms professional growth.
Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker
Originally from Canada, Jennifer’s teaching journey began in Montevideo, Uruguay, followed by many years at Escola Americana de Campinas, Brazil. She transitioned to administrative roles including Secondary Dean of Students and Assistant Principal. Jennifer then served as Middle School Principal at the American International School of Dhaka for five years before moving to American International School Chennai with her family.
In this episode, Jennifer Bertram challenges traditional education paradigms:
Key Insight #1: Leadership Pathways Aren’t Always Conventional
- What’s broken: The belief that leadership journeys must follow a prescribed, traditional path
- The shift: Embracing unexpected opportunities, even when they seem imperfect or challenging
- Impact: Discovering authentic leadership styles while gaining valuable experience in roles others might avoid
Key Insight #2: Community-Fueled Confidence
- What’s broken: The isolation and loneliness of school leadership positions
- The shift: Joining supportive communities of like-minded leaders who face similar challenges
- Impact: Creating a professional network that offers accountability, resource sharing, and emotional support
Key Insight #3: Sticky Core Values Drive School Culture
- What’s broken: Abstract, forgettable school values that don’t connect with daily practices
- The shift: Creating “sticky” core values that tell stories and create memorable mindsets
- Impact: Transforming school culture through principles like “Every day is a new day,” “Together we,” and “The gift of concentration”
Quotable Ruckus
“Leadership can be lonely. It can be one of those places where you would love to be able to talk about an issue with someone, and you just can’t for various reasons. What I found in the Mastermind was a group that is very open.”
- Jennifer Bertram
Your Do School Different Challenge
Ready to implement these ideas? Start here:
- Tomorrow: Trust your intuition when an unexpected leadership opportunity presents itself
- This Month: Create one “sticky core value” that can be turned into a memorable, actionable school goal
- This Semester: Build a support network of leaders facing similar challenges to combat professional isolation
Get the full episode transcript: here
Follow Jennifer Bertram: LinkedIn
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