What Mid-Level Leaders Need Most from Their Principals
School leaders participating in PIVOT’s group learning
Mid-level leaders don’t need more meetings or more initiatives. They need principals who are close enough to feel their work.
Not perfectly.
Not constantly.
Just consistently—about 80% of the time.
At PIVOT, we refer to Mid-Level Leaders as individuals who directly support the schoolwide systems such as instruction, school culture, and attendance systems within their schools. (Think: Assistant Principals, Deans of Culture, Instructional Coaches). Ultimately, they are leaders in the building that stand alongside Principals in driving towards high development, and student achievement beyond the classroom.
Why It Matters:
Navigating what it takes to meet expectations, develop teachers, and lead teams is a challenge. When I was a mid-level leader, I didn’t need someone to micromanage me or hand me answers. I needed to feel safe to say, “I’m stuck.” I needed a space to learn and grow. I needed a coach who reflected my strengths back to me, provided gentle yet honest feedback, and allowed me to take real leadership swings.
At PIVOT, places where we have seen this go well are in environments where principals walk the work alongside Mid-level leaders—not from afar. Here’s what that looks like to support your Mid-level leaders’ development.
Be Proximate to Their Work
Mid-Level Leaders need principals to walk the work with them—not from afar.
That means showing up in PLCs periodically and sharing feedback, co-observing classrooms and discussing next steps, and understanding the real constraints during regular one-on-one coaching meetings. Proximity builds alignment and sends a clear message: I see you, I value your work, and I’m in it with you.
2. Provide 80% Consistency on a Few Leader Moves
What mid-level leaders want most is predictability. They appreciate it when Principals protect coaching time. They understand that important meetings pop-up on calendars. It is when coaching meetings are regularly cancelled. Or when meetings lack clarity, priority items are not discussing, and end with more assignments and deadlines that feel more compliance driven than productive. Principals can model executing steady habits—done most of the time—that communicate reliability and trust.
3. Hold the Paradoxes
Mid-level leaders live in the “both/and” space everyday by supporting and holding teams accountable, listening and directing, coaching and evaluating.
They need principals who can hold those paradoxes and complexity of the work too:
High expectations and psychological safety
Candor and care
Space to lead and guardrails to guide
When principals model balanced leadership, mid-level leaders feel permission to lead with confidence and humanity.
4. Make Development Concrete
Mid-level leaders want real growth—not theory or platitudes. They want a concrete development about what they should be working on across benchmarks along the school year. They appreciate goals and clear areas of focus. They want to see a plan for what their professional development and growth will look like.
Principals — Mid-level leaders want to know that they play an important role in the work. They want clarity about expected outcomes. They want to feel safe enough to ask for help when they mess up. They want a relationship strong enough to hold honesty, growth, and trust. You know, the good stuff that made you the leader that you are today!