Irene Rinaldi

References and further reading:

Business Harvard Review: The Real Leadership Lessons of Steve Jobs
DELOITTE | THE FEMALE QUOTIENT: REDEFINING LEADERSHIP The Inclusion Imperative
The Economic Times: Leading by Example: The Power of Authentic Leadership in Management

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For over a month now, I've been mulling over what my first blog post should be. My mind is like a typewriter constantly at work; there's so much I want to express and simply share. I plan to capture and pen down some of these reflections here and see how it goes.

Last month, I attended an incredibly inspiring training session with the Principal Training Centre (PTC), joining 39 other international education leaders worldwide. This was my second PTC course, and I was surrounded by some of the most dynamic participants and colleagues. A profound sense of trust and understanding had emerged by the third day of our seven-day journey. It felt as though the communication barriers had dissolved, allowing us to share our stories and seek solutions from one another.

During the course, I was invited to share a pearl of wisdom with my PTC community and recount a significant story and lesson from my leadership journey. Surprisingly, I felt ready to reveal one of the most pivotal milestones and barriers I've experienced. It's something known-ish about me, yet I've never officially shared it as a story nor voiced the discomfort and oddness I felt during that phase. So here I am, grateful to my mentors and peers for providing a platform that has encouraged me to reflect on my journey and helped me find strength in my experiences and transform them into a beautiful narrative.

There are many layers to who I am and how I've arrived. I am a woman, a third-culture child with a nebulous sense of cultural belonging, an ESL student with no formal education in English as a first or second language, and, lastly, often the youngest in the room. How you interpret this depends on your own experiences with these roles so far.

Seven years ago, I found myself at a crossroads in my career when I was offered the leadership role. Despite having over a decade of experience, the right qualifications from prestigious universities (at least that’s what they said), and excitement, the transition could have been smoother. In the community and country where I worked, there were fixed notions about what a senior leader in an educational organisation should look like. It was suddenly me against the cultural expectations.

Teachers didn't want me to tell them what to do; they were perfectly fine listening to the same feedback from someone else. Parents would come to see the Programme Coordinator and then ask, "Where is Ms. Ira's office?" Later on, when they came to meet the Head of the Programme, they would cross paths with me in the hallway without realising it was me they were looking for. This situation led me to question my identity as a leader. I began to alter my appearance—dressing more formally and wearing glasses to appear wiser, laughing and smiling a little less. Maybe wearing formal heels would make me look more mature? But deep down, I kept asking myself, "What does a leader look like?" The cultural expectations of what a senior leader in an educational organisation should look like often made my journey very personal. It was not about my competence or passion but about fitting into a preconceived mould of a leader that was based on age and appearance

I won't deny that my international colleagues and coaches embraced and recognised me; sometimes, I felt safe with them. However, not too long ago, I travelled to an Asian country for a workshop at an international school. The first day was nothing short of horrific. Despite tapping into prior knowledge and feeling confident about what I do and what I would facilitate, the room had a tangible sense of suspense and uneasiness. I couldn't figure out the underlying tension.

The second morning, I met the head of the school over a cup of iced Americano. We had a wonderful chat, and somewhere in the conversation, she casually said, "I know, right? At first, we were taken aback by how young you are. Culturally, we were expecting someone more senior—by age. But thank you, Ira. This has been great so far."
 

I am still in touch with some of those teachers, hearing all the fantastic things they do in the PYP classrooms. Her words were a revelation. They made me realise that the initial unease wasn't about my competence but the cultural expectations of what a Head of school would generally look like. Once the community knew me and saw my passion and expertise, those barriers began to dissolve. I didn't need to fit into a preconceived mould of a leader; I needed to be myself and embrace my unique identity as a leader. I can unapologetically wear those sneakers and walk into the conference room!

These experiences taught me and are still teaching me a valuable lesson: Authentic leadership transcends age and appearance. It's about a growth mindset, connection, confidence, and the ability to inspire others. Today, leadership aims to forge genuine connections and inspire others through your unique leadership style while acknowledging others’ differences.

In 2018, Deloitte partnered with The Female Quotient to survey 5,075 workers to examine how they felt leadership styles should evolve to meet the needs of today's workforce. The resulting study revealed that 72% of employees want a redefinition of leadership to be more "human," balancing hard power traits and softer, more emotional qualities.

Much has been made about dressing for the job you want, not the job you have. But if tech CEOs in their hoodies and visionary iconoclasts like Steve Jobs in his black turtleneck have taught us anything about the appearance of leadership, it's that leadership is not always what it appears. True leadership requires no costume. Wear the power suit if it suits you, but not if it's a prop to make up for a gap in skills or true authority.

Gradually, perceptions are beginning to shift. Parents and colleagues have started to see me for who I am—a different and inclusive leader.

One evening, after a successful high school event, a parent approached me and said, "I must admit, I didn't realise you were the Head of the primary school at first. But now, I see you. I want my daughter to grow up and be like you." I felt a strong sense of responsibility after that conversation.

If you are reading this and you are one of the youngest in the room, I see you. If you know a young leader, please see them as and beyond all the bias!

My pearl of wisdom to my colleagues was: Wherever you are, remember that authentic leadership transcends age and appearance. It's a subtle but balanced interweaving of hard and soft power traits meshed with technical skills, flexible enough to meet the demands of an inclusive future.

Illustrations:

Irene Rinaldi

References and further reading:

Business Harvard Review: The Real Leadership Lessons of Steve Jobs
DELOITTE | THE FEMALE QUOTIENT: REDEFINING LEADERSHIP The Inclusion Imperative
The Economic Times: Leading by Example: The Power of Authentic Leadership in Management

">

I am still in touch with some of those teachers, hearing all the fantastic things they do in the PYP classrooms. Her words were a revelation. They made me realise that the initial unease wasn't about my competence but the cultural expectations of what a Head of school would generally look like. Once the community knew me and saw my passion and expertise, those barriers began to dissolve. I didn't need to fit into a preconceived mould of a leader; I needed to be myself and embrace my unique identity as a leader. I can unapologetically wear those sneakers and walk into the conference room!

These experiences taught me and are still teaching me a valuable lesson: Authentic leadership transcends age and appearance. It's about a growth mindset, connection, confidence, and the ability to inspire others. Today, leadership aims to forge genuine connections and inspire others through your unique leadership style while acknowledging others’ differences.

In 2018, Deloitte partnered with The Female Quotient to survey 5,075 workers to examine how they felt leadership styles should evolve to meet the needs of today's workforce. The resulting study revealed that 72% of employees want a redefinition of leadership to be more "human," balancing hard power traits and softer, more emotional qualities.

Much has been made about dressing for the job you want, not the job you have. But if tech CEOs in their hoodies and visionary iconoclasts like Steve Jobs in his black turtleneck have taught us anything about the appearance of leadership, it's that leadership is not always what it appears. True leadership requires no costume. Wear the power suit if it suits you, but not if it's a prop to make up for a gap in skills or true authority.

Gradually, perceptions are beginning to shift. Parents and colleagues have started to see me for who I am—a different and inclusive leader.

One evening, after a successful high school event, a parent approached me and said, "I must admit, I didn't realise you were the Head of the primary school at first. But now, I see you. I want my daughter to grow up and be like you." I felt a strong sense of responsibility after that conversation.

If you are reading this and you are one of the youngest in the room, I see you. If you know a young leader, please see them as and beyond all the bias!

My pearl of wisdom to my colleagues was: Wherever you are, remember that authentic leadership transcends age and appearance. It's a subtle but balanced interweaving of hard and soft power traits meshed with technical skills, flexible enough to meet the demands of an inclusive future.

Illustrations:

Irene Rinaldi

References and further reading:

Business Harvard Review: The Real Leadership Lessons of Steve Jobs
DELOITTE | THE FEMALE QUOTIENT: REDEFINING LEADERSHIP The Inclusion Imperative
The Economic Times: Leading by Example: The Power of Authentic Leadership in Management

">

For over a month now, I've been mulling over what my first blog post should be. My mind is like a typewriter constantly at work; there's so much I want to express and simply share. I plan to capture and pen down some of these reflections here and see how it goes.

Last month, I attended an incredibly inspiring training session with the Principal Training Centre (PTC), joining 39 other international education leaders worldwide. This was my second PTC course, and I was surrounded by some of the most dynamic participants and colleagues. A profound sense of trust and understanding had emerged by the third day of our seven-day journey. It felt as though the communication barriers had dissolved, allowing us to share our stories and seek solutions from one another.

During the course, I was invited to share a pearl of wisdom with my PTC community and recount a significant story and lesson from my leadership journey. Surprisingly, I felt ready to reveal one of the most pivotal milestones and barriers I've experienced. It's something known-ish about me, yet I've never officially shared it as a story nor voiced the discomfort and oddness I felt during that phase. So here I am, grateful to my mentors and peers for providing a platform that has encouraged me to reflect on my journey and helped me find strength in my experiences and transform them into a beautiful narrative.

There are many layers to who I am and how I've arrived. I am a woman, a third-culture child with a nebulous sense of cultural belonging, an ESL student with no formal education in English as a first or second language, and, lastly, often the youngest in the room. How you interpret this depends on your own experiences with these roles so far.

Seven years ago, I found myself at a crossroads in my career when I was offered the leadership role. Despite having over a decade of experience, the right qualifications from prestigious universities (at least that’s what they said), and excitement, the transition could have been smoother. In the community and country where I worked, there were fixed notions about what a senior leader in an educational organisation should look like. It was suddenly me against the cultural expectations.

Teachers didn't want me to tell them what to do; they were perfectly fine listening to the same feedback from someone else. Parents would come to see the Programme Coordinator and then ask, "Where is Ms. Ira's office?" Later on, when they came to meet the Head of the Programme, they would cross paths with me in the hallway without realising it was me they were looking for. This situation led me to question my identity as a leader. I began to alter my appearance—dressing more formally and wearing glasses to appear wiser, laughing and smiling a little less. Maybe wearing formal heels would make me look more mature? But deep down, I kept asking myself, "What does a leader look like?" The cultural expectations of what a senior leader in an educational organisation should look like often made my journey very personal. It was not about my competence or passion but about fitting into a preconceived mould of a leader that was based on age and appearance

I won't deny that my international colleagues and coaches embraced and recognised me; sometimes, I felt safe with them. However, not too long ago, I travelled to an Asian country for a workshop at an international school. The first day was nothing short of horrific. Despite tapping into prior knowledge and feeling confident about what I do and what I would facilitate, the room had a tangible sense of suspense and uneasiness. I couldn't figure out the underlying tension.

The second morning, I met the head of the school over a cup of iced Americano. We had a wonderful chat, and somewhere in the conversation, she casually said, "I know, right? At first, we were taken aback by how young you are. Culturally, we were expecting someone more senior—by age. But thank you, Ira. This has been great so far."
 

I am still in touch with some of those teachers, hearing all the fantastic things they do in the PYP classrooms. Her words were a revelation. They made me realise that the initial unease wasn't about my competence but the cultural expectations of what a Head of school would generally look like. Once the community knew me and saw my passion and expertise, those barriers began to dissolve. I didn't need to fit into a preconceived mould of a leader; I needed to be myself and embrace my unique identity as a leader. I can unapologetically wear those sneakers and walk into the conference room!

These experiences taught me and are still teaching me a valuable lesson: Authentic leadership transcends age and appearance. It's about a growth mindset, connection, confidence, and the ability to inspire others. Today, leadership aims to forge genuine connections and inspire others through your unique leadership style while acknowledging others’ differences.

In 2018, Deloitte partnered with The Female Quotient to survey 5,075 workers to examine how they felt leadership styles should evolve to meet the needs of today's workforce. The resulting study revealed that 72% of employees want a redefinition of leadership to be more "human," balancing hard power traits and softer, more emotional qualities.

Much has been made about dressing for the job you want, not the job you have. But if tech CEOs in their hoodies and visionary iconoclasts like Steve Jobs in his black turtleneck have taught us anything about the appearance of leadership, it's that leadership is not always what it appears. True leadership requires no costume. Wear the power suit if it suits you, but not if it's a prop to make up for a gap in skills or true authority.

Gradually, perceptions are beginning to shift. Parents and colleagues have started to see me for who I am—a different and inclusive leader.

One evening, after a successful high school event, a parent approached me and said, "I must admit, I didn't realise you were the Head of the primary school at first. But now, I see you. I want my daughter to grow up and be like you." I felt a strong sense of responsibility after that conversation.

If you are reading this and you are one of the youngest in the room, I see you. If you know a young leader, please see them as and beyond all the bias!

My pearl of wisdom to my colleagues was: Wherever you are, remember that authentic leadership transcends age and appearance. It's a subtle but balanced interweaving of hard and soft power traits meshed with technical skills, flexible enough to meet the demands of an inclusive future.

Illustrations:

Irene Rinaldi

References and further reading:

Business Harvard Review: The Real Leadership Lessons of Steve Jobs
DELOITTE | THE FEMALE QUOTIENT: REDEFINING LEADERSHIP The Inclusion Imperative
The Economic Times: Leading by Example: The Power of Authentic Leadership in Management