Leading with Intention: How Habit Stacking Supports Effective School Leadership

Leading in education often feels like operating at full speed from the moment you walk through the door. The demands come quickly and from all directions, staff, pupils, parents, governors, inspectors. Time is limited, energy is finite, and the urgent often overtakes the important. That’s why leadership development, personal growth, and even basic habits like reflection or planning often get pushed to the bottom of the list. But what if there was a simple, realistic way to build better leadership habits, without overhauling your entire routine?

Enter habit stacking.

What Is Habit Stacking?

Habit stacking is a concept popularised by James Clear in Atomic Habits. The idea is simple: instead of trying to build new habits from scratch, you attach them to habits you already do consistently. You take a behaviour that’s already part of your routine, and “stack” a new habit on top of it, using the existing behaviour as a trigger. For example:
“After I make my morning coffee, I’ll spend two minutes reviewing my priorities for the day.”
“After I send the staff bulletin, I’ll reflect on one leadership interaction from the past week.”

The key is keeping the new habit small and achievable, so it fits seamlessly into your day without adding stress.

Why Habit Stacking Works for Educational Leaders

In education, time is tight and unpredictability is high. You may plan your day with the best of intentions, only to be thrown off by an urgent issue or unexpected conversation. Habit stacking offers a flexible, realistic way to build better leadership practices into your existing routines. It:

• Reduces decision fatigue
• Builds consistency without needing extra time
• Helps make intentional leadership behaviours automatic
• Creates momentum through small wins

Most importantly, it doesn’t require you to be perfect. It just asks you to be consistent.

Practical Habit Stacks

Here are some examples of habit stacking that can be built into the school day:

1. Before the Morning Briefing
After I arrive at my desk, I will take 60 seconds to write down my top three priorities for the day.
This keeps you focused before the demands of the day take over and helps avoid reacting to everyone else’s priorities before your own.

2. While Walking the School
After I finish my walk around the site or boarding house, I will write down one thing I noticed that deserves follow-up or praise.
You’re probably walking the school already, this simple reflection habit strengthens visibility, staff morale, and relationship-building.

3. After Checking Emails
After I finish my first scan of emails, I will delegate one task or forward one decision to a team member.
This keeps delegation front of mind and helps prevent leadership bottlenecks from forming.

4. During or After Lunch
After I finish lunch, I’ll check in with one team member informally (even just a quick “How’s it going?”)
Small, intentional conversations can go a long way in building trust and showing presence.

5. Before Leaving for the Day
After I close my laptop, I’ll write one sentence about what went well today or what I would handle differently next time.
Reflection doesn’t need to be a big task. One line is enough to build awareness and learning over time.

Making It Stick

If you try to do too much, you’ll likely drop the habit altogether. The power of habit stacking lies in its simplicity. Choose one habit, tie it to something you already do without fail, and commit to it for a few weeks. Once that habit feels automatic, you can stack another. And if you miss a day, don’t overthink it. Leadership is a long game. Progress always matters more than perfection.

Why This Matters for Leadership Development

Leadership is often talked about as if it’s something developed through courses or titles. But in reality, your leadership is shaped by the small things you do every day.

• How you greet people.
• How you prepare for meetings.
• How you respond under pressure.
• How you build reflection into your routine.

Habit stacking helps turn those small actions into consistent behaviours that build confidence, credibility, and clarity over time.

At The Managers Training Company, we support educational leaders to grow through sustainable, real-world development, no jargon, just practical tools and coaching that help you lead with purpose. If you’re looking to make small changes that stick this year, habit stacking might be the best place to start.

Want to explore practical leadership habits that really work?
Join us for our free webinar on 23rd October at 1pm, where we’ll introduce you to 6 Smart Leadership Habits that make a real difference every day, without adding to your workload. Perfect for school leaders and managers who want to lead with more confidence, consistency, and impact