Scout Mindset by Julia Galef: Essential Reading for Headteachers

The Scout Mindset is a highly engaging and readable book that I’ve been recommending to primary school leaders since its release in 2021. Many headteachers I’ve recommended it to at training sessions and leadership conferences have found its insights extremely thought-provoking. If I’m being honest, as someone who was born into a military family, part of the initial attraction (of the cover) when I first picked up the book was the military link!

Straightforward metaphors

Unlike some ‘smart thinking’ books, Scout Mindset is rooted in practical, daily life, and the metaphor used by Julia Galef is applicable to key features of leadership, regardless of the size or context of your school. Galef argues that soldiers defend and attack, whilst scouts employ genuine curiosity to find out what is accurate and true. It’s a powerful way to describe the mindsets we can all adopt in the workplace and wider life.

The book starts by providing a rationale for viewing mindsets through the metaphor of the soldier/scout lens. Galef states that ‘Life is made up of judgement calls, and the more you can avoid distorting your perception of reality, the better your judgement will be.’ It’s clear from the arguments in the book that sound judgements rely upon an accurate understanding of reality, even if gaining this understanding is challenging and, sometimes, painful. In the current, high stakes environment headteachers are operating in, making sound decisions is a key leadership skill.

The need for courage

Galef suggests that we’re generally a blend of both scout and soldier mindsets and can fluctuate between them in quite short time periods as contexts change. The willingness and courage to adopt a scout mindset and welcome the truth is what allows others to be honest with you. This is vital when leading a school staff on a journey of improvement.

One of the elements within the book I was surprised to note was the focus upon the lengths we go to, often unconsciously, to protect our own self-esteem, morale and sense of belonging by avoiding unpleasant truths. Self-deception, to support short-term emotional and social rewards, undermines our ability to access hard truths. Ironically, it’s these very truths that allow us to apply our judgement to situations and actually solve problems, notice opportunities and decide how we really want to lead our schools.

Headteachers will be well aware of how these messages link to the concept of psychological safety and the importance of establishing this as a foundation for individual self-esteem, effective team relationships and school culture.

Practical approaches

Although the book grounds itself in theory, it provides practical strategies to support personal reflection and the further development of a scout mindset. One of the areas that resonated most with me was around the ability to be comfortable with ‘being wrong’ and the courage this takes when working with others. As someone who has led schools in the past, where you’re regularly required to make swift decisions, hindsight often illuminates alternatives. Accepting this can be challenging. A scout mindset would enable us to be more open to honest reflection, allowing learning to inform more effective decision-making. Experienced headteachers will no doubt have faced such situations and grappled with the associated mindsets that may emerge.

Perhaps another area in the book that would resonate with leaders is the extent to which ‘echo chambers’ can undermine the path to accuracy and truth. Whether it’s amongst your team, your governing body, or the wider community, ensuring diverse perspectives are heard is crucial. In an increasingly polarised society, this book might also be worth recommending to those outside of your organisation.

Galef draws upon engaging stories, research, models and a host of examples to back up her arguments. For those of us who are genuinely interested in personal and professional development, there are clear, reassuring links to a wide range of accepted research and findings.

An inspiration for change

For me, the book would get an excellent rating due to the personal reflection it promotes and the subsequent impact this can have upon thinking and future behaviour. Such behaviour change will only happen if we have the courage to seek hard truths, accept that none of us are perfect, but that we can develop as better human beings and better leaders. These are aspects that headteachers will be intimately familiar with.

The last words should rightfully go to Galef: ‘We can find ways to cope with fear and insecurity. We can take bold risks and persevere in the face of setbacks. We can influence, persuade, and inspire. We can fight for social change. And we can do all of this by understanding and working with what’s real, not shutting our eyes to it.’

Scout Mindset provides inspiration for those who have the courage to be open to new ideas. It’s also a practical guide for those willing to venture on such a journey and lead in a more authentic and effective way.