Leadership is one of the most complex, rewarding, and misunderstood skills in any profession, and the early years sector is no exception. Time and again, I see passionate, talented early childhood professionals step up into leadership roles and find themselves navigating that transition largely on their own. In my thirteen years of experience in early childhood education and care, there's one thing I know for certain; it's this: leadership is not a destination. It is a journey. Sometimes the journey is full of happiness and joy. Other times the journey can feel like an ultra-marathon through the wilderness on a 50-degree day. In thongs. Either way, leadership requires on-going learning, self-reflection, and commitment to collective growth.
Whether you're a Director, Assistant Director, Educational Leader, ECT, or Lead Educator stepping into a leadership role for the first time - or someone who has been leading for years - this one is for you.
Leadership is a skill that you never stop learning. If you've been fortunate enough to have had a great leader to mentor you, you'll know the difference that makes. A great mentor doesn't just show you how to manage a room or read a roster - they show you how to show up for the people around you. But even those who have had the very best mentors will tell you: learning never stops.
The early years sector is continually evolving. Frameworks are updated, research informs new best practice, community expectations shift, and the teams we lead are made up of diverse individuals who each bring their own strengths, experiences, and needs. I've had to remind myself of this throughout my career - and I still do; stay curious. Think critically about your own practice and remain open to the idea that there is always more to discover. As leaders, the moment we stop learning is the moment we also stop leading at our best.
Building a culture of honest, respectful feedback
One of the most powerful things I've done as a leader is to intentionally nurture a culture of open, professional, and respectful feedback - and to model it myself, from day one.
This means being transparent with both current and new team members: in our team, we have honest conversations. We give and receive feedback with professionalism and respect. We reflect on that feedback, and we use it to grow, for our team, for the children in our care, for their families, and for our broader community.
This culture doesn't happen by accident. It is built intentionally, consistently, and from within. I've made a point of being just as open to hearing "here's something we could do better" as I hope my team to be. When team members see leaders genuinely receiving feedback with grace and acting on it, they feel safe doing the same. That safety - that psychological trust - is where real growth happens.
Trust also comes through clarity and transparency - where our values as leaders are enacted through your actions. I've been upfront - with new team members during onboarding and with my existing team on an ongoing basis, about the standards and values that underpin our workplace culture.
One of the most important things I've been clear about? We don't do workplace gossip.
If a team member has an issue, a concern, or something they need to work through, the path forward is one of direct, respectful conversation - either with the person involved or with me for guidance on how to approach it. When we create that expectation together and hold it with care, gossip loses its foothold. We can do better, and most teams genuinely want to.
When you communicate this clearly and consistently, you empower your team. You build mutual respect. You send a message that says: I take this team's wellbeing seriously, and I will protect it.
I keep returning to this: when we treat each other with respect and professionalism, we all thrive - the individual, the team, and the culture we are building together. We are early childhood professionals, and that standard of care extends beyond our practice with children. It lives in how we treat each other every single day.
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Respectful team culture in action - a real example
One moment stays with me as a reminder of what collaborative, respectful workplace culture can look like when it's working.
Hayley, an educator from an adjoining room, noticed a child - let's call him Charlie - crying. Rachel, the room educator, was stretched across multiple tasks and had mentioned to a colleague that Charlie was seeking attention and was fine. Hayley felt uneasy and hesitant. Rachel was more experienced and more qualified. Who was she raising it?
That hesitation is worth noticing. In a culture where hierarchy quietly discourages people from speaking up, Hayley's concern might have stayed unspoken. Instead, she came to me, and we talked about how she might approach it.
The key was framing it with curiosity rather than concern. Not "I think you missed something" but "I noticed something and wanted to check in." We worked out an opening together: "I could see you had a lot on today, Rachel, and I just wanted to check in. I heard Charlie crying and popped my head in to see if everything was okay. I heard you mention he was after attention - can we talk about what was happening for him in that moment?"
From there, the conversation opened into something genuinely reflective. Crying was Charlie's primary tool for signaling that something felt off - signal that a need was unmet. A moment of connection, "I can see you're upset, Charlie. How can I help? Would you like a cuddle or some quiet time together?" could have shifted things entirely for him.
Hayley also took the opportunity to gently remind Rachel that the team next door was close by and that asking for help was always welcome. Tasks, she said warmly, can wait.
What I loved about this moment was that nobody was blamed, nobody was defensive, and a child's wellbeing was better supported because two educators trusted the culture enough to have an honest conversation. That's what we're building toward.
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Lead by example, because teams are watching.
Here is one of the most important truths I've come to understand in leadership: workplace culture is shaped from within, and it tends to take its cues from those at the top.
Team members watch leaders. They take note of how we communicate, how we handle conflict, how we respond under pressure, and how we treat others. Whether consciously or not, they often mirror what they see, because what leaders do sets the tone for what feels possible.
This is why so many workplace culture challenges find their roots at the leadership level. When leaders engage with gossip, dismiss feedback, avoid difficult conversations, or act differently to what they ask of their team - the team notices. And the culture shifts accordingly.
I've held myself to this: I only ask my team to do what I am willing to do myself. As leaders, we are not perfect, but we are visible, and this visibility makes us role models. Every interaction, every decision, every response is an opportunity to either strengthen or gently reshape the culture we want to build. In other words, it helps when we lead the way we want our team to lead.
Leaning into difficult conversations - with care and courage
One of the clearest signs of a leader who genuinely cares for their team is the willingness to have conversations that feel hard. Having these difficult conversations well is one of the most important acts of leadership we can offer.
When something needs to be addressed, the most supportive thing we can do is address it promptly. Unresolved tension has a way of expanding quietly until it takes up far more space than it should have.
A few things that guide me in those conversations:
Privacy matters deeply. Team members deserve space to receive and respond without an audience - not in learning spaces nor in a room that others might walk into. Dignity is not negotiable.
Support logistics. Work with your Assistant Director or Educational Leader so the team member can step away from the room safely and without disruption.
Come with care. Every conversation, no matter how challenging, deserves to be held with professionalism and genuine warmth for the person in front of you.
When you consistently model respectful communication, hold firm on shared values, and guide your team through navigating the tricky moments - something genuinely beautiful begins to happen.
Your team starts to do it themselves.
They begin having professional conversations directly with each other, without needing to escalate everything upward. They support one another, problem-solve together, and hold each other to the same standards you've demonstrated. They come to you when they genuinely need guidance or a thinking partner - and they come because they trust you, not because they're stuck.
This is what I think of as building capacity - strengthening your team and growing the next generation of thoughtful, compassionate leaders within your organisation. That, to me, is one of the most rewarding parts of the role.
The heart of it all: a valued team
If you want to know the real heart of a thriving early years' service, this is it: value your team.
When educators feel genuinely valued, it shows - in the quality of their practice, in the warmth of their relationships with children and families, and in the quiet resilience they bring to hard days. A valued team shapes the learning environment, the wellbeing of children, and the trust families place in your service.
Over time, culture becomes visible in the most practical ways. Educators seek services where they feel respected and supported. Families notice when a team is cohesive and purposeful. Retention improves. Reputation builds. The work of investing in your people is never wasted - it compounds.
And it all begins with one decision: to value your team, and to build a culture rooted in respect, professionalism, and genuine care.
Leadership in the early years sector is never just about managing a room or ticking compliance boxes. It is about people - and when we get the people part right, everything else follows.
Author: Kelly Sayers