Calm Leadership

Written by Patrick Cozier, Calm Leadership offers an inspiring and hopeful insight into his calm approach to school leadership, which he has crafted, developed and honed over his twenty-four years as a school leader.

Drawing on his twenty-four years’ experience, Patrick Cozier reflects on the reality of school leadership in Calm Leadership, providing a candid and personal account of his journey. Patrick first stepped into headship in 2006, one of the few Black school leaders in the UK at the time. Over the next two decades, he learned to lead through the highs and lows of the role, from navigating imposter syndrome and everyday pressures to experiencing moments of joy and hard-won progress – and to do so calmly.

At the heart of this book is Patrick’s ‘CALM’ leadership model, honed and crafted by him over many years, which entails:

• Confronting uncalm feelings


• Adapting to the feeling of leadership


• Leading people with humanity and understanding


• Maturing into the leader you are meant to be

This model offers a framework for managing stress, staying well and maintaining a positive outlook so that readers can sustain leadership roles in the long term. This book addresses a part of leadership that’s often overlooked: what it actually feels like to lead.

The central message of this book is that leadership doesn’t have to be a burnout job; it can be a source of joy, fulfilment and lasting impact when approached with the right mindset and strategies, which Patrick presents with clarity, passion and heart.

Essential for current and aspiring school leaders at all levels.