This book has been written at a time when the direct impact of leadership on the success of schools is increasingly widely accepted. Team leadership has always been important in schools, whether at the level of the department, the curriculum area, the key stage, the phase, or in relation to pastoral and leadership teams. This role has assumed even greater significance in the UK in recent years because of the introduction of the mandatory performance management arrangements. The skills required to be an effective team leader in schools are many and varied, but personal management skills lie at the heart of getting the best from those that make up the team. This book is about how team leaders can contribute to overall school improvement and is intended to be a resource for those who lead and manage teams--at all levels--within schools. It focuses on the key personal management skills that each of us needs to develop if we are to support colleagues in the most effective way. The first chapter looks at what it means to be a highly effective team leader in schools. Chapter 2 focuses on team leadership and development and acknowledges that although definitions of leadership abound, they have in common a basic belief that leadership is a creative and interpersonal activity that focuses on initiating, enabling and sustaining improvement. Chapter 3 considers how team leaders, through personal engagement with team members, can model the way forward and motivate team members to achieve beyond what they thought was possible. One of the critical factors in leadership and management success is to control one's use of time and priorities. Chapter 4 focuses on strategies and techniques for achieving greater control over these aspects. For those who have some scope for delegating, chapter 5 provides helpful guidance for team leaders on the factors that determine effective delegation, together with practical considerations for making delegation worthwhile from the viewpoint of all concerned. Meetings are likely to continue to be a significant feature of the role of team leaders. Chapter 6 looks at ways of managing meetings more effectively and provides guidance for planning, conducting and evaluating them. Chapter 7 leaders to view conflict as an inevitable part of working life. The focus of chapter 8 is on taking and implementing decisions. With the introduction of the statutory arrangements for performance management, chapter 9 provides guidance on preparing for and conducting effective performance reviews. Chapter 10 explores the potential of coaching as a skill for supporting team members in their acquisition of additional skills and knowledge. The theme of chapter 11 is action research. Action research represents a growing field of educational research, the chief identifying feature of which is that it can empower all those involved in the teaching and learning process with the means to improve their practices. This book is intended for those aspiring to, or currently occupying, team leader positions in schools. It acknowledges that team leaders operate at a series of different levels in schools and consequently has been written with the following target audience in mind: newly-appointed team leaders, aspiring team leaders, and existing team leaders. Each chapter includes: a brief introduction; a summary of key questions; helpful, practical guidance and information; points for reflection; and a self-review exercise. A bibliography and index conclude the book.