How do I fit everything in? Annette Gray on leading as a coach

If leadership feels heavier than it used to, you’re not imagining it. We sit down with leadership and coaching specialist Annette Gray to get honest about what effective school leadership looks like in 2026, and why the leaders who thrive now are the ones who ask better questions, share power, and stay deeply human while the system keeps demanding more.We unpack the difference between trust-based leadership and the kind that slips into control and micromanagement. Annette explains how capability and “levels of work” can shape a leader’s behaviour, why self-awareness is the real starting point, and how shifting from below-the-line reactions to above-the-line choices changes culture fast. We also tackle the very real NSW constraint of one protected hour a week for professional learning, and reframe development as something that happens through purposeful conversations all day long, not only in formal meetings.Then we get practical. Annette coaches Drew live on a genuine principal challenge: improving student growth in maths fundamentals while keeping staff engaged and supported. You’ll hear solution-focused coaching in action, including scaling, defining a preferred future, noticing what’s already working, and choosing a next small step that fits into the week you actually have.We also share how you can learn these skills through the NSW Primary Principals Association coaching foundations program, with a two-day workshop in Ultimo (28 and 29 July) and an online option across four August mornings (11, 13, 18, 20). If this helped you rethink how you lead, subscribe, share it with a colleague, and leave a review so more principals can find it.This is not a conversation about strategies and checklists. It is about the way you have your next conversation.In this conversation, you will hear:-> What leadership is becoming, and why "wise leadership" is learned through doing, not through one more program-> The story of the two leaders who shaped Annette's career, one who brought out her best, one who brought out her worst, and the single difference between them-> What an effective leader actually does today: agency, autonomy, and being trusted to work things out-> How to fit everything in when you have one protected hour a week, by building a coaching culture instead of carrying it all yourself-> Why your people want a coach, not a boss, and how coaching can be distilled into three questions you can ask in five minutes-> A live, unscripted, real play, where Annette coaches Drew for around eight minutes on a genuine school challenge, so you can hear exactly what solution-focused coaching sounds likeIf you have ever asked yourself "how do I fit everything in", this episode is for you. ABOUT ANNETTE GRAY Annette Gray is a leadership and coaching specialist. She began as a high school teacher before moving into corporate learning and development, leadership development and strategic HR, and now works with leaders across sectors on solution focused coaching. She presents the Foundations program for NSWPPA.More about Annette: https://www.annettegray.com.au/about-annette-grayCOACHING COURSES WITH ANNETTE, 2026Foundations: Leading Solution Focus Coaching Conversations"The most practical coaching training I have attended in my career." Jono Coombes, Principal, Artarmon Public SchoolJuly, in person, two days, NSW PPA Office, Ultimo, SydneyTuesday 28 and Wednesday 29 July, 9.00am to 4.30pmRegister: https://www.annettegray.com.au/offers/eLA35Yig/checkoutAugust, online, four mornings, 9.00am to 12.30pm AESTTuesday 11, Thursday 13, Tuesday 18 and Thursday 20 AugustRegister: https://www.annettegray.com.au/offers/URTtqbLF/checkoutBoth programs include after-course coaching check-ins to embed the skills. IDEAS MENTIONED -> Solution focused coaching: ask more, tell less, redirect to what is wanted-> Above the line and below the line behaviours-> Distributed leadership and building a coaching culture-> The three coaching questions: what is happening for you now, how do you want it to be, what is your next small step-> "You are the expert in your world, I am a guide on the side" CONNECT WITH NSWPPA -Website: nswppa.org.auProfessional Learnings Podcast: professionallearningsnswppa.buzzsprout.comLinkedIn: NSW Primary Principals AssociationRead lessLinks and References:To view  our Professional Learning Offerings, visit:https://www.nswppa.org.au/professional-learningTo view our latest offerings, visit: https://www.nswppa.org.au/catalogue