Empowering the Future: UCSI’s LEAP Leadership Programme Sets a New Standard for International School Leadership Development in ASEAN

Written by : Iain Slade, Principal UISKL, Executive Principal UISSJ

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Empowering Leadership Across Career Stages

Leadership development is not a uniform process. Educators bring a range of experiences and aspirations to their roles, requiring adaptive and sustainable development pathways. Grounded in contemporary research and the specific context of ASEAN international education, the LEAP Programme directly responds to calls for more locally attuned leadership preparation (Hallinger, 2018).

A Phased and Personalised Pathway

On induction, UCSI educators collaborate with their line managers to select one of three tailored leadership pathways. Each route is structured to develop leadership competence grounded in values, strategic thinking, and community impact:

  • Aspirant Leaders: Early-career educators preparing for initial leadership roles, such as subject coordinators or year-group pastoral leads.
  • Middle Leaders: Experienced professionals with broader responsibilities, typically Heads of Department or Pastoral Leads overseeing multiple age phases.
  • Senior Leaders: Educators preparing for executive roles in school leadership, focusing on whole-school issues and leadership identity.

These pathways offer meaningful growth through peer collaboration, mentorship, and action research addressing real-world school challenges.

A Research-Informed Framework

The LEAP Programme draws on current doctoral research into leadership development in ASEAN international schools. It integrates leadership theories proven effective in educational settings:

Transformational Leadership (Leithwood & Jantzi, 2000) underpins the aspirant and middle leader pathways, emphasising inspirational leadership and meaningful change. Studies show this approach improves organisational learning and student outcomes (Leithwood & Sun, 2012).

Distributed Leadership (Spillane, 2006) is embedded throughout, promoting collaborative practice and shared responsibility—essential in high-performing, culturally diverse schools (Harris, 2008).

Instructional Leadership (Hallinger, 2011) plays a key role for middle leaders in shaping curricular vision, developing staff, and leveraging data for improvement (Hallinger & Heck, 2011).

Adaptive Leadership (Heifetz, Grashow & Linsky, 2009) is cultivated through navigating unpredictable, complex problems—mirroring the realities of international school leadership.

Blended Learning and Support Structure

LEAP’s hybrid model combines the flexibility of online learning with the depth of face-to-face collaboration. The Leadership Matters platform offers self-paced modules aligned with each leadership level, ensuring theoretical depth and professional relevance.

Face-to-face workshops, led by UCSI Principals and Senior Leaders, present real leadership dilemmas, encouraging authentic dialogue and peer learning.

Mentorship is a cornerstone of the programme. Each participant is assigned an experienced mentor who provides regular guidance, feedback, and developmental support—ensuring alignment with school priorities and personal goals.

Transformative Action-Research

Central to the LEAP experience is the action-research project—an opportunity for participants to lead meaningful change, by identifying a school-based issue, designing and implementing a strategic response, and then critically evaluating impact through data and reflection. All participants then present outcomes to either their school’s leadership team, the UCSI Principals’ Group, or the Top Management Committee (TMC). In doing so, this process cultivates critical thinking, innovation, and sustainable leadership, while ensuring the initiative delivers tangible benefits to the school community

A Regionally Grounded Vision

As ASEAN strengthens its position as a hub for international education, the importance of culturally intelligent leadership becomes increasingly apparent. Hallinger and Bryant (2013) highlight the need for contextualising leadership development within regional socio-cultural dynamics. The LEAP Programme responds to this imperative by embedding regionally relevant challenges into its design.

Developed as part of a Doctoral study on school leadership in ASEAN, LEAP reflects the cultural and professional nuances of the region, counterbalancing Western-centric models. It blends global best practices with local insights to develop effective, reflective, and responsive leaders.

Cultivating Lifelong Learning

In alignment with UCSI’s educational philosophy, the LEAP Programme champions lifelong learning. Leadership is viewed not as an innate trait but as a craft—developed through experience, inquiry, and purposeful reflection.

“Leadership is a craft that can be developed. Through the LEAP Programme, we’re creating a space where leaders grow with purpose, grounded in evidence and inspired by the unique challenges of international education in Southeast Asia.”

— Iain Slade, Programme Designer and PhD Researcher

Conclusion

The UCSI LEAP is more than a professional development initiative—it is a transformational journey grounded in research, mentorship, and strategic action. Its tiered structure, regionally informed content, and action-research emphasis position LEAP as a pioneering model for school leadership in Southeast Asia.

 

As the international education landscape continues to evolve, UCSI’s commitment to nurturing local leadership capacity ensures that its educators are not just prepared for the future—they are empowered to shape it.

References

  1. Bass, B. M., & Avolio, B. J. (1994). Improving Organizational Effectiveness Through Transformational Leadership. SAGE Publications.
  2. Hallinger, P. (2018). Bringing context out of the shadows of leadership. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 46(1), 5–24. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143216670652
  3. Hallinger, P., & Bryant, D. A. (2013). Accelerating development of a knowledge base for educational leadership and management in East Asia. School Leadership & Management, 33(3), 202–220. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632434.2013.773885
  4. Hallinger, P., & Heck, R. H. (2011). Conceptual and methodological issues in studying school leadership effects as a reciprocal process. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 22(2), 149–173. https://doi.org/10.1080/09243453.2011.565777
  5. Heifetz, R., Grashow, A., & Linsky, M. (2009). The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World. Harvard Business Press.
  6. Harris, A. (2008). Distributed leadership: According to the evidence. Journal of Educational Administration, 46(2), 172–188. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578230810863253
  7. Leithwood, K., & Jantzi, D. (2000). The effects of transformational leadership on organisational conditions and student engagement with school. Journal of Educational Administration, 38(2), 112–129. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578230010320064
  8. Leithwood, K., & Sun, J. (2012). The nature and effects of transformational school leadership: A meta-analytic review of unpublished research. Educational Administration Quarterly, 48(3), 387–423. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X11436268
  9. Spillane, J. P. (2006). Distributed Leadership. Jossey-Bass.
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