by Barbara Barron | Posted August 12th, 2025 | Subscribe to this newsletter
As we begin another school year, everything is new again.
I believe that most of us who work in, and for, independent schools do so – in part – because we love that feeling of a fresh start. There are new students, new colleagues, and new families to welcome and engage. There are even new school supplies: a fresh notebook!
For those of us “school people” we can tell you how August and September feel radically different from November. Or the dreaded February (the shortest month with the longest days).
But here we are at the start. And I’ve been thinking about the power of trust.
A Starting Point
We begin with that important assumption of goodwill. Our new families are full of trust right now as they step into our school and join the rushing river that is our busy community. New colleagues swim in that river hard and fast to make sense of our sometimes-arcane and often-invisible systems, all while setting up their classroom and creating lesson plans. (They trust our organization to support them and be honest with them about our outsized expectations!) Our families and alumni are trusting us to explain our fundraising program clearly and accurately, ask them respectfully for their support, and then report back to them quickly about the impact of their gifts.
This work demands trust.
Sadly, we aren’t currently living in a time with abundant examples of trust at work. Quite the opposite.
So, what we do in our small world matters even more. It’s an important point of distinction.
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The Multiplying Power of Trust
Trust, when it’s present, changes the quality of our work. I hope, dear reader, that you, like me, have had the grand experience of a trusting, collaborative relationship with a Head of School (or with your Board chair – for you Heads).
Sadly, it’s more likely that you had the opposite: a tense, uncomfortable, suspicious relationship. It’s awful. It’s why advancement pros don’t stay in their jobs. And it’s now the leading reason Heads cite for leaving theirs: lack of trust with their Boards. I’ve seen it up close with a handful of client schools. Wrenching. The average tenure for a Head is now less than 7 years. Yikes.
Recently, I had coffee with a professional friend who was starting a new gig at a big school after serving for eight years at another great school. Why did she leave? Lack of trust. Why is she so excited about this new position? Full trust and confidence in her as expressed by her new Head. It’s exhilarating and it makes us advancement pros want to work harder and smarter.
And if that’s true for us, it’s true for those we mentor and lead.
As the wise Seth Godin wrote:
“The job of the leader is to create the conditions for others to raise the standards. Trusting your team isn’t settling for less. It’s settling for better.”
Ben Sander, conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, wrote about the idea of giving students an “A” at the start of the term as a way to foster a mindset of possibility rather than limitation. He detailed the practice in his wonderful little book The Art of Possibility. It reframes the concept of grades as a “potential to be realized, rather than a standard to be achieved”. Zander encourages students to write a letter at the beginning of the course, dated at the end, detailing what they will have accomplished to earn that “A”.
Kinda brilliant.
What if we approach those who work in our departments with that mindset? Ask them to consider what, at the end of the year, will be their most prized achievements. Start your first staff meeting by affirming your trust and belief in them and their good intentions.
As we all begin this new school year, even amid the uncertainty and worry surrounding us right now, let’s decide to place trust at the center of our work.
Let’s each be trust – worthy and then extend that assumption of goodwill to others.
Let’s see how it moves us forward and creates the kind of environment we and others want to be part of.
Wishing you a peaceful, joyful start. And thank you for all you’re doing — and all you’re about to do.
Barbara Barron
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BARBARA BARRON is one of the most respected and highly sought-after independent advancement professionals in the country, having worked with dozens of schools in every corner of the United States.
She has raised over $20 million for schools where she served as the Director of Development. Barbara is a New York Times bestselling author, speaker, and presenter who currently advises dozens of schools in various capacities. She is considered a thought leader in the world of advancement, with her writing widely shared by professionals in development offices worldwide.
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