Maggie Farrar

My career began as a teacher in London schools, an experience which led me to working in Birmingham Local Education Authority before joining the team at National College for School Leadership as Director of Leadership Development. I now work with organisations, Local Authorities and groups of schools in the UK and internationally including Education Development Trust and leadership organisations in Australia.

For many years, my leadership and work has been influenced by my own personal mindfulness practice. Following my formal training as a mindfulness teacher with Oxford Mindfulness, this is now my focus, supporting individuals and groups of leaders to cultivate mindfulness in their lives and work. 

In 2022 I published ‘Leading with Presence – It’s An Inside Job’. During my work with thousands of school leaders, I had found that that almost all leadership development provision currently available to them focuses on the outer world; planning, leading change, improving quality. This means the inner life of leaders has been, and continues to be, neglected and unexplored; our habits, emotional landscape, aversions, fears and deepest desires. I believe it is now time to start re-dressing that vital balance with leadership stories and practical strategies.

The experience I bring to my work is born out of the great leaders and educators I have worked with and learnt from; authentic, honest and open to learning. More than anything I have learnt from leaders who, at times of great challenge and uncertainty, demonstrate strong values-led, principled leadership, striving to do their best whilst acknowledging their own vulnerabilities.