Clearing the sky: recognising and reducing interference in leadership

If you’ve ever been enjoying a calm moment when a plane suddenly roars overhead, you’ll know how quickly it can disrupt your thoughts. The sudden noise cuts through the quiet, making it hard to hear yourself think. Then, even after the sound has gone, the contrails remain; faint but lingering marks across the sky. 

Leadership can feel the same. Interference often shows up when you least expect it: a sudden flash of self-doubt, the urge to fix or the pressure to have the answer. It’s loud, distracting and can leave a trace in your thinking and behaviour long after the moment has passed. 

What is interference? 

Interference is anything that gets in the way of you being at your best. Sometimes it’s the loud, jarring roar of frustration or self-criticism. At other times it’s more subtle a faint hint of assumption or inner judgement that shapes your response after the moment has passed. 

For school leaders, interference often shows up as: 

• The urge to fix problems quickly rather than pause and listen 

• The inner critic telling you that you (or others) are not doing enough 

• The pull to please others, even when it conflicts with your values 

• The pressure to be visible and available 

Why spotting it matters 

When interference goes unnoticed, it takes charge. You react rather than respond, speak when silence might have been better or jump in with answers when a thoughtful question could empower someone else. 

But when you spot interference as it arrives, you create space to choose. That pause, however small, gives you back clarity. It helps you notice, “Ah, this is my inner judge talking,” or “This is my need for control showing up.” Naming it weakens its hold and allows you to regain perspective. 

Clearing the sky 

Just as contrails fade faster in certain conditions, interference passes more quickly when you acknowledge it. Reflection and self-awareness are the tools that help clear your mental sky. Over time, you begin to recognise the familiar sounds of your own “planes” and anticipate their arrival, making it easier to respond intentionally rather than react. 

This doesn’t mean you’ll never experience interference again. It means you’ll spot it sooner, preempt its impact and lead with greater clarity, confidence and intention. 

Bringing it back to leadership 

When you reduce the interference in your own thinking, you also change the atmosphere for others. You’re calmer, clearer and more open to listening. You create the conditions where your team feel able to think for themselves, take ownership and grow. 

In other words, spotting your interference is not just about you, it’s about the leadership culture you create. 

Reflection for the week ahead:

The more you notice, the quicker you’ll clear the sky, regain your calm, clear-headspace and feel like the real you again.