Leading in the in-between: A multi-track approach to leadership growth

multi-track leadership – The article urges aspiring school leaders to treat the often-overlooked gap between earning an administrative license and landing a school leadership role as a critical stage for continued growth—using learning, relationship, practice, and contribution tracks.

There’s a quiet stretch in the school leadership journey that most people don’t talk about. It starts the moment someone earns an administrative license—and it doesn’t end until they actually become a school leader.

For some, that transition is swift. They graduate and step directly into an assistant principal position or another leadership role, sometimes because a job is waiting. For many others, the opening doesn’t arrive right away. The wait can be months, it can stretch into years, and for some, the opportunity never lands at all.

That uncertainty is more than a scheduling problem. It becomes a question of momentum: will professional growth keep moving forward, or will it fade quietly while the next role stays out of reach?

Andy Szeto—an Ed.D. professor and district administrator who teaches district leadership courses across multiple graduate programs—describes how he sees this in real time with aspiring leaders near the end of their preparation. One refrain he hears often is that students need time off from graduate studies. Szeto says taking a breath makes sense because “the grind is real. ” and many programs run in the evenings or on weekends while students balance full-time jobs. family responsibilities. and coursework.

But the pause. he warns. shouldn’t become “a full stop.” In these preparation programs. what often matters most is the internship—the moment aspiring leaders begin applying what they learned in authentic school settings. It’s where theory gets tested against daily realities: how decisions are made. how systems function. and how leadership actually operates inside a school.

The habits candidates build during that internship, Szeto argues, can shape how they approach leadership growth after graduation.

Then the structure vanishes.

Once the degree is finished, many candidates step away from the kind of intentional learning their programs required. Graduate programs create a steady framework through deadlines, assignments, and expectations. When that structure disappears, continued growth becomes dependent on personal discipline rather than program requirements. Months pass—sometimes years—and the next leadership role may not appear as quickly as expected.

And if learning stops, growth stops.

That risk carries extra weight in a profession that keeps shifting. Szeto points to how artificial intelligence is already influencing curriculum design and assessment. He also notes schools are placing greater emphasis on mental health and social-emotional learning. Project-based learning and interdisciplinary approaches, he says, continue to gain traction, while accountability systems and data expectations also keep evolving. The result is simple: if you aren’t actively learning. it becomes easy to fall out of touch with where education is going.

In that sense, Szeto reframes the in-between period—not as dead time, not as waiting—but as an intentional stage of leadership development.

So he offers a framework he describes as “multi-track leadership,” where leadership growth continues even before a formal opportunity arrives by building across several parallel tracks.

The first is the Learning Track. Szeto recommends attending conferences when possible. If travel isn’t an option. he says aspiring leaders should use free virtual opportunities from professional organizations. universities. and educational networks. The goal is to stay connected to new ideas and emerging practices.

Next is the Relationship Track. Leadership development is, in his telling, deeply relational. He urges aspiring leaders to stay in touch with former professors. supervisors. and colleagues. and to seek mentorship and coaching—because many opportunities begin through conversations and professional networks.

There’s also the Practice Track. In this approach, leadership development doesn’t require a formal title. Aspiring leaders can keep building by facilitating professional learning communities, mentoring newer teachers, leading school initiatives, or supporting improvement projects. These experiences, he says, build credibility and deepen leadership skills before a role opens up.

Finally comes the Contribution Track. Szeto argues that writing and reflection can sharpen professional growth. Publishing an article. sharing insights with colleagues. contributing to professional discussions. or sharing perspective through professional social media platforms can keep leaders engaged with the evolving challenges of education.

A degree alone, he adds, is not enough—and strong interview skills alone aren’t enough either. Schools and districts want leaders who show both knowledge and impact: people who can speak to important ideas and also demonstrate how their actions lead to better outcomes for students. staff. and school communities.

By the time the in-between stretch is over, Szeto’s central message is hard to ignore. The period between earning a license and becoming a school leader isn’t empty space in a career. It can become a defining stage of professional growth—when aspiring leaders deepen learning. expand networks. and build habits that prepare them for the moment the opportunity arrives.

The question he leaves hanging is straightforward: what are you doing with the time in between?

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