Ask ten school leaders what strategy is, and you might get ten different answers: a vision statement, a five-year plan, a school improvement goal, a masterplan, a staff offsite with coloured markers.

For many, strategy has become a catch-all term, bloated with good intentions but starved of real meaning.

So, what is school strategy? In simple terms, it's the art of making deliberate choices to position your school for long-term success. Strategy isn’t everything you want to do. It’s what you choose to do - and just as critically, what you choose not to do.

Richard Rumelt, one of the most influential voices in strategy, puts it like this: strategy is not a vision, not a plan, not a list of goals. It's a coherent response to a critical challenge. Michael Fullan, in an educational context, would argue that coherence, not busyness or ambition, is what drives real change. And Roger Martin reminds us that strategy is, above all, about choice under uncertainty. Not wishlists. Not rhetoric. Not spreadsheets.

Yet too often, school leaders fall for myths—myths that are plausible, comfortable, and even well-intentioned- but ultimately unhelpful. They derail focus, dilute effort, and give schools the illusion of strategic action without the traction of real progress.

Let’s debunk them.

Myth 1: "We just need a vision."

A vision is important—but it's not a strategy. Too often, schools write stirring vision statements and assume the job is done. But vision without execution is just fantasy. Strategy is the bridge that connects aspiration to action.

Leaders must translate vision into concrete decisions. What will we prioritise? What will we sacrifice? A strategic plan built only on vision is like a compass without a map: inspiring, but directionless.

Myth 2: "If we build it, they will come."

Fancy new buildings and glossy prospectuses may impress at first glance, but reputation, relationships, and results drive enrolment success. Facilities are a tool, not a strategy.

Schools that anchor growth strategies in infrastructure often discover too late that community trust and academic quality matter more. Real strategy asks: what do families value, and how are we meeting those needs?

Myth 3: "Our strategic plan is done. Now we just implement."

This myth confuses documentation with direction. A printed plan does not guarantee progress. Strategy lives and dies in execution.

Successful schools revisit their strategy often. They adapt to changing conditions, monitor impact, and aren’t afraid to shift course. Implementation isn’t the end of strategy—it’s where it begins.

Myth 4: "We consulted everyone, so this must be right."

Consensus is not clarity. Consultation matters, but strategy requires courageous choices.

When school leaders try to appease everyone, they create sprawling, incoherent plans. Real strategy requires leaders to synthesise feedback into a focused path forward—even if that means saying no.

Courageous choices often look like discontinuing a much-loved but low-impact initiative, or shelving a popular idea because it doesn't align with the school's strategic direction. It might mean prioritising staff wellbeing over ambitious expansion, or calling out disconnects between espoused values and actual practices. These are not easy moves, but they are the choices that distinguish leadership from facilitation.

Myth 5: "Growth equals success."

More students, more buildings, more programs—growth can be seductive, but without intention, it becomes a distraction.

I’ve lost count of the number of school leaders who promote continuous growth as the panacea for their strategic plans.

This goes against the irrefutable laws of nature.

Consider how nature limits growth. Giant Sequoias can grow beyond 100m tall, but they don’t keep growing to reach 200m. Likewise, human gigantic growth is undesirable for mankind as it usually results in other unwanted health issues.

Healthy schools grow strategically, not reactively. They protect culture, prioritise quality, and expand only where it aligns with their core purpose.

Myth 6: "Excellence in everything."

Trying to be excellent in everything is a fast track to burnout. Great strategy requires trade-offs.

Schools need discipline to say, "We’ll be world-class at this and good enough at that." Excellence is powerful only when it's focused.

Myth 7: "The market will stay the same."

Assuming the future will resemble the past is comforting - and wrong. Demographics shift, competitors evolve, and parents demand more.

Strategic leaders look ahead. They use data, scenario planning, and community insight to stay responsive and relevant in a volatile world.

Myth 8: "We can’t afford to do strategy."

Strategy isn’t a luxury - it’s how you survive with limited resources.

Good strategy helps you say no. It ensures time, money, and people are aligned around your most important goals. The cost of not doing strategy? Wasted effort and stalled progress.

Myth 9: "Our values guide everything."

Values matter. But they aren’t enough. Without a strategy, values remain lofty ideas rather than lived reality.

Schools must embed values in how they hire, teach, budget, and lead. Strategy is the operating system that activates your values.

Myth 10: "We’re unique. No one else does what we do."

Claiming uniqueness is easy. Demonstrating it is harder. If your families and staff can’t articulate what makes you different, your strategy is just marketing.

Strategic schools define a clear value proposition and consistently deliver on it. Real differentiation is experienced, not claimed.

Myth 11: "We'll figure that out later."

Some decisions can wait. Most can’t. Strategy is about acting with purpose, not procrastinating.

Waiting for “the right time” often means doing nothing. Strategic leaders make timely, informed decisions and refine them along the way.

Myth 12: "We have a five-year plan. Everything’s mapped out."

The five-year plan is comforting fiction. The world, and your school, will change too fast for any plan to remain intact.

Use long-term plans as scaffolding, not shackles. Build in checkpoints, feedback loops, and the freedom to pivot.

Myth 13: "Let’s wait until things settle down."

I hate to break it to you; they won’t. Strategy happens in motion, not in stasis.

Turbulence is the new normal. The schools that thrive are those that lean into uncertainty with a clear sense of purpose and an adaptive mindset.

Final Thoughts

So, what is school strategy? It’s not a document. It’s not a committee exercise. And it’s definitely not a branding campaign.

It’s the discipline of making bold, focused choices in the face of complexity. It’s deciding what really matters—and aligning your whole school to pursue it.

Rumelt calls this “focus.” Fullan calls it “coherence.” Martin calls it “choice under uncertainty.”

Whatever the name, the lesson is this: real strategy requires leadership. The kind that says no, that dares to choose, and that calls time on the myths holding schools back.

Because until we face those myths, we’re not doing strategy.

We’re just performing it.