Who is Jenny Cole?

Jenny Cole describes herself as "a recovering Principal" and "a tangle of imperfections wrapped in good intentions" - and she brings that same honesty, humour, and wonderfully down-to-earth warmth to everything she does.

She knows this territory because she has lived it. In 2009, twelve years into her career as a school principal, Jenny stood up in the middle of a crisis management meeting, picked up her handbag, and walked out. She walked away from the career she had given twenty years of her life, exhausted and “done”.

That decision changed everything. And it cost more than it needed to, because she didn't have the frameworks, the clarity, or anyone in her corner helping her make a better choice. So she has spent the next fifteen years making sure other educators have.

Today, through Positively Beaming, Jenny works with aspiring, emerging, and experienced school leaders across Australia as a coach, leadership development facilitator, and consultant. She runs workshops, online programs, and leadership training - as well as her weekly newsletter and the Positively Leading podcast. She has worked with well over 3,000 teachers and leaders, and she is known for blending practical tools with warmth, humanity, and just the right amount of gentle challenge.

She wrote Teach, Lead or Leave because the conversation was happening one person at a time in her coaching room, and it needed to reach further. Too many brilliant educators are sitting with a question they feel they're not allowed to ask. 

This book is the answer she wishes someone had handed her in 2009.