Nicky Bright
Before setting up Bright Lead, I was Headmistress of Bruton School for Girls for eight years, Chair of the Girls' Schools Association's Professional Development committee and a GSA Council member. Leadership at Bruton was described as ‘dynamic and visionary’ by the Independent Schools Inspectorate.
With over 30 years teaching experience, supporting professional development has been a key passion in all my leadership roles and from 2013 to 2019 I was the GSA national Independent Schools Teacher Induction Panel representative, which has oversight of the induction and development of newly qualified teachers. My more recent work within the computer games, security and recruitment industries continue this passion for ‘people development’ within the context of business strategy.
I believe in the power of professional and personal development to create change. I’m committed to enabling leadership development and coaching for leaders, in a wide variety of industries. I want to support individuals and organisations in their quest to develop people to maximise their potential and be their ‘best selves’. In education this creates transformational learning experiences for the young people we serve, engendering a life-long love of learning, creativity and curiosity in this rapidly changing world. This development work has a similar positive impact upon productivity and profitability in other industries, as well as making them better places in which to work, engendering loyalty and commitment.
I’ve been an ISI Education Quality, Boarding and Compliance inspector since 2005, am a member of the Boarding Schools Association expert panel, and a Fellow of the RSA and of the Royal Geographical Society. In 2014, I took Bruton School for Girls from ‘good with some excellent features’ to ‘excellent’ in every category inspected and, as I left in 2020 after leading the school through the COVID remote learning period, the school was shortlisted for the Small Independent School of the Year Award. Prior to that, I was Deputy Head of St Mary’s Calne, and Second Deputy at Putney High School.
With a great passion for the arts, walking and reading, I’m at my happiest creating or learning something new or walking - the Camino de Santiago, for example. As a geographer, travel and the exploration and understanding of other cultures is also important to me. For me, the journey, or pilgrimage, and search for understanding is symbolic of our learning journey through life.
Steven Garrod
My experience spans many industries and many decades! From software development to commercial sales, from consultancy and training to crisis management, I have led many teams and been led by many leaders.
I see leadership as something that is ‘active’ and ‘always on’, yet my own experience provides plenty of anecdotes to support the fact that leadership is often passive and sometimes ‘turned off’.
My goal is to help people become better leaders. I do this by providing a safe space for them to talk through their values, their fears, their mistakes, and their goals. And where it helps, I share mine with them.
Away from leadership, I am led by my wife (Bethan) my four children, my two grand-children and my dog. And when coronavirus permits, I will return to competitive triathlon, but for now, I simply enjoy the training.
