Not all great teachers make great leaders — and that’s okay. In early childhood education, leadership requires more than experience. It calls for reflection, courage, connection, and the willingness to grow. This blog explores what strong, heart-led leadership really looks like in ECE, and how we can better support those stepping into these essential roles.

In early childhood education, we wear many hats—teacher, guide, listener, caregiver, curriculum designer, emotional anchor—and yet, too often, we wear them without enough support ourselves. At HeartLead NZ, we believe that the wellbeing and capability of teachers is the heartbeat of high-quality early learning. When kaiako feel empowered, understood, and resourced, they are able to show up fully for children—creating spaces of warmth, curiosity, and deep learning.