Leadership Begins with Relationships – Erasmus+ in Madeira

Funchal, Madeira, Portugal | 18-23 May 2026

Participating in the course “Leadership Excellence: A Soft Skills and Coaching Path” was an extremely valuable professional and personal experience for me. As a school principal with over fifteen years of experience in leadership positions and nearly seventeen years in education, I make an effort to regularly take part in training related to development, management, and leadership. I chose this course, however, not to learn yet another management model, but to pause for a moment, gain perspective on my own practice, and confront it with the latest trends and research concerning contemporary leadership.

The course covered topics such as emotional intelligence, effective communication, active listening, coaching, conflict management, systems thinking, time management, and building effective teams. What I found especially valuable was that all of these topics were presented not only in the form of theory, but above all through practical exercises, case studies, discussions, and the exchange of experiences among participants.

One of the most important conclusions from the course was the confirmation that contemporary leadership is no longer based on hierarchy, control, and the traditional “carrot and stick” approach. Both scientific research and the experiences of leaders from the world’s largest organizations clearly show today that lasting engagement is built through relationships, a sense of purpose, shared responsibility, and trust. Considerable attention was devoted to emotional intelligence, whose importance in leadership has been emphasized, among others, by Daniel Goleman. A particularly strong message was that an effective leader does not need to have all the answers, but should be able to create a space where others want to engage, collaborate, and grow.

The sessions devoted to active listening were highly inspiring. The exercises demonstrated how often we listen in order to respond, rather than to understand. In the work of a school principal, where I conduct conversations every day with students, parents, and teachers, this is a skill of fundamental importance. Equally valuable were the communication techniques based on respect and empathy, including elements of Nonviolent Communication (NVC), assertive communication, and the Active Constructive Responding model.

Another important area of the course was systems thinking. This approach makes it possible to view a school not as a collection of independent problems, but as an organism in which all elements are interconnected. While analyzing examples related to teacher burnout, communication, and change management, I became even more convinced that an effective leader should look for the causes of phenomena, rather than merely react to their consequences. This is especially important in a 21st-century school operating in a rapidly changing social, technological, and cultural reality.

Working in an international group of participants representing other European countries and different levels of education was also a great asset of the course (although I had hoped for greater cultural diversity – I mainly interacted with participants from Sweden and Portugal). The exchange of experiences showed that, regardless of country, culture, or education system, we face very similar challenges:

Erasmus+ Mobility Report

the well-being of students and teachers, building engagement, preventing burnout, and managing change. At the same time, I felt that my many years of experience as a school principal were also valuable to the other participants. During discussions and workshops, I was able to share concrete solutions implemented in our school and examples of good practices developed over years of work.

Madeira itself played a special role in the entire experience. The island impresses not only with its nature, but also with its calmness, harmony, and closeness to nature. Staying in such a place encourages reflection, mindfulness, and looking at one’s work from a broader perspective. For me, it was a time to pause and once again ask myself questions about the meaning of leadership, the direction of the school’s development, and the values that should form the foundation of an educational organization.

Madeira also made me realize something very important: a contemporary leader needs balance. Between responsibility and trust. Between consistency and empathy. Between achieving goals and caring for people. Between action and reflection. This does not mean giving up expectations or responsibility. On the contrary, effective leadership requires clear principles, courage in decision-making, and readiness to face consequences. However, the way these are implemented should be based on respect, dialogue, and partnership.

The course also strengthened my conviction that the values on which I have been trying to build our school for years – trust, shared responsibility, autonomy, open communication, and mutual respect – are fully aligned with the latest directions in organizational and educational development. At the same time, it reminded me that staying true to one’s ideals does not mean rigidity. A 21st-century school must be flexible and ready for continuous learning. Solutions that were effective a dozen years ago often no longer meet the needs of today’s students, teachers, and parents. The role of a leader is to constantly seek a balance between enduring values and the necessity of adapting to a changing world.

After returning, I plan to use the knowledge I gained by, among other things, developing a culture of feedback among teachers, introducing elements of coaching into teamwork, and making greater use of tools related to emotional intelligence and active listening in everyday communication. I would also like to make broader use of the systems approach when planning organizational changes and working on the well-being of the entire school community.

Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the CEM Board for enabling me to participate in this mobility. Special thanks also go to Mrs. Małgorzata Kulesza for the professional preparation and coordination of the Erasmus+ programme, thanks to which I was able to take part in this exceptional experience. It was a time of inspiration, reflection, and growth that will certainly translate into further actions I undertake for our school, teachers, and students.

Yours sincerely,

Agnieszka Sańka

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