Elevate: Resilient leadership with Heather De Blasio
About the program
Executive leadership often feels like a constant battle against "noise," where the pressure to react can overshadow the disciplined practice of leading with clarity.
Resilient Leadership transforms how you navigate sustained uncertainty by shifting your focus from mere endurance to intentional, high-impact action.
Through a blend of diagnostic data, personalised coaching, and collaborative workshops, you will develop the mental agility to protect what matters most to your school community while widening your awareness of the complex systems you lead.
What you’ll learn
- Refocus your leadership strengths. Use the Resilient Leaders Elements 360-degree assessment to identify your current growth areas and recalibrate your decision-making under pressure.
- Widen your situational awareness. Master the ability to distinguish between minor distractions and true opportunities, ensuring you maintain a clear direction for your school during sustained uncertainty.
- Calibrate your leadership behaviour. Work 1-to-1 with an expert coach to shift from reactive habits to intentional actions that protect your professional impact and school-wide goals.
- Apply disciplined decision practices. Integrate evidence-based frameworks into your daily work to navigate complex leadership challenges while staying grounded in the values that matter most to your community.
Expert facilitator
Heather De Blasio
Heather De Blasio is a leadership author, speaker, facilitator and coach. As the 2025 recipient of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders Fellowship Award for South Australia, she was recognised for her sustained contribution to the improvement of student and organisational outcomes in education, both nationally and internationally.
She supports, coaches and facilitates senior and middle leaders, executive teams and emerging leaders across diverse educational settings, including schools, networks, systems, and tertiary institutions. Her approach integrates evidence-based frameworks, strategic thinking, and a deeply human-centred ethos.
Who should apply
Roles
This program is designed for:
- principals with 5 or more years in the role
- executive class principals
- school-based or Intensive School Support school leaders with responsibility to lead a complex or challenging school, such as a turnaround or transformation school.
School sectors
This program is available to the following school sectors:
- Victorian Government
- Catholic
- independent.
Structure
Delivery
Over approximately 5 weeks, you will engage in:
- Resilient Leaders Elements 360-degree assessment
- Coaching session with Heather De Blasio: online, 1 hour
- 2 full day workshops: in-person.
Completion requirements
To successfully complete this program, you must attend and complete all components of this program.
Please note you may choose to complete either Elevate: Resilient Leadership with Heather De Blasio or Elevate: Power and Conflict with Frank Handy, but not both.
Fees and support
| Government school | Non-government school | |
|---|---|---|
| Fee per participant | $400 (excl. GST) | $1,000 (excl. GST) |
Financial support
- Government school participants can claim CRT funding for up to 20 days across the program.
- Travel and accommodation subsidies are available for eligible schools.
