Education Leaders | Strategic School Leadership Communication Masterclass | How to Paraphrase
You explained it clearly, they nodded, and two weeks later three people did three completely different things. This episode tackles one of the most common and costly communication breakdowns in school leadership: assuming that because you said it, it landed. Shane draws on research from Cornell and Stanford, including the "tappers and listeners" study, to explain why even experienced leaders consistently overestimate how clearly their message has been received, and why just knowing about these biases isn't enough to fix them.
The answer is a simple three-step habit called paraphrasing: signal, restate, check. You'll learn why paraphrasing is fundamentally different from just repeating words back, how it surfaces misunderstandings in the moment rather than weeks later, and why it's especially valuable in international school settings where language and cultural norms add another layer of complexity. Shane also covers how to handle the slightly awkward moment when someone looks at you like you're going oddly slowly, and why naming what you're doing dissolves that resistance almost immediately. If you're ready to try one thing this week that will change how your conversations feel, press play.
Resources & Links Mentioned:
Shane Leaning's Education Leaders Intensive
Episode Partners
International Leaders Conference
Join Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensive
Shane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. Passionate about empowment, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.
You can find Shane on LinkedIn and Bluesky. or shaneleaning.com
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