Welcome to Leadership Lab Global

We have been working alongside organisations around the world since 2009, growing collective leadership, supporting strategic planning, and coaching senior leadership teams.

The founder, Dr Chris Jansen, started working with the Singapore Ministry of Education in 2009, followed by connecting with the EARCOS Network in 2015 at their Education Teachers Conference in Kota Kinabalu, Borneo.  Since then, Chris has been working with a wide range of schools around China, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia.  He has also worked in other continents, including Peru-South America, Georgia-USA, and the African continent, including Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana and South Africa.

Chris lives in Christchurch, New Zealand and is one of the directors of our partner organisation Leadership Lab. A range of team members have been involved in various components of this global work and contribute a wide range of expertise and experience.

 

We are available to design and deliver projects with you either face-to-face or online… 

… let’s connect on chris@leadershiplab.co.nz

 

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Register to be part of the following opportunities

EARCOS Leadership Learning Collective

"How do we develop a learning collective of International School senior leaders across Asia?

The Leadership Learning Collective is an innovative opportunity for senior leaders in international schools across Asia to extend their self-awareness, connections, agency, confidence and competence.

This project is a partnership between Leadership Lab Global and EARCOS (East Asian Regional Council of Overseas Schools).

We will focus on the following three themes;

  1. Leadership identities
  2. Building collaborative cultures
  3. Designing for impact 

The Leadership Learning Collective is designed for senior leaders from across international schools in Asia (ie Heads of School, Principals, DPs, APs, VPs and other Directors of Learning etc.). Applications are invited from two leaders per school and each programme cohort will include 30-40 leaders with two facilitators.

The journey starts in September and finishes in May the following year.

  • Retreat#1   (Friday October 31st – Saturday November 2nd 2025)
  • Crafted Sessions #1-6 – interactive online sessions x 1 hour each (November 2025 to April 2026)
  • Trios #1-6 (November 2025 to April 2026)
  • Retreat#2 (Friday May 15th – Saturday 16th 2026)

 

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST Please email us if you are interested in the next cohort of this programme which opens in June 2025

APPLICATION FORM – TO ADD

Read more
EARCOS Leadership Learning Collective

Singapore International Schools Leadership Programme

"How do we enhance innovation through facilitating collaboration across international schools in Singapore?"

Our involvement

  • Leadership development
  • Strategic culture change

I met Dan Brown (Assistant Head of College – Dulwich Singapore) in 2012 and we discussed the idea of developing a leadership programme that could be made available to all international schools in Singapore. This ‘Singapore International Schools Leadership Programme’ was to be offered at an affordable cost, allowing a wide range of schools to register groups of leaders each year.  The Singapore International Schools Professional Learning Network hosts this programme and Greg Jansen and I have offered this programme for the last 10 years with over 500 leaders from over 20 schools.

In 2020, we developed a second programme called the ‘Singapore International Schools Extending Leadership Programme‘. This programme is designed for the Level 1 programme’s alumni and senior leaders in international schools. As part of the Extending Leaders programme, participants facilitate a public event called “Lead-Up” for all schools across Singapore.

The following schools have been involved over this 10 year period.  GESS – German European School Singapore, Tanglin Trust School,  Nexus International School (Singapore),  Dulwich College (Singapore),  NPS International School- Singapore.  Dover Court International School,  North London Collegiate School,  Stamford American International School, Singapore,  Marlborough College Malaysia,  One World International School Singapore.,   Dulwich College (Singapore) United World College Singapore, Canadian International School.

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST Please email us if you are interested in the next cohort of this programme which opens in July 2025

Testimonial

“Chris is an excellent facilitator who helps groups and individuals engage in really deep thinking about their own leadership. He bases his training on evidence of what has the most impact on student learning. Chris is very easy to work with and helped co–created what we wanted from the leadership programme in a flexible and creative manner. ”

Dan Brown – Assistant Head of College – Dulwich Singapore daniel.brown@dulwich.org

Read more
Singapore International Schools Leadership Programme

EARCOS Leadership and Counseling Mentoring Programmes

"How do we harness the extensive EARCOS network throughout Asia to develop leadership mentoring relationships to support growth and minimise isolation in senior leaders?"

Our involvement

  • Coaching and mentoring

The EARCOS network of over 1000 schools across Asia has an enormous and largely untapped potential to grow leadership capacity by sharing expertise, experience and support. Prior to 2019, an initial version of the Earcos Leadership Mentoring Programme ELM was designed including a comprehensive online training package for potential mentors to complete before participating. Unfortunately, the unintended consequence of this was that less than 10 leaders were involved in ELM at that stage.

In 2019, I was asked to work alongside Bill Oldread to review ELM with a view to leveraging the EARCOS network more fully. We co-facilitated a 1-day pre-conference co-design workshop at the EARCOS Leadership Conference in Kota Kinabalu, Borneo, where we invited the 30 interested leaders who attended to help us deconstruct and reconstruct the ELM programme.

Based on this feedback we made four fundamental changes and in January 2020 this new format for ELM was promoted through the EARCOS database. Two weeks later COVID-19 started to make its presence felt across the Globe and to our enormous surprise we had around 100 leaders sign up for the ELM programme by the end of February 2020.  These leaders were paired based on their preferences and mentoring began.

Over the last 5 years this ELM network has grown with a total of 236 people registering to be involved and 154 currently active in the programme.

In late 2023 a new mentoring network for international school counsellors was offered called EARCOS Counselling Mentoring ECM. This operates in a similar way to the ECM except all pairing are peer-to-peer relationships.  There have been 124 registrations over this period with 46 currently active in the ECM programme.

Registration for both the ELM and ECM is available throughout the year.

ELM sign up

ECM sign up

Read more about the ELM and ECM
EARCOS Leadership and Counseling Mentoring Programmes

We provide the following expertise and support

A diverse group of highly experienced consultants who specialise in the following core services.

Building individual skills, knowledge and confidence while growing trust and collective leadership

 

Confidence and competence

We design leadership development incubators to both increase each leaders skills, knowledge and confidence as well as grow trusting and collaborative relationships in order to build collective leadership and collaboration.

Collective leadership

Many organisations have clear and compelling vision and strategy statements yet struggle to implement these successfully.  The key enabler for implementation is collective leadership at both the senior and middle leadership levels.  Strategically growing networks of leaders within an organisation enables them to co-create change in their own setting.

A broad system approach creates connections, synergies and collaboration

Strategy

Supporting leaders to facilitate a collective vision to build positive and sustainable change

Culture

Culture eats strategy for breakfast… so growing a positive culture is critical in order to create impact.

Equiping leaders to lead change more effectively, and to embed change initiatives.

 

Working alongside leaders to maintain focus and perspective as they grapple with the many dilemmas they face

Clifton Strengths coaching

Individual and team coaching based on Clifton Strengths profile – allowing leaders to connect with their strengths and those of their team. An experienced, qualified and skilled sounding board is sometimes just what we need

Leadership 360 profiles

A constructive technique to collective and review feedback from a wide range of stakeholders allowing leaders to gain self-awareness to inform their leadership development.

A range of keynotes and workshop presentations for international conferences.

EARCOS Leadership Conference

  • EARCOS International Schools Teacher Conference 2016
  • EARCOS International School Leadership Conference – 2018-2024 

Other conferences

  • AISA International Schools Conference – Johannesburg
  • AISA International Schools Conference – Ghana 
  • ACAMIS 2019 Suzhou School Conference – Strategic Planning: From Vision to Implementation
  • EARCOS Spring Heads Conference 2019 – facilitating retreat for Heads of School. 

We work together with communities and organisations to tackle complex issues

An insight into some of our global projects

Growing collective leadership, supporting strategic planning, and coaching senior leadership teams.

International School of Bangkok – Thailand

"How do we update our strategic vision and develop our leadership capacity to implement it?"

Our involvement

  • Leadership development
  • Strategy facilitation and culture change
  • Coaching and mentoring

Between 2015 and 2017, I was engaged by the International School of Bangkok (ISB) to design and implement a strategic planning process with an extensive range of stakeholders, including parents, students, teachers and Board members.  Through this process, ISB was able to upgrade its vision, mission, values and strategic direction.

Later, in 2018-2023, I worked with the extended ISB senior leadership team by undertaking Leadership 360 profiles and coaching with 12 senior leaders. This involved each leader selecting up to 20 colleagues to provide feedback on the leader’s performance. Several coaching sessions with each leader allowed them to gain self-awareness to inform their leadership development.

Testimonial

Chris challenges existing perceptions and protocols and offers alternative ways of thinking. What sets Chris apart from other consultants is that he does not come with a ‘prepared package’. Instead, he listens until he has a good picture of the school’s context, strengths and weaknesses, and then begins to draw out options for moving forward. All of this is done collaboratively – with the school, not to the school.

Reference from International School of Bangkok ISB for Idea Creation

International School of Bangkok – Thailand

United World College UWC-Singapore

"How do we design a leadership programme that develops our internal leadership capacity and reconnects our organisational culture?"

Our involvement

  • Leadership development
  • Strategy facilitation and culture change
  • Coaching and mentoring

In 2013, we were approached by United World College Dover in Singapore through meeting Primary School Principal Brian O’Maoileoin at the EARCOS Leaders Conference. The initial engagement for my colleague Greg Jansen and I was a strategic planning day with the campus senior leadership team. An outcome of this day was identifying the need to develop the internal leadership capacity of the College to create internal leadership progression pathways. A design group was formed to scope the needs and undertake the detailed design of the programme. As a result, we implemented a leadership programme with 30 leaders each year for the next 5 years, which consisted of three x two-day workshops combined with leadership projects and Action Learning Groups. In 2019, we trained a range of facilitators within UWC and mentored them as they continued facilitating the programme. This programme continues to operate successfully today.

In 2021 we worked closely with the High School SLT in facilitating a two-day leadership retreat focussed on leadership strengths and strategic direction.  This is continuing in 2025 with two other retreats for the high school and middle school leadership teams.  Over the last 3 years, I have been providing leadership coaching for Seema Desai (High School Principal), Rebecca Smith (Middle School Principal) and Ellie Alchin (Director of Teaching and Learning) including Clifton Strengths coaching.

Testimonial

“Working with Chris has had a deep impact on my leadership journey. His coaching sessions have empowered me to ask better questions, think more strategically, and step into situations with greater confidence and clarity. Most importantly, he has given me the courage to take bold action, embrace challenges, and to lead with conviction and compassion.” – Seema Desai – High School Principal

“There are many consultants currently providing leadership training. However, we were looking for someone to work with us rather than talk at us. Chris and Greg’s gentle, good humour and understated approach fit the needs of our school extremely well. Their knowledge is undeniable, and they quickly managed to gain the respect staff. The UWC Leadership Programme has been a considerable success.” – Frazer Cairns – Head of Dover Campus

Reference from United World College

United World College UWC-Singapore

Singapore International Schools Leadership Programme

"How do we enhance innovation through facilitating collaboration across international schools in Singapore?"

Our involvement

  • Leadership development
  • Strategic culture change

I met Dan Brown (Assistant Head of College – Dulwich Singapore) in 2012 and we discussed the idea of developing a leadership programme that could be made available to all international schools in Singapore. This ‘Singapore International Schools Leadership Programme’ was to be offered at an affordable cost, allowing a wide range of schools to register groups of leaders each year.  The Singapore International Schools Professional Learning Network hosts this programme and Greg Jansen and I have offered this programme for the last 10 years with over 500 leaders from over 20 schools.

In 2020, we developed a second programme called the ‘Singapore International Schools Extending Leadership Programme‘. This programme is designed for the Level 1 programme’s alumni and senior leaders in international schools. As part of the Extending Leaders programme, participants facilitate a public event called “Lead-Up” for all schools across Singapore.

The following schools have been involved over this 10 year period.  GESS – German European School Singapore, Tanglin Trust School,  Nexus International School (Singapore),  Dulwich College (Singapore),  NPS International School- Singapore.  Dover Court International School,  North London Collegiate School,  Stamford American International School, Singapore,  Marlborough College Malaysia,  One World International School Singapore.,   Dulwich College (Singapore) United World College Singapore, Canadian International School.

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST Please email us if you are interested in the next cohort of this programme which opens in July 2025

Testimonial

“Chris is an excellent facilitator who helps groups and individuals engage in really deep thinking about their own leadership. He bases his training on evidence of what has the most impact on student learning. Chris is very easy to work with and helped co–created what we wanted from the leadership programme in a flexible and creative manner. ”

Dan Brown – Assistant Head of College – Dulwich Singapore daniel.brown@dulwich.org

Read more
Singapore International Schools Leadership Programme
View all our projects

Meet our team

A vibrant mix of people bringing consulting experience, knowledge and passion to leading

Chris Jansen

Greg Jansen

Lyn Jansen

Cheryl Doig

Rochelle Faimalo

Jade Beaman

Judy Bruce

Ellie Alchin

"Working with Chris has had a deep impact on my leadership journey. His coaching sessions have empowered me to ask better questions, think more strategically, and step into situations with greater confidence and clarity. Most importantly, he has given me the courage to take bold action, embrace challenges, and to lead with conviction and compassion."

Seema Desai - High School Principal United World College Singapore (sid@gapps.uwcsea.edu.sg)

"Working with Chris and Leadership Lab was transformative for both our school and my personal leadership journey. Your deep historical knowledge of the school, having worked with multiple leadership teams over the years, provided invaluable continuity and context. Combined with your balanced external perspective and thoughtful suggestions, your contributions left a lasting impact on our leadership and strategy. Personally, the individual coaching sessions were transformative, offering clarity and actionable steps that continue to influence my leadership journey."

Dr Luke Shaeter - Head of Primary Section, Taipei European School (luke.cheater@dohabritishschool.com)

"I have worked with Chris Jansen over the last 8 or so years on a number of different projects. He worked with our Strategy Team as we explored non-traditional flat leadership. He led an EARCOS Heads retreat where there was time for deep reflection about leadership work. He came to NIS recently to work in transitions and strengths coaching for our leadership team. I have also had the pleasure of working with Chris in a personal 360 profile and coaching role. He is calm, well prepared, has excellent listening skills. All my colleagues have learned with Chris and enjoyed the process. I highly recommend him". 

Laurie McLellan,  Director, Nanjing International School (lauriemclellan@nanjing-school.com)

I have worked with Chris in different programmes over the past 15 years, but more recently, we worked with Chris to look at developing leadership capacity within our school and also through the leadership mentoring programme, which Chris leads in conjunction with EARCOS. Chris has helped us in creating meaningful support for our leaders through the identification of authentic situations we face everyday in international schools and highlighting the essential need for explicit leadership learning. Chris is easy to work with, has a calm and engaging manner and speaks from experience and care and I have been grateful for the opportunity to work with him.

Craig Coutts - Head of School, Yokohama International School (couttsc@yis.ac.jp)

"There are many consultants currently providing leadership training. However, we were looking for someone to work with us rather than talk at us. Chris and Greg's gentle, good humour and understated approach fit the needs of our school extremely well. Their knowledge is undeniable, and they quickly managed to gain the respect staff. The UWC Leadership Programme has been a considerable success."

Frazer Cairns - Head of Dover Campus, United World College - Singapore

A sample of curated resources

Check out these featured resources as well as the full library at www.leadershiplab.co.nz

Systems Change Webinar Series

A three-part comprehensive and accessible overview of system thinking and leadership for system change from our team members Judy Bruce and Chris Jansen followed by three cutting edge casestudies from experienced practitioners in Aotearoa as part of the Leadership Lab RouRou initiative.

Watch System Change video series

Leaders Buffet Webinar series

A self-directed learning programme to support your work and empower leaders to learn more effectively. The Leaders’ Buffet is curated into several themes, each having a range of videos, complete with provocative questions designed to be used by small groups of leaders and can also be used by individuals.

View buffet

Grow Waitaha Case Study

Educational transformation in Ōtautahi Christchurch post-earthquake through a co-design collaborative approach in a complex public-sector context

Read Grow Waitaha Case Study

Te Kakau Case Study

An 18-month partnership with Queenstown Lakes District Council and other local partners to support, connect and strengthen local business and community leaders in Queenstown and Wanaka during the COVID-19 pandemic

Read Te Kakau Case Study

Interested in collaborating?

areas of interest