“Nothing has changed, yet everything has changed.”

These were my brother’s words to me late in the evening of his wedding day which took place 15 years to the very day that he and his newly-wed wife went on their first date. They had been committed to each other for years, bought a house together and were raising my fabulous nephew side by side, but had always been ambivalent about marriage – until they weren’t.

The conversation came back to me earlier this month as the congratulatory comments stacked up on a LinkedIn post announcing my appointment as permanent chief executive at Central Foundation Schools of London. I started as chief executive in April 2023 and the transition from a fixed term contract to a permanent contract didn't seem that significant. Until it was.

Co-creating the Foundation’s first three-year strategy and revisiting our charitable objects through a revised vision and mission I had felt fully immersed in the work of the Foundation, even when I was on shorter and fixed term contracts.

However, stepping into a permanent position brought something I had not expected – a new identity and more personal commitment bound up in the impact the Foundation has on the lives of over 2,500 students, and the staff across the two schools we exist to support.

Suddenly my own contribution matters more – and I have spent much of October reflecting on how I can consistently bring my best self to work every day.

In her autumn blog Katie Duckworth, my exec coach, wrote about ‘settling back into the grind’. I challenged her, saying that if this is what charity leaders feel as they start the autumn term then something is awry. I found myself saying that “I want to be inspired by going to work every day”. As we talked about what this might look like we realised two things. Firstly, the attitude with which I approach work each day matters and secondly, I had the perfect moment to reset as I transitioned to the role of permanent CEO of the Central Foundation.

So, this month Katie encouraged me to pick three things that matter and three corresponding habits to practise:

1.     Celebrating progress

As I sit down at my desk to work from home, the person who switches on the laptop matters. Instead of dreading the Monday inbox, I now approach it with interest to see how much has happened and progressed since I last switched off.

2.     Catching the morning magic

My mood as I catch the early London train in the colder, darker autumn mornings matters. I am shifting my focus to look through the train window and smile at the rising sun.

3.     Homing in on the impact

The baggage I carry into a challenging meeting matters. Instead, to shed this, I focus on the positive impact these conversations can have on the students and remind myself it's about them, not me.

That sense of nothing has changed, yet everything has changed has been unexpected, and powerful. It may have happened midweek, but signing my new contract felt more like the spark of excitement that ushers in the new year, not just another day as a CEO.

Our vision is for an exceptional Central Foundation education where every student learns, develops and grows so they can reach their full potential. It’s my role to bring that to life and to apply those principles to my own role. I can’t wait to see what lies ahead.