The Independent School Podcast with Juliet Corbett
The Independent School Podcast shares real-world leadership conversations with Principals, Heads and CEOs from across independent and international schools, exploring what it means to lead well in an increasingly complex world.
Hosted by executive coach and trusted advisor Juliet Corbett, the podcast offers clear, practical insight into staying strategic amidst daily pressures, making high-stakes decisions with confidence and shaping high-performing school cultures. Juliet brings her cross-sector experience and more than two decades of work in education to conversations designed to spark your best thinking.
If you want calm, reflective insight that helps you slow the pace, sharpen your focus and navigate complexity with clarity and courage, this podcast is for you.
The Independent School Podcast with Juliet Corbett
052: Mastering the SWOT analysis
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
In this episode I discuss the SWOT analysis, which I believe is one of the most valuable tools in your strategy toolbox. Done well, a SWOT analysis is a great way to structure your strategic thinking and inform decision-making.
Firstly, I explain what a SWOT analysis is and how to complete one. Your strengths and weaknesses are internal to your school and should cover things that happen inside your school community. The opportunities and threats emerge from trends beyond the school gates that you can't directly influence.
I then share my top five tips for mastering the SWOT analysis:
- Get specific
- Prioritise
- Test assumptions
- Think about interactions
- Consider what you can control
A SWOT analysis is useful for any project or challenge that you want to structure your thinking around.
Episode highlights
- What is a SWOT analysis (02:26)
- SWOT checklist (07:25)
- My five top tips (08:37)
References and Resources
Episode 048: Scanning your environment
Catch up on previous episodes at www.consultjuliet.co.uk/podcast
Download your copy of the free eBook ‘The Strategic Independent School Leader’ at www.consultjuliet.co.uk/ebook
Thank you so much for listening to The Independent School Podcast. I would be grateful if you could spare a couple of minutes to send me some feedback here. This helps me make the podcast as helpful as possible to listeners. Thank you!
