Leadership development is a cornerstone of educational excellence, ensuring that schools are guided by effective, skilled, and visionary leaders. Recognizing this need, Superintendent Gene Strickland, Assistant Superintendent of School Leadership & Development Rene Cantu, and Deputy Superintendent of Leadership Development Susan Flowers embarked on an 18-month transformative leadership journey through The Holdsworth Center Leadership Collaborative from 2023 to 2025.
This initiative, made possible through the support of the Permian Strategic Partnership (PSP), brought together leaders from Carlsbad, Midland, and Odessa alongside our district to cultivate stronger, more effective leadership strategies. This collaboration was not just about refining leadership skills but about creating lasting change within educational institutions by fostering talent, defining leadership, and planning for future vacancies.
Charles Butt, Chairman of H-E-B, founded The Holdsworth Center in 2017. He named the nonprofit organization for his mother, Mary Elizabeth a former schoolteacher and lifelong advocate for justice. Inspired by his mother, Butt has directed much of his personal and corporate giving toward education, developing initiatives such as the annual H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards, the H-E-B Read 3 early literacy program, and Raise Your Hand Texas, an advocacy organization focused on public policies that support and improve our public schools. The Holdsworth Center builds on those efforts by investing and strengthening the leaders who serve educators and students. The 18-month Leadership Collaborative program is designed to enhance leadership capabilities within school districts, ensuring that schools are led by effective administrators who can drive student success. The initiative focuses on several key objectives, starting with defining leadership by establishing a unified vision that ensures all district leaders share a common understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Additionally, the program aims to build leadership capacity by identifying and developing talent within existing staff, preparing them for future leadership roles. A strong emphasis is placed on fostering collaboration, strengthening relationships among educators and administrators through shared learning and best practice exchanges. To create lasting impact, the initiative integrates sustainable leadership practices into the district’s culture, ensuring continuous leadership development. By prioritizing these goals, the Holdsworth Center Leadership Collaborative ultimately seeks to improve student outcomes by equipping schools with strong, capable leaders. Reflecting on the program’s purpose, Superintendent Gene Strickland shared, “The Holdsworth experience has been invaluable in shaping our leadership framework. It has provided us with a clear definition of what strong leadership looks like in our district, ensuring consistency in our approach to developing future leaders and support existing leaders in their ongoing development.”
Throughout the program, participants engaged in four critical workstreams that served as the foundation for leadership development. The first, District Talent Assessment, involved evaluating current leadership talent to identify strengths and areas for improvement. Leadership Definition focused on clearly outlining the competencies required for success within the district, ensuring a shared understanding of effective leadership. The Talent Pipeline workstream established a structured process for identifying and nurturing potential leaders, helping to cultivate a strong internal pool of candidates. Lastly, Vacancy Planning ensured that the district maintained a ready bench of qualified individuals prepared to step into principal and other leadership roles as vacancies arose. Together, these workstreams provided a comprehensive approach to strengthening leadership within the district.
Deputy Superintendent of Leadership Development Susan Flowers highlighted the importance of these workstreams, stating, “Through this program, we have established a comprehensive approach to leadership development. The ability to assess talent effectively and define leadership competencies has allowed us to align our processes in a way that ensures long-term success.”
At Hobbs Schools, the leadership knows the vital task of preparing future principals for success to lead their schools with excellence. The Holdsworth Leadership Collaborative 18-month program was designed to equip district leaders with the tools to develop a strong pipeline of aspiring principals, ensuring they are ready to take on leadership roles when the opportunity arises. Research shows that, after teachers, principals have the most significant impact on student learning. Their role is pivotal in shaping school culture, driving academic achievement, and fostering an environment where students and educators thrive.
As the demands of school leadership continue to evolve, principals must be equipped to navigate uncertainty and tackle challenges with innovation. Traditionally, new principals are expected to manage all aspects of the role from day one, often without extensive hands-on training. However, the best preparation comes from experience, and districts must create opportunities for aspiring leaders to develop their skills in a supportive environment.
By fostering leadership growth within their own districts, school systems can provide aspiring principals with meaningful learning experiences. With the right guidance and structured development programs, district leaders can design systems that prepare future principals effectively, ensuring a smooth transition into leadership roles when vacancies arise. Assistant Superintendent Rene Cantu reflected on the significance of this endeavor: “By defining leadership competencies and aligning our talent systems, we are ensuring that every leader in our district is equipped to make meaningful contributions to student success. This is a long-term investment in the future of our schools.”
At the start of the program in July 2023, the team set a bold and ambitious goal for leadership excellence. Within two years, they aimed to clearly define leadership competencies based on evidence of key behaviors that drive student learning. Additionally, they committed to aligning talent systems and processes with this leadership definition, ensuring coherent expectations and practices across systems, roles, and campuses. This goal reflects a strong commitment to establishing a structured, evidence-based leadership framework that not only strengthens leadership capabilities but also fosters positive student learning outcomes.
A collaboration beyond boundaries, the partnership with Carlsbad, Midland, and Odessa districts was a crucial element of the Leadership Collaborative. This regional approach allowed for cross-district learning, where leaders could exchange insights and best practices. The collaboration facilitated a broader perspective on leadership challenges and solutions, reinforcing the idea that strong leadership transcends district lines. Reflecting on the collaborative nature of the program, Gene Strickland stated, “Working alongside other districts has been an eye-opening experience. We’ve been able to learn from each other, share strategies, and collectively improve our leadership models. The support from PSP has been instrumental in making this initiative a success.”
As the Leadership Collaborative progressed toward its 2025 conclusion, the impact of this program is already evident in the district’s leadership structures. With a clearer definition of leadership, a well-established pipeline, and a structured approach to talent development, the district is poised for long-term success. Susan Flowers emphasized the program’s lasting effects: “The work we’ve done here doesn’t end with this program. We are embedding these practices into the very fabric of our district, ensuring that leadership development remains a continuous, evolving process.”
With a shared commitment to fostering strong leadership, Superintendent Strickland, Assistant Superintendent Cantu, and Deputy Superintendent Flowers have set a new standard for leadership excellence within the district. Their dedication to this transformative journey ensures that schools will continue to benefit from visionary and capable leadership for years to come.
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