Finding better ways to lead

When Andrew Murray became the first male principal of one of New Zealand’s oldest Catholic girls’ schools, he believed he was stepping into one of the defining roles of his career.

After more than three decades working in education across New Zealand, Australia and the United States, leadership had become central to his professional life. He had worked as a teacher, principal and senior education leader, including roles with NZQA and the Ministry of Education, and had built a reputation for helping schools create strong cultures of leadership and wellbeing.

Leading St Mary’s College in Wellington in 2021 felt deeply significant.

As the first male principal in the school’s history, Andrew understood both the privilege and responsibility of leading a Catholic school with a rich legacy. He entered the role with ambitious plans and a strong sense of responsibility to students, staff and the wider school community.

Like many principals, however, he had also become accustomed to the relentless pace of leadership.

School leaders are expected to be instructional experts, strategic planners, community builders, crisis managers and pastoral leaders, often all within the same day. The boundaries between work and personal life can quickly disappear.

“There is always one more issue to solve, one more meeting to attend and one more person who needs your support,” said Andrew.

“You can begin to believe that constantly being available is simply what good leadership looks like.”

Over time, that mindset became normalised.

Long hours were common. Rest often felt like something that needed to be earned rather than protected. Like many leaders, Andrew had become highly effective at looking after others while giving far less attention to his own wellbeing.

Then his health forced him to stop.

Challenging times

In 2023, Andrew became unwell following a COVID infection and was later diagnosed with long COVID after experiencing ongoing complications that significantly affected his ability to work and function normally.

The experience required him to step away from leadership and focus entirely on recovery.

It was an abrupt and deeply humbling shift.

“For the first time in my career, I had no choice but to slow down,” he said.

“That period forced me to think differently about success, leadership and what it means to live well.

Andrew Murray

Several months later, Andrew made the difficult decision to step away from his role as principal.

While the decision was challenging, it also created space for reflection.

As he recovered, he began asking broader questions about leadership that extended far beyond his own experience.

Why were so many principals exhausted?

Why had overwork become normalised across education?

Why were leaders often celebrated for resilience while quietly carrying unsustainable workloads?

Those questions eventually led him to the concept of flourishing.

Meant for something greater

Andrew became increasingly interested in frameworks that moved beyond narrow understandings of wellbeing and instead examined the conditions that help people live meaningful, sustainable and purpose-driven lives.

For him, flourishing offered a richer lens.

It included physical health and emotional wellbeing, but also relationships, purpose, faith and a sense of meaning.

That perspective strongly aligned with his work in Catholic education.

“I became increasingly convinced that we needed a broader conversation,” he said.

“Wellbeing is important, but many leaders are also searching for meaning, purpose and sustainability in their work.”

That reflection led Andrew to begin doctoral studies at Australian Catholic University (ACU). He is now completing a PhD exploring the factors that contribute to the flourishing of Catholic school principals in New Zealand and examining the conditions that enable or constrain sustainable leadership over time

Faith, Flourishing, and Well-being

He said ACU was a natural fit because of its strong research focus on educational leadership and wellbeing. Through mentors and academic connections, Andrew became aware of the university’s significant contribution to principal wellbeing research, particularly through Associate Professor Paul Kidson and the Australian Principal Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Survey.

Conducted through ACU’s Institute for Positive Psychology and Education, the survey has tracked the health and wellbeing of school leaders for more than fifteen years and consistently points to growing pressure on principals.

The findings are concerning.

School leaders report increasing workloads, rising emotional demands and growing concerns around sustainability.

New Zealand data reflects similar challenges, with principals reporting increased pressure, workforce shortages and growing complexity in their roles.

Andrew believes these findings reveal a larger systemic issue.

“We have built leadership roles that are becoming increasingly difficult to sustain,” he said.

“If we want great schools, we need to create environments where leaders can thrive over the long term.”

His research is particularly focused on Catholic school principals and the unique spiritual, relational and professional expectations they often navigate. He believes these leaders are frequently carrying responsibilities that extend well beyond traditional leadership expectations.

Reaching the wider community

Alongside his doctoral research, Andrew has continued translating these ideas into practical work for schools and communities.

He works with educators and leaders across New Zealand and Australia, helping organisations create healthier workplace cultures and more sustainable approaches to leadership.

He recently published Faith, Flourishing, and Well-being, a practical companion designed to help educators think differently about wellbeing, purpose and leadership.

The book launched in Australia earlier this year before being released in New Zealand.

Andrew has also been awarded an International Visiting Doctoral Research Fellowship at Boston College, where he will continue exploring global perspectives on leadership and flourishing.

Looking back, he sees his health challenges as an important turning point, but not the central story.

The deeper story, he says, is about helping leaders rethink success before they reach a breaking point. For too long, educational leadership has rewarded exhaustion and overextension. He hopes his research offers a different path.

“We need leaders who can serve their communities well,” he said.

“But leadership should never come at the expense of your health, your family or your sense of purpose.”

That idea now sits at the centre of both his research and his life.

For Andrew, flourishing is no longer an academic concept. It has become a personal mission to help leaders build lives that are meaningful, sustainable and deeply human.

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