speaker-0: Welcome to Lead Her Higher, a podcast sharing the stories of women transforming education through leadership. I'm your host, Emily McLean. Today I'm joined by Megan Murphy, Global Executive Director of the International Coalition of Girls Schools. You're going to love her insights on why girls' schools matter now more than ever, what girls are telling us that they need now, and how we can create environments where girls feel known, valued, challenged, and empowered to shape the world as it should be. Let's get into it. Let's start with her story. Well, welcome back for our final episode of season one of the Lead Her Hire podcast. It has been such an incredible experience listening and learning from intellectual, globally minded women who have really showed us how they are transforming education through their leadership. And I could not think of a more fitting guest for our final episode. Throughout the season, we've explored what it means to lead with courage, purpose, and heart. And today's conversation brings all of those themes together in a very powerful way. I'm thrilled to welcome my guest, Megan Murphy. Megan is a global executive director of the International Coalition of Girls Schools, an organization that supports and connects girls' schools around the globe, really helping educators to better understand what girls need to thrive in today's world. Megan, welcome to the Lead Her Higher Podcast.

speaker-1: Emily, I'm so happy to be with you. Thank you so much for having me.

speaker-0: So in our conversation today, I really want to talk about girls and what they're telling us right now, why girls' school matter more than ever, and what it means to create environments where girls can truly flourish. Because I think if we get those things right, we are setting our world up for a future full of unstoppable women leaders. But before we get into all of that, I'd love to start with your story. You've had such an interesting leadership journey across education and now on a truly global stage. Can you share with us a little bit about your own leadership journey to where you are today?

speaker-1: Well, Emily, I will say it hasn't been a straight line journey, but life rarely is. I've worked in higher education, at independent schools, and in global education organizations before joining ICGS as a member-based organization. I first began in university admissions and enrollment management, and I really loved helping students and families navigate some of those really big decisions about university life. I later worked at one of our member schools, Marlborough School, where I made the transition from enrollment management into development and advancement. And I really loved that work. That led me to work at a global education program called Semester at Sea. And I think the common thread, Emily, through those various experiences was that they each reinforced a belief that I have that education truly changes lives. And since 2012, I've had the privilege of leading the coalition when I first joined. It was the National Coalition of Girls Schools. And we repositioned in 2022 as the International Coalition of Girl Schools. And it's just been a privilege of my lifetime to connect girl school educators across six continents and ⁓ in 28 countries.

speaker-0: Well, I just love that your path hasn't been linear because I think that gives you such a broad range of experiences. And often those earlier experiences really shape us in ways we don't fully appreciate until later on in our journey. And so before this global role, when you worked in schools and educational institutions, you were in very different capacity than you are now. And so what did those early experiences really teach you about girls and schools and leadership?

speaker-1: Well, I think girls and young women flourish when they are known, when they are valued, and when they're challenged. And I think that great schools are great communities. And I've learned that leadership is really about stewardship. ⁓ that each of us holds our leadership position where we've been asked to carry a baton as a relay race and we run our lap of the race, and then it's our job to hand that baton over to the next person to run his or her race. I think I've also learned that schools work best when every adult understands that they're shaping not just academic outcomes. But really human development. And that I've learned that confidence in girls is built intentionally and it's not accidental.

speaker-0: It's so important that you mention the human development side of girls and we really do want that holistic approach. And relationships are so fundamental to that. And you've worked in advancement. And I think people misunderstand advancement a lot of times. It's often an assumption that it's just fundraising. When in reality, it's so deeply connected to relationships and the mission and the community building within a school. So what do you think great advancement work really looks like in a school community?

speaker-1: I think everything you've said is so true, Emily. I think advancement is not fundraising. I just think that fundraising is one of the outcomes. I really think that advancement is about relationship building and that the work is both an art as well as a science. And it's all about helping people to connect their values to a mission that they care about and inviting them to invest in that mission and really be something that's bigger. Than themselves as one single donor, but to be part of a really big idea and a big program. I do say that, ⁓ and I do think that the very best advancement professionals that I have met are incredible listeners. And they're listeners who invite people to make investments in the future. People don't give because they've been asked, they give really because they believe.

speaker-0: So what I'm hearing is how deeply human this work really is in terms of listening carefully, understanding what matters to people and building that trust over time. And those are leadership skills, not just advancement skills. So how has that background really shaped the way that you lead today?

speaker-1: Well, I do think that leadership begins with listening. ⁓ I do think that listening is the most important aspect of communication. I think that I've also learned that relationships are the foundation of influence and everything begins and ends with relationships, whether that's with a colleague, whether that is with a donor, whether that's with a family or whether that's with a student. And I think that people want to be a part of something and they want to support something. that they help to create and that it's really important to build trust through consistency, I would say, and authenticity as a leader. and much about leadership is is really helping others to see themselves in a larger vision.

speaker-0: And so now you're part of something even bigger, connecting many schools together. You're leading ICGS, the International Coalition of Girls School, and as you said, since 2012, which means you're really at the front row seat to how girls' education has evolved globally. And I'm always really curious about the beginning of someone stepping into a leadership chapter. So when you stepped into this role at at the beginning, what was really exciting to you about it and what maybe felt a little bit daunting taking on that role?

speaker-1: Yeah. Well, I think what was most exciting, Emily, was that the mission was urgent and important. I remember applying and interviewing back in twenty eleven for this position and I remember talking about how girls' education is critical to the world's prosperity and and the world's peace. And I continue to believe that today that As we educate girls, we create more prosperous societies and a more peaceful planet. Soon after joining what was then the National Coalition of Girls Schools, I did see enormous potential in building global connections that would benefit girls schools with one another. For a school in Canada to see how girls schools in Australia were developing wellness programs was really important. For a school in the UK to see how a school in the United States was building its development office around women's philanthropy and how women give best. I really thought that those global connections were going to be critical for girls' schools to be able to become them best selves through those global connections. ⁓ so that was all very exciting. It was it was also very daunting. It was a very small organization. There were three of us, I think, that worked ⁓ for the coalition. We had 175 members, but we had an enormous ambition as an organization to lead in this in this really important space. So we've grown now to be five hundred and eighty member schools. ⁓ we also had to grow the budget in order to meet that ambitious mission that we have at the coalition. So I was daunted by a budget of about a half a million and today we have a budget of nearly three million. And I think the other thing that was daunting was building relationships across countries and across time zones and across cultures and also different educational systems. So the mission was bigger than the organization at the time, which made it both, I think, exhilarating and also a little intimidating.

speaker-0: And so w ICGS grew from a national to an international community. And I imagine as the organization was growing, you were growing as well as a professional. So where do you think your growth really came through as a leader during that time of change?

speaker-1: Well, I was really fortunate to work with a team of incredibly dedicated and talented people. So certainly that's where I drew all of my inspiration, and that's how we were able to get some things done on behalf of our member schools. We also had a remarkably talented governing board made up mostly of leaders of girls' schools, heads of school and senior leaders. And they were a remarkable think tank. For me and for the team to really begin to think about what are some of the most pressing challenges and where are girls schools seeing the biggest successes? And how could we build a research agenda around that? How could we build a professional development portfolio of offerings around that? And how would we get out there and advocate to the general public so that they knew? And understood what the unique outcomes are of girl schools.

speaker-0: You're leading in such a unique role where there are schools around the world that you're connecting with. It's also about how people experience your presence as well and the impact that lingers, maybe not the physical room, but the the connections that you have around the world. So when people experience your leadership, what do you hope that they feel and what values really guide you as you're creating that?

speaker-1: Hmm. That's such an important question, Emily. I hope that people feel valued. I hope that they feel heard. I hope that they feel inspired and that they have a sense of of belonging when connecting with the coalition. And maybe most of all, I hope that people leave interactions with me and with the coalition feeling bigger and and not smaller, feeling less alone and more equipped with. resources and connections to be able to do their work even better.

speaker-0: So with all the growth that you've had in leaderships, ⁓ often it doesn't come in the big public moments or the visible milestones. It happens quietly in the internal work that no one sees and the questions that we wrestle with and some of the assumptions you might have to learn or parts that really has to stretch within you. So with that in mind, what has leadership really required of you personally that maybe you didn't fully anticipate when you first stepped into it?

speaker-1: Well, I I will say there are a lot of things that have have really stretched me. ⁓ you know, I I feel every day ⁓ stretched to learn new things. ⁓ but I will say that I've really tried to create a a career over the last thirty-five, forty years where I always was maybe just a little tiny bit over my head, so that I needed to reach and and work. Hard to gain new skills or new understanding. I've really enjoyed that level of challenge where, you know, you have enough stress and and enough pressure that you really ⁓ build muscle. And so I think it's important to feel stretched all all the time. Certainly navigating growth and repositioning the organization as an international organization, the team and I and the board. All needed to become really comfortable with ⁓ a degree of uncertainty and ambiguity. I think leading through COVID was another big stretch point where we knew that our schools needed support and they needed connection. And so, how were we going to deliver that in the virtual space? Fortunately, our our organization has always existed virtually as a team. We have staff members in the UK and in Australia and throughout North America. And so we were always organized as an organization or as a team, I should say, virtually. So when COVID came, we were able to sort of exercise our skill set with working virtually as a team. I hope to the benefit of our member schools, where we convened Something like 60 different cohorts in Zoom rooms where we had twenty two hundred educators meeting to be able to come together and collaborate as girls schools do so well and solve so many of the logistical challenges of COVID in a way that were right for girls. So ⁓ I think leaning through through COVID was a real stretch. And then our global merger with our sister organization in Australasia, the Alliance of Girls Schools Australasia, through that we had to learn a lot about navigating legal mergers, governance models, cultural differences, and also different financial systems. So I think that that was also a real opportunity for stretch.

speaker-0: And as you're learning and growing as a leader, you're adding to your toolkit. But oftentimes there's something that you have to let go of as well. Maybe it's a habit or belief or even a way of showing up that once served you that no longer does. So has there ever been a belief or habit that you've really had to let go of and learn to become a better leader?

speaker-1: That's that's an interesting question. ⁓ you know, I think that leadership has required me to become really comfortable making decisions without having perfect information. And I think over time I've learned that you develop an inner voice and intuition. And there are times I haven't listened to that inner voice, and I've been swayed by maybe something someone said or maybe a new opportunity. But I have the older you get, getting older is not fun, but ⁓ you do gain wisdom. And I I will say that I listen more to that inner voice and intuition because it really is an amalgamation of lots of different experiences and micro decisions and macro decisions that really I think can serve you well.

speaker-0: that idea of building that confidence to really trust your gut as you move forward.

speaker-1: Exactly.

speaker-0: And you've dedicated so much of your career to girls' education, something that I know that we're both very passionate about. And at a time when the value of girls' schools is sometimes questioned in the world, why do you believe that girls' schools matter more now than ever?

speaker-1: Well, I think that girl schools don't simply prepare girls for the world as as it is. Girl schools really prepare girls to shape the world as it should be. And, you know, I think when we think about the world's greatest challenges, whether it's pandemics or poverty or polarization, those global entrenched challenges really require the full participation of humanity to solve them. And yet women still are underrepresented in many of the places of decision making, whether that's the halls of government, whether that's science labs, or whether that's corporate boardrooms, those are where oftentimes some very important consequential decisions are made. And so I don't think the world's going to ever reach its full potential while half of its talent is underutilized or untapped. And that's where girls' schools punch so far above their weight in graduating young women who disproportionately are in those science labs, are in those halls of government, and are in those corporate boardrooms where these global challenges need to be solved. And so I think at a time when the world needs more courageous and capable leaders than ever before, I think that girl schools are not simply just. relevant, they are absolutely essential.

speaker-0: And I see in my own context, the girls as young as JK, our junior kindergarten, really stepping into their confidence and knowing that they can do hard things and and be gritty and show up in places where maybe in another environment they wouldn't have.

speaker-1: I was just gonna say, and and that's because we expect them to at girls' schools. You know, we do expect girls to stand up and speak up. And so that they do learn at a really young age ⁓ in in JK and in grade one and two to do that. And then additionally, Emily, you know, girls really value seeing it to becoming it. And at a girls' school, When a JK student gets to see that all of the students in the lower school ⁓ are standing up and speaking up. And all of the science clubs and leadership positions at a girls' school are held by a girl. That younger student doesn't think for a minute that she won't become that young woman someday. And so that notion of see it to be it is so powerful in girls schools. And it's what why we have these outcomes of young women graduating and disproportionately holding leadership positions in in their careers and why girl schools are graduating anywhere from three to six times more women pursuing university studies in STEM. than women who graduated from co ed schools. We expect big things from girls at girls' schools. We give them the tools and resources to reach high, and we provide the support and a safe environment to do that. And so they flourish.

speaker-0: so glad you named the see it to become it idea. And it made me think of one of the things I love most about girls school is the the cross age mentoring is that you can have an older student work with a younger student and learn so much that way. But it also goes the other way as well, whether a younger student can be teaching the older student a lot of things as well. And you see that between the leaders in the school, peer-to-peer, it's just an amazing supportive environment in that way.

speaker-1: Mm-hmm. Well said.

speaker-0: So I wanna build on that a little bit because one of the things I appreciate about your work is that it's informed not only by just research and institutional perspective, but a real commitment to listening to the girls themselves. So what are girls telling us right now that adults need to hear and listen to more carefully?

speaker-1: Yeah. Well, they're telling us some really important things. ⁓ they're telling us that they're feeling overwhelmed and that they're feeling anxious. They're telling us that they feel pressured to perform and maybe even sometimes to to be perfect. They're also telling us that they desire more authenticity in their lives. ⁓ they're telling us that they want to make meaningful connections with others. ⁓ they're telling us they're concerned about the future, ⁓ whether that's in politics or with the climate, and that they have a real desire to have agency and purpose in in their lives. And I I think as I reflect on all of those messages that we see in our in our research, not just at girls' schools, but more broadly, girls in in society, that Girls aren't asking us as adults to solve every problem. I think that they're really asking us to listen more carefully and to trust them more deeply.

speaker-0: I think that's so important. ⁓ listen, trusting them and then letting them have agency on how they move forward. It feels like such a complicated time to be growing up as a girl, especially as they're navigating identity and pressure and technology and expectations. What worries you most about the current landscape? And then on the flip side, what gives you a bit of hope?

speaker-1: Well, I do think the the mental health challenges for youth in general are are certainly ⁓ concerning to me. ⁓ social media and comparison culture, particularly among girls, loneliness and disconnection that many ⁓ young adults are feeling right now. I think that the public discourse and the hostility of public and political rhetoric ⁓ is is also a concern. And not necessarily a girls' schools, but just adolescents in general feeling a real decline in in self-confidence. So those certainly are concerns that as educators we need to be building programs and practices around. But beyond that, Emily, I I see more hope and optimism at at girls' schools than I do concern. And I see that in the girls that I meet with when I visit our member schools and also with the extraordinary educators in our girls' schools that are so dedicated to the mission of educating girls. I also see a lot of hope that girls and young women are demanding change, whether that's with the climate, whether that's in politics. I think that they're asserting their their voice as we are better understanding artificial intelligence. I think girls at girls' schools are recognizing that this really important technology is being shaped in real time and that they want to have a voice in shaping the future of AI. And so when I reflect on all of that, I I really do have a great deal of hope about girls' resilience, their creativity, and probably most of all their courage.

speaker-0: It's something I never take for granted the great privilege it is to be able to support young girls in becoming who they can be and want to be in the world. And we know that so many girls are thriving, ⁓ girls who feel confident and capable and deeply connected to themselves and their community. And we know that that doesn't just happen by accident. ⁓ when girls thrive, n there's all the adults around them. So what did the adults and environment around them really have to do to get right? So that they can be that thriving, confident girl that they wanna be. Yeah.

speaker-1: I think girls thrive when adults believe in them, perhaps before they even fully believe in themselves yet. And you know, previously I mentioned that girls can really thrive with high expectations being paired with with support that is designed for them. ⁓ the ability to reach for that bar that girls' schools set high, but Girls' schools have this wonderful sense of belonging and support with that safety net that have girls feel comfortable reaching for that next rung on the ladder or for that that big challenge. I think girls thrive when adults listen and when girls have opportunities to lead, perhaps even before they're feeling absolutely ready to do that. That girls' schools do such an amazing job of creating these safe environments for risk taking, for girls to maybe take a language that they've never tried, or to establish a new club that has never existed at the school, or to participate on an athletic team and to pick up a new sport. that they've never played before. That's really when girls thrive and girl schools are hardwired and built to create those environments where girls are centered to be able to become their very, very best selves.

speaker-0: So I want to end this section really just focused in on those those girls that we work with. Imagine that the girls are listening right now and maybe one of them is wondering quietly, could someone like me really be a leader? What would you want them to hear today?

speaker-1: I think I'd want them to hear that leadership is not a title and it really begins with character and that their perspective and their lived experiences really matter. And maybe most of all, Emily, that the world doesn't need another version of someone else. It needs her voice, her ideas, her courage, and her unique way of living and leading.

speaker-0: So we've talked a little bit about how we've support other girls and h to get to where they want to be. But I wanna turn it over to you. We are so shaped by the people who have helped us ⁓ become the leader that we are today. And so who's a woman who has led you higher? Someone who's really had a meaningful impact on your leadership journey.

speaker-1: I've been so fortunate, Emily, to have so many friends and family and mentors and supervisors who have had enormous impact on how I lead and work every day. I think in particular I'll I'll share the past board chairs with whom I've partnered in my time at the coalition have been incredibly powerful. In shaping how I lead, starting with Trudy Hall, who was the first board chair when I was hired. I really learned from Trudy how to build strong organizational infrastructure and how to think strategically as a leader and how to partner effectively with a board. Following Trudy, I had the incredible good fortune of working with Martha Perry, who taught me these lessons about leading with courage and pursuing really bold possibilities. And how to nurture your team for excellence. I then had a chance to work with Paul Burke. And I think from Paul I learned about how you really need to let your values guide your decisions and guide your leadership, how your values need to be in sync with the culture of of the organization. And now currently I have an incredible opportunity to work with Danielle Hurd, who every day helps me to Keep sight of the bigger picture while navigating day-to-day complexities. She has an incredible ability to see the forest through the trees ⁓ and to lead with both your head and your heart. And then following Danielle, I'm gonna have an opportunity to work with my fifth board chair, Linda Douglas. And I know that I'm gonna learn a great deal from her. I think especially about commitment and generosity.

speaker-0: I know Linda from ⁓ my time in Australia. Her school is just up the street from mine, so ⁓ you definitely are in for a treat there. So ⁓ let's end our time together with a few ⁓ questions to just get to know you in a different way. What's one skill that young women should invest in now?

speaker-1: Listening, public speaking, financial literacy, and stewarding relationships.

speaker-0: What's the best professional advice you've ever received?

speaker-1: Good fortune follows the prepared.

speaker-0: Ooh, good one. And what's your leadership soundtrack? Like if there was a pump up song for you, what would it be?

speaker-1: ⁓ it's gotta be beautiful day by you two.

speaker-0: Great choice. Love that one. Is there a space or a place that really inspires you? You work all around the world. What's a place that really inspires you?

speaker-1: You know, Emily, it's really any girl school campus that I step foot on is they're just places of incredible courage and community and and inspiration. Other than that, anywhere that I can hike in the mountains or ride ⁓ my bike, and ⁓ in being an aunt is a place where I draw enormous inspiration.

speaker-0: ⁓ what's one thing that people would be surprised to know about you?

speaker-1: that I'm an introvert and maybe that I get motion sickness, whether it's whether it's in a car, train, or airplane, ⁓ for someone who travels a lot.

speaker-0: Hopefully you've got a good strategy for that with the amount of travel you have to do. And finally, what does the phrase lead her higher mean to you?

speaker-1: Absolutely. Hmm. Well, I think ⁓ lead her higher means creating conditions for girls and and women to see possibilities in themselves that they might not see just yet. I think it means opening doors and sharing opportunities and maybe challenging some assumptions and walking alongside girls and young women as they discover their voice and discover their purpose. and it probably means that leadership is about lifting others up. And if every girl has at least one adult who believes in her potential and helps her to rise, I I think the impact is absolutely transformative, not only for her, but for our communities and and for our whole world.

speaker-0: Megan, thank you so much for joining me today. Your commitment to championing girls and helping schools better understand what they need to thrive is both inspiring and deeply important. I've especially appreciated your thoughtful perspective on leadership and belonging and the power of environments intentionally designed for girls to really flourish. So thank you so much for sharing your journey and your hope for the future. It's been such a pleasure to chat today.

speaker-1: ⁓ thank you so much, Emily. I've really enjoyed our conversation.

speaker-0: As we wrap up our first season of Lead Her Higher, I want to take a moment to thank each one of you for being part of this journey. It has been a season filled with remarkable stories of women leading, learning, and lifting each other up. And I can't wait to join you back here for season two in September. Thank you so much for listening to this episode of Lead Her Higher. I hope you're leaving today inspired by Megan's story, her belief in the transformative power of girls' education, her commitment to leading through relationships and listening, and her unwavering optimism about the courage and potential of girls around the world. Until next time, lead with courage, lift others up, and always lead her higher.

speaker-1: Yeah.