How High Expectations and Support Drive Student Success

ASMSA Executive Director Corey Alderdice explores the concept of "exerting pressure" from Barry Conchie and Sarah Dalton's The Five Talents That Really Matter: How Great Leaders Drive Extraordinary Performance. While the book identifies five key leadership talents—Setting Direction, Building Energy, Exerting Pressure, Increasing Connectivity, and Controlling Traffic—we focus on how exerting pressure can transform education. From challenging students to reach their full potential to fostering a school culture of excellence, this talent is about driving change and improvement through high expectations and meaningful support. Tune in to discover how purposeful pressure can unlock extraordinary growth in schools and classrooms.

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Learn more about ASMSA at asmsa.org/thrive.

Transcript

I’m excited to talk about a concept that sits at the intersection of leadership and learning: exerting pressure. This idea comes from Barry Conchie and Sarah Dalton’s insightful book The Five Talents That Really Matter: How Great Leaders Drive Extraordinary Performance. If you haven’t come across it yet, it’s one of those reads that leaves you thinking differently about what it means to lead effectively.

Now, the book identifies five talents as essential for great leadership: Setting Direction, Building Energy, Exerting Pressure, Increasing Connectivity, and Controlling Traffic.. Each one plays a vital role in creating extraordinary performance, but today, we’re zooming in on “exerting pressure.” What does it mean? Why does it matter? And how can we use this talent in the world of education, particularly when working with students?

When you hear the phrase “exerting pressure,” it might bring to mind images of authoritarian leadership or pushing people too hard. But Conchie and Dalton frame it quite differently. They describe it as the ability to set high expectations and create an environment where people feel inspired—maybe even a little compelled—to stretch themselves toward those expectations. It’s not about forcing compliance; it’s about cultivating aspiration.

Let’s think about this in the context of schools. Students, like adults, often rise to the level of expectation placed on them. Now, I’ve discussed topics of stress, perfectionism, and anxiety among students regularly on this podcast.  But here’s the thing: exerting pressure isn’t just about setting the bar high and leaving students to figure it out on their own. It’s about creating a system of support, accountability, and motivation that makes the climb toward excellence feel achievable—even exciting.

One of the first ways we see this in action is through the power of clear and challenging goals. Imagine a teacher who tells their students, “This semester, we’re going to tackle a project that will not only push your skills but also showcase your creativity to the community.” The challenge is explicit, but so is the belief that the students are capable of meeting it. That’s where the magic of exerting pressure begins. It’s rooted in the leader’s conviction that those they lead—whether students or colleagues—have untapped potential waiting to be activated.

But let’s not overlook the nuance here. Exerting pressure in a classroom or school doesn’t mean expecting perfection. In fact, one of the most powerful aspects of this talent is its relationship with failure. When leaders use pressure effectively, they create an environment where falling short isn’t the end of the world. Instead, it’s seen as part of the journey toward growth. For students, this might look like normalizing revision, celebrating persistence, or framing mistakes as evidence of risk-taking and learning.

So, how does this idea translate into day-to-day practices? Let’s take a closer look at a few scenarios.

Imagine you’re working with a high-achieving student who has always been praised for getting things “right.” They might be reluctant to step outside their comfort zone for fear of failure. This is where exerting pressure comes into play. You can challenge them with a task that’s intentionally ambiguous or requires creative problem-solving. The message is, “I see you’re ready for this next step, even if it feels a little uncertain right now.” You’re pushing them to grow, but you’re also signaling your confidence in their ability to navigate the challenge.

On the flip side, consider a student who’s been disengaged or underperforming. Exerting pressure here means refusing to lower your expectations, even when the student isn’t meeting them yet. Instead of saying, “This isn’t your thing,” you might say, “I know you can do this, and I’m here to help you figure it out.” It’s a balance of high standards and unwavering support—a combination that can be transformative.

Of course, this talent isn’t just about individual interactions. It can shape school culture in profound ways. Schools that embrace the idea of exerting pressure often have a collective ethos of striving for excellence—not for the sake of competition, but because they believe in the potential of every student and teacher. This might be reflected in professional development opportunities for teachers, project-based learning initiatives for students, or even in the way the school celebrates achievements. The pressure is there, but it’s wrapped in a culture of encouragement and shared purpose.

What’s fascinating is how much this idea parallels what we see in other high-performing environments. Think about elite sports teams. Coaches exert pressure not by berating their players, but by pushing them to see what’s possible when they give their all. They set the standard, hold the team accountable, and celebrate progress along the way. Schools can do the same, creating an environment where students aren’t afraid to aim high because they know they won’t be doing it alone.

Now, let’s address the elephant in the room: burnout. It’s a real concern, especially in education, where pressures—both internal and external—are already high. The key difference here is that exerting pressure, as Conchie and Dalton describe it, isn’t about adding stress for the sake of it. It’s about creating a purposeful kind of tension—one that energizes rather than depletes. When leaders align their expectations with meaningful goals and provide the right kind of support, pressure becomes a catalyst for growth, not a trigger for exhaustion.

As we wrap up, I want to leave you with this thought: exerting pressure, when done thoughtfully, is one of the greatest gifts we can give our students. It’s a way of saying, “I see what you’re capable of, and I’m not going to let you settle for less.” It’s about challenging them to dream bigger, work harder, and see setbacks not as failures but as steps on the path to success.

In education, we often talk about the importance of supporting students, and that’s absolutely vital. But support without challenge can lead to stagnation. By exerting pressure in the right way, we can help our students—and ourselves—move closer to our full potential.

Until next time, keep setting the bar high—and remember, we’re all capable of more than we think.