Being in the Canoe: Leadership Competencies for Principals and Vice-Principals

In July 2025, the BC Principals' & Vice-Principals' Association (BCPVPA) soft-launched a new Leadership Competencies framework, the culmination of 2.5 years of collaborative design led by Dr. Andrea McComb and Peter Johnston. Developed through extensive consultation, research, and field-testing, the Competencies offer both a philosophical shift and practical tools for school leadership development. The Competencies are not a checklist but a narrative framework we call Being in the Canoe. The metaphor reflects how school leaders paddle together with staff, students, and communities, navigating shifting currents while maintaining authenticity, humility, and shared direction. The Competencies emphasize five interwoven domains: • Stewardship For The Future of All Children • Fostering a Culture of Curiosity and Inquiry • Growing The Capacity of Self and Others • Contextual Literacy and Agency • Bridging Policy and Practice In this highly interactive session, participants will engage in a carousel-style workshop. Small groups will rotate through each of the five Competencies, exploring them in depth through guided activities, reflective prompts, and facilitated dialogue. At each station, participants will make direct connections between the Competencies and their own school leadership contexts, ensuring the framework is not only understood but meaningfully applied. This session shares how the Competencies were co-designed with members, Indigenous advisors, and international scholars. Participants will also have space to shape their own leadership stories. By the end, attendees will have both a conceptual understanding of Being in the Canoe and a set of practical, personalized connections to take back to their schools and systems.