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Leading and Learning Through Controversy, Failure, and Leadership Wounds

Controversy and mistakes as a leader are inevitable. We can’t wish for them to not happen; they will. With such a public-facing job and critiques coming from every direction, many heads are gravely wounded when controversy arises in their community and they are faced with navigating a polarizing issue.

Homa Tavanger joins Tim Carr and Sheena Nabholz in exploring how leaders can prepare for crisis and failure and how we might build a school culture that is able to thoughtfully consider difficult, potentially polarizing topics in a spirit of learning, curiosity, and courage. The course will provide a framework of the proactive work needed to provide school leaders with the tools to reflect on, recover from, and grow through challenging experiences.

Participants will explore case studies of leadership controversies, analyze their own leadership challenges, and develop strategies to address failure constructively. Through guided discussions and expert coaching, this course aims to help leaders turn difficult moments into opportunities for personal and professional growth, fostering resilience, trust, and a deeper understanding of effective leadership.

Course dates: March 3 - 28, 2025

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Course Outcomes

  • Increased Resilience – Participants will develop greater resilience by learning how to reflect on and grow from leadership challenges, failures, and controversies.
  • Conflict Management Skills – Gain practical strategies to navigate and resolve conflicts within the school community and manage the emotional and organizational impacts of controversial issues.
  • Leadership Self-Awareness – Enhance self-awareness by reflecting on personal leadership strengths and areas for growth, particularly in times of difficulty or failure.
  • Strategic Recovery – Learn how to create and implement recovery plans after a leadership setback, with a focus on rebuilding trust and credibility within the school community.
  • Support Networks – Build a network of peers and mentors who can provide support, guidance, and insight during challenging leadership moments.
  • Proactive Leadership – Develop skills to anticipate potential controversies and failures, preparing more effectively for future leadership challenges.


AISH Impact Courses

AISH’s Leadership Impact courses are for four weeks, approximately 3-5 hours per week. The course Facilitators will engage you and a cohort group in practical, job-embedded discussions and activities designed for immediate application and impact.  Resources are curated and relevant and you’ll have the opportunity to reflect on your experience in a forum of colleagues.


Cost: $375 (AISH Members); $575 (Non-Members)



Meet your Instructors

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Homa Tavangar

For over three decades, Homa Sabet Tavangar’s work has addressed themes of culture, innovation, leadership, global citizenship and global competence, and deep diversity, equity, belonging and inclusion. She connects timely topics of the moment with the timeless desire to work with purpose and make a difference – whatever one’s circumstances.


Homa’s clients range from Fortune 50 corporations to public, international and independent K-12 schools around the world; from an Ivy League university to Disney Channel and numerous not-for-profit public and multilateral organizations and professional associations. Co-founding the Big Questions Institute represents a natural extension of her work, especially during a time of unprecedented global challenges.


Homa is the author of widely-acclaimed Growing Up Global: Raising Children to Be At Home in the World (Random House, 2009), Global Kids (Barefoot, 2019);  The Global Education Toolkit for Elementary Learners (Sage/Corwin, 2014), contributor to Mastering Global Literacy, Heidi Hayes-Jacobs, ed. (Solution Tree, Nov. 2013) and the 3-book Take-Action Guide to World-Class Learners (Corwin, 2016) series with Professor Yong Zhao. 

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Sheena Nabholz

Sheena's international education career began after a decade of teaching high school mathematics in Canada when she and her husband embarked on an overseas journey. Over the next 21 years, she held various teaching and leadership roles in Egypt, Costa Rica, Syria, and Jordan, and later served as a school head in Cameroon and Ghana.


After returning to North America, Sheena joined Search Associates as the Director of School Relations, gaining valuable global insights into diverse educational contexts. Her experience in leadership ignited a strong interest in governance, leading her to serve on the boards of the Educational Collaborative of International Schools (ECIS) as Treasurer, and the Academy for International School Heads (AISH).


Sheena has co-facilitated AISH’s course entitled "Cultivating a Positive Culture of School Governance" and has served as a board governance trainer. Now, as Deputy CEO of AISH, she partners with Jeff to drive strategic initiatives, focusing on community engagement, program enhancement, financial stewardship, and operational excellence.

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Tim Carr

Having served as Head of a few of the iconic international schools in the world for 20+ years, Tim Carr has been on a quest to discover and share some of the keys to transformational learning. With an eye towards the future of schools in preparing cadres of students and educators for the unknown, Tim focuses on building and nurturing learning communities with vivid and motivating visions. 


Since returning to his passport country after 25 years overseas, Tim joined Avenues The World School as Director of Research and Development. Tim helped launch Avenues Mastery Academies, was Head of the Avenues Online campus during the pandemic, and served as Senior Advisor to all Avenues campuses. 


In March 2024, Tim launched a consultancy, supporting international school leaders and boards. He presents workshops, speaks, and writes, primarily about leadership and governance for the future of education. Tim has served on several international school boards, including AISH, NEASC, Global Online Academy, EARCOS, and Tri- Association, and now locally at the Pine Cobble School and the Williamstown Conservation Commission in Massachusetts.