According to Chip Cresswell, many assume that his job as the chief financial officer and chief operating officer of Independent School Management (ISM) is all financials, but he said his secret superpower has nothing to do with numbers in a spreadsheet and everything to do with the people on his team and in his organization.
“My secret superpower is my ability to develop, inspire and empower my team,” said Cresswell. “I take my role as a manager very seriously, but it’s not about telling people what to do and how to do it – it’s about supporting them, providing the right growth opportunities and training, timely feedback and regular mentoring, and being their champion when they aren’t in the room.”
Independent School Management (ISM) is dedicated to the advancement of school leadership through a combination of extensive research, proven management techniques, cutting-edge products and personalized service, with the goal of enriching the student experience.
In the past year, under Cresswell’s leadership, the organization embarked on the largest capital project in its 50-year history. “We are making a major investment in developing an education technology platform that will both modernize currently available technology and introduce a suite of additional technology solutions,” said Cresswell. “Bringing this project to life is my biggest achievement since last year.”
Noting that the project will be a changemaker in the industry, Cresswell said it is also slated to set a path for their schools well into the future. He led the efforts to envision a reality by aligning priorities, focus, and energy while assembling a team of partners and resources to support this large-scale initiative. “Independent School Management has been serving private independent schools for almost 50 years, and I’m proud to play such a pivotal role in this initiative, which will be a cornerstone in helping us to serve them for another 50 years,” he said.
Cresswell has also focused on developing future leaders in the past year since he was named a Titan 100. “While I’ve always seen mentorship of my teams as the most important part of my role when I looked across the entire company, I saw both the interest and need to develop strong managers who can inspire our growing teams and empower them to do their best work,” he said.
In response, Cresswell launched the company’s first Manager Cohort and Relational Leadership Training Program to create a cohesive team of managers that crosses all departments of the company. “I’m excited to see our management team grow as people and grow together as future leaders of Independent School Management and perhaps, future titans,” he said.
