Five Leadership Lessons Behind Dukes Education’s Growth, According to Devi Sahny

In a recent LinkedIn post, Devi Sahny discusses five leadership lessons she says she observed while serving on the Dukes Education Advisory Board. Sahny describes watching the school group grow from a handful of schools to more than 100, and reflects on what she learned from founder Aatif Hassan and the wider organization. This article reports on Sahny’s post and her account of that experience.

“Not because of the title, but because of what I’ve learned sitting in that room watching a bulletproof team go from just a handful of schools to 100+ in only a few years.”

Humility and patience as growth principles

Sahny’s first two lessons concern the choices leaders make while building an organization. She characterizes Hassan as ambitious but humble, pointing to the credit he gives colleagues and his willingness to hire people whose strengths differ from his own. As Sahny notes, “The smartest founders hire for what they’re not.” In her account, humility is not a retreat from ambition; it helps leaders recognize and make room for the capabilities a growing organization needs.

She also presents Dukes’ decision to wait before expanding internationally as an example of patience used strategically. Sahny recalls Hassan explaining, “I was not in a hurry.” According to her post, he wanted the group to expand only when it had something meaningful to offer. That framing makes timing a leadership decision: growth is tied to readiness, rather than pursued simply because an opportunity exists.

Language and daily contact with students

Another lesson Sahny draws from the group’s approach is the importance of language in education. She says Dukes avoids the label “special needs” in favor of “unique learning profiles.” Sahny connects that choice to Hassan’s own experience of dyslexia and ADHD, and his description of his differences as “superpowers.” Her post argues that the words institutions use can affect how children understand themselves.

Sahny also highlights Hassan’s continued work in classrooms despite overseeing a large group. She says he teaches a lesson each Friday, ranging from maths and philosophy to climbing. In Sahny’s view, that practice keeps a leader connected to students, whom she identifies as the organization’s “real customer,” while also providing a regular opportunity to learn.

Culture includes every role

The final lesson is about who belongs in an organization’s culture. Sahny describes a wall at Dukes’ headquarters bearing the names of everyone in the group, including principals, teachers, catering teams and cleaning staff. She presents the display as a visible expression of inclusion across roles, rather than a culture defined only by senior leaders.

Learning by observing leadership

Sahny closes by saying she entered the advisory role to contribute but has learned more than she gave. Her five observations—humility, patience, thoughtful language, classroom contact and broad recognition—offer a portrait of leadership as a set of repeated practices. The post ends with a question to readers about whom they have learned from by watching how they lead, extending her reflection beyond Dukes Education.