Purpose: The aim of this study was to present a systems model of successful school leadership from a rural school case study, demonstrating how it connects to the weaving circle for systemic impact model. Doing so builds an awareness of how both complement each other to prompt thinking about schools as complex and adaptive systems that achieve broader school and student outcomes alongside students' academic results. Design/methodology/approach: This study was a multiple-perspective mixed-method case study. Data were collected through interviews with the principal on three separate occasions, school leaders (n = 3), teachers (n = 4), students (n = 12), parents (n = 9), the school council president and a system leader. Interview data were supported by school observations, document analysis and a whole-staff teacher survey. The case study was part of the International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP). Findings: The authors found a symbiosis between the research of the ISSPP and the ecosystems for learning and flourishing approach, specifically through the weaving circle for systemic impact model. This suggests that future ISSPP research protocols could be modified to consider the weaving circle model and also provides a way for thinking about how the weaving circle model could be extended to better capture the complex world of leading schools successfully. Originality/value: This research contributes to the existing literature on successful school leadership by engaging with understandings of leading schools as complex and adaptive systems.