In Episode 261, I’m coming to you on location from Edmond, Oklahoma, where I had the opportunity to sit down with my friend Joe Beckman at the OASSP conference.

Joe has spent more than 20 years traveling the world with one simple mission: reclaim human connection.

And if we’re honest, that mission has never been more urgent. Loneliness is at an all-time high. Belonging and self-worth feel fragile. Technology is louder than conversation. So what does that mean for school leaders?

In this conversation, Joe challenges us to rethink where connection lives on our priority list. It’s not one more thing on the plate.

It is the plate.

We talk about:

1. Why connection must be the foundation of leadership
2. The powerful “Chinette plate” analogy and what it means for culture
3. How storytelling builds trust and opens students’ minds
4. Why vulnerability accelerates connection in classrooms
5. The Big Tobacco → Big Tech comparison and what leaders must understand
6. How adults must model healthy tech boundaries
7. Why conferences and networks matter in fighting leadership isolation
8. The courage required to lean into difficult conversations

Joe also shares how he is personally leaning into leadership right now by stepping into uncomfortable spaces and using his voice where it matters most.

If you care about culture…If you care about your people… If you care about leading well in a distracted world…

This episode is for you.

Connect with Joe: www.joebeckman.com

Thank you to our Amazing Sponsors

This episode is sponored by DigiCoach, helping leaders capture real-time instructional data, provide meaningful feedback, and build Clarity through strong systems. Go to https://www.digicoach.com/ and tell them you heard about them here on the Leaning into Leadership podcast for special partner pricing.

This episode is also brought to you by HeyTutor, delivering high-impact, research-based tutoring that supports students while reducing leadership overwhelm. Connect with them at HeyTutor.com

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Darrin Peppard Dr. Darrin Peppard

Dr. Darrin Peppard is an author, leadership coach, consultant, and speaker focused on organizational culture and climate, and growing emerging leaders. Darrin is the best-selling author of the book Road to Awesome, and is the host of the Leaning into Leadership podcast. As a ‘recovering high school principal’, Darrin shares strategies and lessons learned from 26 years in public education to help leaders gain clarity, find joy in their work, and walk in their purpose.