Recent Content
Are you ready to lead with clarity and purpose in 2025? Join me on Monday, December 30, at 3 PM ET for a FREE webinar: Take Control of Your Leadership: Clear Priorities, Real Results. In just one …
Are you ready to lea…
Are you ready to lead with clarity and purpose in 2025? Join me on Monday, December 30, at 3 PM ET for a FREE webinar: Take Control of Your Leadership: Clear Priorities, Real Results. In just one hour, you’ll learn actionable strategies to define your priorities, recognize and reinforce values, and reclaim your time for the work that truly matters.Save your spot today at www.theprincipalacademy.com/realresults—let’s kick off 2025 as your best leadership year yet!Are you feeling overwhelmed and struggling to prioritize your time as a school leader? In this episode, I share some excit…
Darrin Peppard
December 22, 2024 
The holiday break is a rare opportunity for school leaders to pause, recharge, and invest in their Growth. Leadership, like any skill, requires ongoing reflection and renewal to stay sharp. Drawing fr…
The holiday break is…
The holiday break is a rare opportunity for school leaders to pause, recharge, and invest in their growth. Leadership, like any skill, requires ongoing reflection and renewal to stay sharp. Drawing from Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, sharpening the saw means prioritizing physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being to lead with clarity and focus. This post outlines five impactful ways to make the most of your holiday break. Each will help you grow as a leader and start 2025 strong, with the final tip being an invitation to a transformative webinar designed for …
Darrin Peppard
December 20, 2024 Episode 182 is a special episode, in which Todd Bloomer, Dominic Armano, and your regular host, Darrin Peppard, dedicate an entire episode to new principal Candace Pearson. We are excited for Candace …
Episode 182 is a spe…
Episode 182 is a special episode, in which Todd Bloomer, Dominic Armano, and your regular host, Darrin Peppard, dedicate an entire episode to new principal Candace Pearson. We are excited for Candace to take on her first principalship, and so we decided to share our insights, experience, and expertise to help set her, and anyone else new to the role, up for success.Are you feeling overwhelmed and struggling to prioritize your time as a school leader? In this episode, I share some exciting news about my upcoming digital course, Take Control of Your Leadership:. This course is designed to help …
Darrin Peppard
December 18, 2024 Are you feeling overwhelmed and struggling to prioritize your time as a school leader? In this episode, I share some exciting news about my upcoming digital course, Take Control of Your Leadership:. …
Are you feeling over…
Are you feeling overwhelmed and struggling to prioritize your time as a school leader? In this episode, I share some exciting news about my upcoming digital course, Take Control of Your Leadership:. This course is designed to help you overcome overwhelm, focus on what truly matters, and lead with clarity, and it's LIVE - go to theprincipalacademy.com and check out Take Control of Your Leadership.Link to Darrin's blogpost (mentioned in the PepTalk)And now...about our guest on this week's episode:Kurtis Hewson is an award-winning former administrator and teacher, as well as teaching faculty at …
Darrin Peppard
December 15, 2024 
I read recently the post of another leadership coach sharing her experience working with a coach. I believe so strongly in the value of having a coach that I currently work with two of them (one as an…
I read recently the …
I read recently the post of another leadership coach sharing her experience working with a coach. I believe so strongly in the value of having a coach that I currently work with two of them (one as an entrepreneur, one as a keynote speaker). Coaching is game changing so I felt it was important for me to also share my coaching experience and how it transformed me from a a reactive mess to a transformational leader. My Story When I first stepped into the role of principal, I was floundering. My days were a blur of reactive decision-making, moving from crisis to crisis with little sense of direct…
Darrin Peppard
December 12, 2024 Are you feeling overwhelmed and struggling to prioritize your time as a school leader? In this episode, I share some exciting news about my upcoming digital course, Take Control of Your Leadership:. …
Are you feeling over…
Are you feeling overwhelmed and struggling to prioritize your time as a school leader? In this episode, I share some exciting news about my upcoming digital course, Take Control of Your Leadership:. This course is designed to help you overcome overwhelm, focus on what truly matters, and lead with clarity, and it's LIVE - go to theprincipalacademy.com and check out Take Control of Your Leadership.And now...about our guest on this week's episode:Greg Speranza is a leadership coach , school quality expert and an organizational development specialist who supports school and district leaders—and…
Darrin Peppard
December 8, 2024 
As a high school principal, I often started my day with the best of intentions—to be in classrooms, connect with students, and focus on the work that mattered most. But before I knew it, my day woul…
As a high school pri…
As a high school principal, I often started my day with the best of intentions—to be in classrooms, connect with students, and focus on the work that mattered most. But before I knew it, my day would get hijacked. A staff member would drop by my office with an “urgent” issue. An email thread would spiral out of control, demanding immediate attention. A student discipline crisis would erupt, pulling me away from my priorities. By the end of the day, I’d find myself frustrated and wondering how so much time had slipped away without accomplishing the high-leverage work I’d planned. I fe…
Darrin Peppard
December 6, 2024 Are you feeling overwhelmed and struggling to prioritize your time as a school leader? In this episode, I share some exciting news about my upcoming digital course, Take Control of Your Leadership:. …
Are you feeling over…
Are you feeling overwhelmed and struggling to prioritize your time as a school leader? In this episode, I share some exciting news about my upcoming digital course, Take Control of Your Leadership:. This course is designed to help you overcome overwhelm, focus on what truly matters, and lead with clarity, and it's LIVE - go to theprincipalacademy.com and check out Take Control of Your Leadership.And now...about our guest on this week's episode:Dre Baldwin is CEO and Founder of Work On Your Game Inc. He has given 4 TEDxTalks and has authored 35 books. Dre’s content has been consumed over 10…
Darrin Peppard
December 1, 2024 
As a high school principal, my days often began with ambitious plans: visiting classrooms, engaging with teachers, and pushing forward the big-picture goals for our school. But all too often, conflict…
As a high school pri…
As a high school principal, my days often began with ambitious plans: visiting classrooms, engaging with teachers, and pushing forward the big-picture goals for our school. But all too often, conflicts derailed those intentions. Whether it was mediating a disagreement between staff members, addressing a parent’s concerns, or resolving a student issue, I found myself stepping into the role of mediator far more than I anticipated. At the time, I believed that personally handling every conflict was a mark of strong leadership. But I quickly realized that this approach not only drained my time a…
Darrin Peppard
November 27, 2024 Are you feeling overwhelmed and struggling to prioritize your time as a school leader? In this episode, I share some exciting news about my upcoming digital course, Take Control of Your Leadership:. …
Are you feeling over…
Are you feeling overwhelmed and struggling to prioritize your time as a school leader? In this episode, I share some exciting news about my upcoming digital course, Take Control of Your Leadership:. This course is designed to help you overcome overwhelm, focus on what truly matters, and lead with clarity, and it's LIVE - go to theprincipalacademy.com and check out Take Control of Your Leadership.And now...about this week's special mid-week episode: I am sitting down with Todd Bloomer, one of my two regular mid-week guests to talk school leadership, the holidays, and more! Don't miss this awes…
Darrin Peppard
November 27, 2024 Are you feeling overwhelmed and struggling to prioritize your time as a school leader? In this episode, I share some exciting news about my upcoming digital course, Take Control of Your Leadership:. …
Are you feeling over…
Are you feeling overwhelmed and struggling to prioritize your time as a school leader? In this episode, I share some exciting news about my upcoming digital course, Take Control of Your Leadership:. This course is designed to help you overcome overwhelm, focus on what truly matters, and lead with clarity, and it's LIVE - go to theprincipalacademy.com and check out Take Control of Your Leadership.And now...about our guest on this week's episode:Shailendra Pratap Jain is Bret Wheat Endowed Professor of Marketing and International Business at the Foster School of Business, University of Washingt…
Darrin Peppard
November 24, 2024 In this episode of Leaning Into Leadership, I’m pulling back the curtain on my new course, Take Control of Your Leadership. This transformative course is designed to help school leaders overcome o…
In this episode of …
In this episode of Leaning Into Leadership, I’m pulling back the curtain on my new course, Take Control of Your Leadership. This transformative course is designed to help school leaders overcome overwhelm, focus on what matters most, and lead with clarity and purpose.Go to https://www.theprincipalacademy.com to learn more and to enroll in the course today. Use the code TCYL24 at checkout to save $150. (offer expires 11/24/2024)Join me as I share personal stories and practical tips from each of the six modules:Gaining Clarity and Examining Systems: Define your leadership values and focus on…
Darrin Peppard
November 20, 2024 
As a high school principal, I remember many sleepless nights during the holiday season. The Stress of trying to balance staff morale, student behavior, and community needs often felt overwhelming. I w…
As a high school pri…
As a high school principal, I remember many sleepless nights during the holiday season. The stress of trying to balance staff morale, student behavior, and community needs often felt overwhelming. I worried about everything—how to support staff stretched thin by illness, how to keep students focused when their energy was through the roof, and how to ensure the families in our community who were struggling could still find joy in the season. I wanted to do it all, but the weight of those expectations sometimes left me staring at the ceiling, wondering if I was doing enough. Through those stru…
Darrin Peppard
November 19, 2024 Are you feeling overwhelmed and struggling to prioritize your time as a school leader? In this episode, I share some exciting news about my upcoming digital course, Take Control of Your Leadership: A…
Are you feeling over…
Are you feeling overwhelmed and struggling to prioritize your time as a school leader? In this episode, I share some exciting news about my upcoming digital course, Take Control of Your Leadership: A Road to Awesome Map for Early Career Leaders. This course is designed to help you overcome overwhelm, focus on what truly matters, and lead with clarity, and it's launching soon!!!Sign up for our mailing list at roadtoawesome.net to get early access, special pricing, and exclusive bonuses! And stay tuned for information on this exciting new course.And now...about our guest on this week's episode:…
Darrin Peppard
November 17, 2024 
In the work I do today, I am frequently on zoom with or in person with school leaders. The most common challenge that school leaders seem to face today, as I see it, is not being intentional with thei…
In the work I do tod…
In the work I do today, I am frequently on zoom with or in person with school leaders. The most common challenge that school leaders seem to face today, as I see it, is not being intentional with their time. We all have goals and aspirations in our role, but often those get set aside as we deal with the urgent, the crisis of the moment, rather than working on high-leverage leadership actions. I tell leaders often, stop being a firefighter and start being a leader. Those were actually the words of my leadership coach back when I was a struggling school principal. It takes more than word, howeve…
Darrin Peppard
November 14, 2024 On this solo episode of the podcast, we explore a vital topic for school leaders: maintaining resilience and avoiding Burnout. I discuss five practical strategies to help you stay grounded, energized,…
On this solo episode…
On this solo episode of the podcast, we explore a vital topic for school leaders: maintaining resilience and avoiding burnout. I discuss five practical strategies to help you stay grounded, energized, and focused, even amidst the demands of leadership. From setting boundaries and effective delegation to building a support network and prioritizing self-care, these tips are designed to help you thrive in your role. Tune in to learn how to protect your energy, enhance your impact, and lead with clarity and purpose.Are you feeling overwhelmed and struggling to prioritize your time as a school lead…
Darrin Peppard
November 10, 2024 
I spent the week at the Association for Middle Level Educators (AMLE) conference in Nashville. I had the opportunity to speak to about 250 school and district level leaders sharing my insights on clar…
I spent the week at …
I spent the week at the Association for Middle Level Educators (AMLE) conference in Nashville. I had the opportunity to speak to about 250 school and district level leaders sharing my insights on clarity and intentionality in leadership. Upon the conclusion of my session, about 10-12 people hung around wanting to talk more with me. One, however, lingered until the very last person left the ballroom. She approached me and said, “everything you just said spoke right to what I am dealing with right now”. She went on to tell me more about her situation, including how she was on her third day, …
Darrin Peppard
November 9, 2024 Are you feeling overwhelmed and struggling to prioritize your time as a school leader? In this episode, I share some exciting news about my upcoming digital course, Take Control of Your Leadership: A…
Are you feeling over…
Are you feeling overwhelmed and struggling to prioritize your time as a school leader? In this episode, I share some exciting news about my upcoming digital course, Take Control of Your Leadership: A Road to Awesome Map for Early Career Leaders. This course is designed to help you overcome overwhelm, focus on what truly matters, and lead with clarity.Sign up for our mailing list at roadtoawesome.net to get early access, special pricing, and exclusive bonuses! And stay tuned for information on this exciting new course.And now...about our guest on this week's episode:Tammy Klotz is a vibrant an…
Darrin Peppard
November 3, 2024 
