Recent Content
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 
As is true in most weeks, I had several conversations this week with leaders who are interested in working with me through either Coaching or my leadership speaking and training. In each case, a consi…
As is true in most w…
As is true in most weeks, I had several conversations this week with leaders who are interested in working with me through either coaching or my leadership speaking and training. In each case, a consistent theme came through…the need for clarity in their day to day work. Leaders can easily get pulled off the tracks and into firefighter mode. In the world of education, clarity can be the make-or-break factor in a school’s success. John Hattie’s influential research highlights the transformative power of teacher clarity—when teachers have clear goals and expectations, students achieve mo…
Darrin Peppard
October 31, 2024 Welcome to a special mid-week edition of Leaning into Leadership. This week I am sitting down with my once per month guests, my friends and fellow principals Todd Bloomer and Dominic Armano. We play r…
Welcome to a special…
Welcome to a special mid-week edition of Leaning into Leadership. This week I am sitting down with my once per month guests, my friends and fellow principals Todd Bloomer and Dominic Armano. We play rapid fire this time around with questions leaders have but aren't always willing to ask.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 …
Darrin Peppard
October 30, 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.Smore - Ever feel like you're the only one reading your school newsletters? …
Darrin Peppard
October 27, 2024 
Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to work with a handful of school leaders. They talked with me a lot, asking questions as well, about how to best communicate with staff. If I asked, most schoo…
Earlier this week, I…
Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to work with a handful of school leaders. They talked with me a lot, asking questions as well, about how to best communicate with staff. If I asked, most school staff groups would tell me they would love to see better communication from their leaders. It doesn’t mean that communication is poor, just that they would always love to have more information. I recorded a podcast episode recently where the principal shared some of her strategies as well. Knowing that effective communication with staff is at the heart of successful school leadership, the keys…
Darrin Peppard
October 25, 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.Smore - Ever feel like you're the only one reading your school newsletters? …
Darrin Peppard
October 20, 2024 
October is National Principals Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the hard work and dedication of school principals across the country. The role of a principal is often underappreciated, yet it …
October is National …
October is National Principals Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the hard work and dedication of school principals across the country. The role of a principal is often underappreciated, yet it is one of the most critical in shaping the future of our schools, students, and communities. Every day, principals juggle so many different responsibilities—from managing school operations to building strong Relationships with staff, students, and parents. The work you do matters, and during this month, it’s important to take a moment to reflect on the impact you’re making and why it’s so …
Darrin Peppard
October 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: 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.In this episode of Leaning Into Leadership, we explore why instructional le…
Darrin Peppard
October 16, 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.Smore - Ever feel like you're the only one reading your school newsletters? …
Darrin Peppard
October 13, 2024 
One of my best friends is a district-level leader. He called the other day to share a situation that had happened on one of their campuses. Even the best leaders get hit occasionally with challenging …
One of my best frien…
One of my best friends is a district-level leader. He called the other day to share a situation that had happened on one of their campuses. Even the best leaders get hit occasionally with challenging situations, have to have hard conversations, and might need to do some damage control. While I won’t share his situation, I know many of you have dealt with hoax calls related to school safety, possibly have an employee who makes a poor decision (even a former employee can damage your brand), or have a real-life situation that come up and must be dealt with. It is part of the job. As school lead…
Darrin Peppard
October 10, 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.In this episode, we dive into why clarity is essential for school leaders. I…
Darrin Peppard
October 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:Laura Mixon Camacho, PhD, i…
Darrin Peppard
October 6, 2024 
