Recent Content
As a school leader, you know how fast your day can slip away. You walk into the office with a clear plan, ready to focus on the tasks that really matter—like instructional leadership or building sch…
As a school leader, …
As a school leader, you know how fast your day can slip away. You walk into the office with a clear plan, ready to focus on the tasks that really matter—like instructional leadership or building school culture—but by the end of the day, you haven’t touched any of it. Sound familiar? What’s happening? It’s simple: time bandits. Time bandits are those sneaky, day-to-day tasks that pull you away from high-impact leadership work. They seem urgent in the moment, but over time, they drain your focus and keep you in reactive mode rather than proactive leadership. Here are some common time b…
Darrin Peppard
October 2, 2024 
As a school leader, you know how fast your day can slip away. You walk into the office with a clear plan, ready to focus on the tasks that really matter—like instructional leadership or building sch…
As a school leader, …
As a school leader, you know how fast your day can slip away. You walk into the office with a clear plan, ready to focus on the tasks that really matter—like instructional leadership or building school culture—but by the end of the day, you haven’t touched any of it. Sound familiar? What’s happening? It’s simple: time bandits. Time bandits are those sneaky, day-to-day tasks that pull you away from high-impact leadership work. They seem urgent in the moment, but over time, they drain your focus and keep you in reactive mode rather than proactive leadership. Here are some common time b…
Darrin Peppard
October 2, 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, I uncover the "time bandits" th…
Darrin Peppard
October 2, 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.David K Richards is a visionary leader who helps changemakers usher in new p…
Darrin Peppard
September 29, 2024 
Remember that ad from the early 90’s, “Stop the Insanity” Susan Powter would shout. Her focus was about overweight people who just continued to do the same thing over and over while expecting di…
Remember that ad fro…
Remember that ad from the early 90’s, “Stop the Insanity” Susan Powter would shout. Her focus was about overweight people who just continued to do the same thing over and over while expecting different results. As a school leader, you’re constantly juggling multiple priorities—meetings, classroom observations, staff development, and the daily surprises that come with managing a school. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and lose sight of what truly matters. You probably find yourself about this time of year saying, “STOP THE INSANITY” with crisis after crisis, time bandit after time …
Darrin Peppard
September 26, 2024 Full disclosure, I checked out Notebook LM after hearing about it on social media. I was immediately fascinated by the potential it has. So, I uploaded my dissertation, linked here, to see what the fu…
Full disclosure, I c…
Full disclosure, I checked out Notebook LM after hearing about it on social media. I was immediately fascinated by the potential it has. So, I uploaded my dissertation, linked here, to see what the fuss was all about. I am stunned at how cool this tool really is. It's a concise summary in a fun, easy to listen to podcast. In this week's special episode, I will share my thoughts, as well as the actual audio created by Notebook LM. Check it out!Are you ready to take your leadership and your team to the next level? As a leadership coach and speaker, I’m passionate about helping school leaders a…
Darrin Peppard
September 25, 2024 Are you ready to take your leadership and your team to the next level? As a leadership coach and speaker, I’m passionate about helping school leaders and leadership teams like yours gain the clarity…
Are you ready to tak…
Are you ready to take your leadership and your team to the next level? As a leadership coach and speaker, I’m passionate about helping school leaders and leadership teams like yours gain the clarity you need to walk confidently in your purpose. I believe that when leaders are clear about their purpose, they can lead with more authenticity and create a ripple effect that impacts every level of their organization. If you’re ready to inspire your team, foster deeper connections, and drive meaningful change, I’d love to work with you.Book Darrin to speak at your school or conference conta…
Darrin Peppard
September 22, 2024 
As school leaders, we often begin the day with the best intentions. You plan to be in classrooms, spend time in the hallways engaging with students and staff, and focus on the tasks that matter most. …
As school leaders, w…
As school leaders, we often begin the day with the best intentions. You plan to be in classrooms, spend time in the hallways engaging with students and staff, and focus on the tasks that matter most. But all too often, those plans are derailed by meetings, crises, or unexpected events that take us away from the work that truly moves the needle. I’ve been there myself. As a high school principal, I regularly found my days consumed by things I never planned for. It felt like the harder I tried to stay focused, the more external factors pulled me off task. I would start the day with goals, but …
Darrin Peppard
September 20, 2024 Welcome to a special, mid-week release of the Leaning into Leadership podcast. In this episode, I want to challenge leaders to think about their day to day work and how they might benefit from some ti…
Welcome to a special…
Welcome to a special, mid-week release of the Leaning into Leadership podcast. In this episode, I want to challenge leaders to think about their day to day work and how they might benefit from some time on the balcony, re-evaluating their priorities and when they spend their time.Are you ready to take your leadership and your team to the next level? As a leadership coach and speaker, I’m passionate about helping school leaders and leadership teams like yours gain the clarity you need to walk confidently in your purpose. I believe that when leaders are clear about their purpose, they can lead…
Darrin Peppard
September 18, 2024 Are you ready to take your leadership and your team to the next level? As a leadership coach and speaker, I’m passionate about helping school leaders and leadership teams like yours gain the clarity…
Are you ready to tak…
Are you ready to take your leadership and your team to the next level? As a leadership coach and speaker, I’m passionate about helping school leaders and leadership teams like yours gain the clarity you need to walk confidently in your purpose. I believe that when leaders are clear about their purpose, they can lead with more authenticity and create a ripple effect that impacts every level of their organization. If you’re ready to inspire your team, foster deeper connections, and drive meaningful change, I’d love to work with you.Book Darrin to speak at your school or conference conta…
Darrin Peppard
September 15, 2024 
In today’s increasingly divided world, where disagreements quickly escalate into hostility and misunderstandings fuel resentment, kindness is more important than ever. Choosing kindness in our daily…
In today’s increas…
In today’s increasingly divided world, where disagreements quickly escalate into hostility and misunderstandings fuel resentment, kindness is more important than ever. Choosing kindness in our daily interactions—whether at work, at home, or in public—can transform Relationships and foster a sense of shared humanity. Kindness has the power to ease tension, soften hardened hearts, and create positive change in our lives and communities. In times when so much feels out of our control, practicing kindness is a simple yet powerful way to make a lasting impact on the people and environments ar…
Darrin Peppard
September 12, 2024 Are you ready to take your leadership and your team to the next level? As a leadership coach and speaker, I’m passionate about helping school leaders and leadership teams like yours gain the clarity…
Are you ready to tak…
Are you ready to take your leadership and your team to the next level? As a leadership coach and speaker, I’m passionate about helping school leaders and leadership teams like yours gain the clarity you need to walk confidently in your purpose. I believe that when leaders are clear about their purpose, they can lead with more authenticity and create a ripple effect that impacts every level of their organization. If you’re ready to inspire your team, foster deeper connections, and drive meaningful change, I’d love to work with you.Book Darrin to speak at your school or conference conta…
Darrin Peppard
September 8, 2024 
Imagine your day constantly interrupted by last-minute requests and classroom disturbances—this was the reality for a school leader I spoke with recently. Like many of us, she found herself stretche…
Imagine your day con…
Imagine your day constantly interrupted by last-minute requests and classroom disturbances—this was the reality for a school leader I spoke with recently. Like many of us, she found herself stretched thin, trying to be everything to everyone. But what’s the real cost of always saying ‘yes’? It’s more than just time—it’s your effectiveness as a leader. While it might seem daunting, saying no when things do not align with our priorities, when saying yes might pull someone else off task, or when the request simply doesn’t bring you closer to your goals or desired outcomes, is an i…
Darrin Peppard
September 4, 2024 Let's get your High Performance Leadership Retreat scheduled today! Reach out to me darrin@roadtoawesome.net to set up the conversation and get your team on the Road to Awesome for the upcoming year!…
Let's get your High …
Let's get your High Performance Leadership Retreat scheduled today! Reach out to me darrin@roadtoawesome.net to set up the conversation and get your team on the Road to Awesome for the upcoming year!Book Darrin to speak at your school or conference contact us hereGrab your copy of Darrin's FREE e-book Walk in Your Purpose Check out Darrin's blog for great leadership tips and ideasSign up for the Road to Awesome email list and newsletterHave a book idea you'd like to submit to Road to Awesome? Click hereAnd now...about our guest this week on the show:Jason Yarusi is a charismatic communicato…
Darrin Peppard
September 1, 2024 
I’ve talked and written often on the balance between being a firefighter and being the leader on your campus. There is a reason for that: one of the biggest lessons I had to learn early in my leader…
I’ve talked and wr…
I’ve talked and written often on the balance between being a firefighter and being the leader on your campus. There is a reason for that: one of the biggest lessons I had to learn early in my leadership career was managing my time. As a principal, your days are filled with meetings, classroom visits, emails, and unexpected challenges that require immediate attention. With so much on your plate, it’s easy to feel like you’re constantly playing catch-up. However, by intentionally using your calendar, you can take control of your time and ensure you’re focusing on what matters most. Here …
Darrin Peppard
August 28, 2024 Let's get your High Performance Leadership Training scheduled today! Reach out to me darrin@roadtoawesome.net to set up the conversation and get your team on the Road to Awesome for the upcoming year!…
Let's get your High …
Let's get your High Performance Leadership Training scheduled today! Reach out to me darrin@roadtoawesome.net to set up the conversation and get your team on the Road to Awesome for the upcoming year!Book Darrin to speak at your school or conference contact us hereGrab your copy of Darrin's FREE e-book Walk in Your PurposeCheck out Darrin's blog for great leadership tips and ideasSign up for the Road to Awesome email list and newsletterHave a book idea you'd like to submit to Road to Awesome? Click hereAnd now...about our guest this week on the show:Colleen Bashar is an Enterprise Software …
Darrin Peppard
August 25, 2024 
One of the more complicated things I had to navigate as a new principal was working with my assistant principals. I had been one of them prior to getting the position, so being one with them was a cha…
One of the more comp…
One of the more complicated things I had to navigate as a new principal was working with my assistant principals. I had been one of them prior to getting the position, so being one with them was a challenge. If you are new to your role, or new to your school, as the principal you will need to lean into those assistant principals for support, navigation, guidance, and insight. You will also need to invest in relationship and trust building for the team to really be effective. As a principal, your relationship with your assistant principals (APs) is crucial to the success of your school. Strong …
Darrin Peppard
August 23, 2024 Let's get your School Leadership training scheduled today! Reach out to me darrin@roadtoawesome.net to set up the conversation and get your team on the Road to Awesome for the upcoming year!Book Da…
Let's get your Schoo…
Let's get your School Leadership training scheduled today! Reach out to me darrin@roadtoawesome.net to set up the conversation and get your team on the Road to Awesome for the upcoming year!Book Darrin to speak at your school or conference contact us hereGrab your copy of Darrin's FREE e-book Walk in Your Purpose Check out Darrin's blog for great leadership tips and ideasSign up for the Road to Awesome email list and newsletterHave a book idea you'd like to submit to Road to Awesome? Click hereAnd now...about our guest this week on the show:This special mid-week episode is the eighth editio…
Darrin Peppard
August 21, 2024 
