I was up early. It was a beautiful morning, not too hot or humid. So I decided to get back to one of my favorite things…playing early morning golf. Mind you, I am not a good golfer by any measuring stick. If I make a few pars, or the occasional birdie, mixed in amongst bogeys […]
I spent a good portion of my week in Austin speaking at the Texas Secondary School Principal conference. I was quite inspired by the awesome school leaders in the state, and the similarities that we see across our country right now. While most of us are dealing with legislative overreach, greater teacher mobility than at […]
In a recent conversation with a new district-level leader, I was asked what might be one really important part of their role they might be overlooking. I think anytime we get a new position, we come in wanting to be good at the job, to make an impact, and to prove those who hired us […]
As I sit in the airport waiting for my flight home, I find myself reflecting on quite a year of work. For those of you who are new to the blog, I’m a veteran educator turned leadership coach and speaker. After 26 years of teaching, being a principal, and being a superintendent, I chose to […]
It’s that time of year again. I am wrapping up my in-person visits with schools around the country and having great discussions about our collective learnings. As I visited with a school leader earlier in the week who I won’t be working with again next year (she’s headed off to a different district), I asked […]
Over the past week or so, I have been in many of my schools for what will be the last time this school year. The next two weeks will be more of the same, seeing schools making their way to the finish line and begin ramping up for both summer break and the new year. […]
Earlier this week, I was recording an upcoming episode of the Leaning into Leadership podcast. My guest on the show shared that according to a recent Gallup poll, only 34% of U.S. workers are engaged in their jobs. This highlights a widespread issue that demands attention from educational leaders. Employee engagement is crucial for the […]
I had the best conversation with someone recently about what really goes into the makings of a great leader. Among them, we both postulated, is the ability to guide inquiry. To me, the best leaders are those who create a spirit of curiosity in their organizations both through their actions and their words. After all, […]
I’m not going to lie, I have a bit of a temper. I am not a patient person and it is something that I struggle with as a leader. You might say I lead with my heart on my sleeve. But, I am not the only one. Where does anger fit in when you are […]
I had a great conversation with a school leader the other day about the paradox of ending the year and planning for the next. I found this discussion interesting, because we live this out loud. But that end of the year can pull you away from the focus that really matters. Don’t let yourself fall […]
