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 […]
This week, I had an awesome opportunity to keynote a leadership conference. Yes, I do that often, but this time I decided to do something new. I opened by sharing my ‘tap on the shoulder’ moment. That moment in time when another leader reaches out and invites you to the leadership table, nudges you in […]
School leaders play a pivotal role in shaping the educational experience and outcomes of students. In order to create an environment that fosters academic excellence, personal growth, and holistic development, it is imperative for school leaders to prioritize the growth and development of their teams. As we strive for continuous improvement and growth within our […]
I love March…I really do! March Madness, spring is coming our way, some sunshine and occasionally warmer weather. March is a great month. As a huge pro golf fan, I know the Masters golf tournament is right around the corner and really fills my soul with excitement for spring and summer. That said, March for […]