The Empowered Principal™ Podcast Angela Kelly | Hiring in 2023

It’s March 2023 and I’ve been working with clients and talking to people all over the country who are experiencing one thing in common: stress, fear, doubt, and panic about hiring for the upcoming school year. 

If you too are in the midst of hiring in 2023 and the process is causing you pain, you’re in the right place. You have job vacancies that need filling. Many principals are of the opinion that there aren’t enough qualified people out there post-pandemic and that hiring subpar staff and teachers is the only option. 

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The Empowered Principal™ Podcast Angela Kelly | Not Your People

Our brains love to focus on the teachers who refuse to follow your lead, the parent who comes in raging at you, or the district admin who consistently fails to support you. There are always going to be people who are solely there to criticize every little move you make. But the great news is these are not your people.

On the flip side, there are teachers who are eager to work with you, the parents who are your biggest cheerleaders, and the district admins who are warm and understanding. These are your people. And as you go into hiring season, remembering to focus on the people who are your people is vital.

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The Empowered Principal™ Podcast Angela Kelly | Coaching for Experienced Principals with Rebecca

This week, I’m joined by one of my very special clients, Rebecca. She’s had the most amazing school year so far and our coaching sessions have been pure celebration lately so I’ve got her on the podcast to share the empowered magic with everyone listening.

Rebecca has been a school leader in a rural district in Ohio for just over a decade now. But it’s only in the past year that Rebecca has taken ownership and control over her time and her calendar. Going from overworking, feeling overwhelmed and behind schedule, to feeling way ahead of the game using the three-month plan.

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The Empowered Principal™ Podcast Angela Kelly | When a Teacher Wants to Quit

A teacher comes to you upset, overwhelmed, and frustrated, telling you that they want to quit. They’re saying things like, “It’s not working, the kids aren’t making progress, and the job isn’t what I thought it would be.” You’re caught off guard, scared, and don’t know what to do.

Principals across the board are dealing with teachers who want to quit. They’re seeing new teachers who had a different idea of what the profession would look like, as well as veterans who just decide they can’t do it anymore. You’re going to have lots of thoughts and feelings about what they’re saying, and I’m showing you what you can do in these moments. 

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The Empowered Principal™ Podcast Angela Kelly | Working with Negative Teachers

I recently had a coaching conversation with a client who brought up the topic of working with negative teachers. You might have one, two, or even a handful of teachers on your campus who tend to be exceptionally negative. Do you know how to approach them in these instances?

Whether they often complain, whine, vent, or gossip, as principals, it’s very common to find yourself getting sucked into their negativity. You might get fired up in your judgments of them, wondering why they’re ruining your school, or thinking they should be more positive, and before you know it, you’re spewing negativity too. 

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The Empowered Principal™ Podcast Angela Kelly | Compounding Comebacks

Today, I’m talking to all school leaders, whether you’re new or a veteran who has ever felt the crushing agony of a past mistake or a recent failure. As humans, this happens to all of us. None of us are perfect, and we need to own the actions that led to undesired outcomes, and that’s where the concept of Compounding Comebacks comes in.

When a client comes to me reeling from a mistake they’ve made or feeling anguish at a defeat they’ve experienced, I remind them that it’s part of the human experience and that every adversity you face is an adversity you can overcome. So, even though it sucks right now, I’m showing you how to turn any failure into a win.

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The Empowered Principal™ Podcast Angela Kelly | The Stigma of Asking for Help

As a school leader, do you feel comfortable asking for the help you need? There is a stigma around asking for help, like there’s a societal opinion that it’s somehow shameful. Someway, we created this norm that it’s not okay to ask for help, so it’s time to unpack this stigma so you can start asking for what you need.

Why don’t you want to ask for help? We have an inherent belief that we can and should be able to figure things out on our own. I struggled with this for the longest time, but there was one simple thing that flipped the switch for me, and I’m sharing it with you in today’s episode.

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The Empowered Principal™ Podcast Angela Kelly | Decision Audit

School leaders are in the business of making lots of decisions every single day. You make so many intentional, conscious decisions that require your time, energy, effort, and focus, that very often, you’re left completely fatigued. On top of that, there are countless unconscious decisions that are playing out in your day-to-day too.

So this week, I’m introducing you to one of the most powerful exercises I’ve ever tried and I call it the Decision Audit. This practice is all about looking at our decisions, big and small, professionally and in our personal lives, to gain awareness around our brain’s decision-making protocol so we can make our most empowered decisions. 

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The Empowered Principal™ Podcast Angela Kelly | How to Delegate

The desire to be in charge of and oversee absolutely everything is an extremely common one for new school leaders. But eventually, we learn that not only is it not sustainable, but we reach a point where we no longer feel that need to micromanage every little thing anymore. 

Whether you’re a first-year school leader or a veteran, the art of delegation is a vital skill we all need. As a capable, high-achieving leader, your brain loves to offer so many reasons delegating is a waste of time or not worth bothering with. However, if you currently don’t delegate and you want to grow your impact, influence, and legacy as a visionary leader, I invite you to reconsider. 

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The Empowered Principal™ Podcast Angela Kelly | Next Level Results

When your school is a well-oiled machine and things are working well, our brains tell us it’s good enough. We don’t want to push our teachers and staff harder than necessary or add more work to everyone’s plates. But if you knew you could take your school beyond the current rubric that is available to you now, what results would you go after?

When things aren’t working, our brains love going to work finding solutions. But what about the things that are working just fine? Have you considered how good it can really be, or what would work better? What can you do to take your school from good to great?

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