Ep #284: Defining Disrespect

I know firsthand that as a principal, you deal with teachers or staff members who send students to your office, saying something along the lines of, “I can’t deal with them, they’re being disrespectful.” It’s something most of you probably deal with on a weekly basis, if not daily, so it’s time to examine the topic of disrespect.

There are various cultural and societal rules we live by that determine whether someone is being respectful or disrespectful. As adults and teachers, having your students show respect is something we all desire. However, if you frequently feel disrespected or have staff members who frequently complain about it, it’s worth clarifying our thoughts about what disrespectful behavior means and the criteria we use to define it.

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Ep #283: The Skill of Self-Forgiveness

The Empowered Principal® Podcast Angela Kelly | The Skill of Self-Forgiveness

As the academic year comes to a close, it’s not unusual to find ourselves dwelling on our shortcomings and perceived failures. After all, as leaders, we inevitably stumble, let our emotions get the better of us, utter the wrong words, or fail to meet our objectives. That’s where the profound power of self-forgiveness comes in, a skill too often overlooked.

If you’re a perfectionist, relentlessly driving yourself to do more and better, and struggling with self-love, this episode is a personal message to you. I understand the relentless pursuit of achievement and the insatiable drive for excellence. If this resonates with you, mastering self-forgiveness is a critical part of your journey.

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Ep #282: Getting Yourself to Plan in Advance

The Empowered Principal® Podcast Angela Kelly | Getting Yourself to Plan in Advance

I’m someone who loves planning in advance. Nothing feels better than having my calendar fully mapped out or my travel plans booked early. However, sometimes life creeps up on me, and I find myself doing things in the moment, feeling messy and scattered.

There are times when I’m super planned and organized, feeling ahead of the game, and other times when unexpected things pop up that I hadn’t planned for, leaving me feeling behind. If getting yourself to plan in advance brings up dread and resistance for you, know that you’re not alone. The good news is that initiating momentum is the hardest part, and I’m showing you how.

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Ep #281: When You Feel Taken Advantage Of

The Empowered Principal® Podcast Angela Kelly | When You Feel Taken Advantage Of

Do you have relationships in your life where you have a hunch that you’re being taken advantage of? Maybe someone is gaslighting you, manipulating your thoughts and feelings, or perhaps they’re asking you to overdeliver, overwork, or overextend yourself without reciprocating.

If you identify as someone who gets taken advantage of or generally feel like people approach you with the intent to hurt you, listen in. Usually, when we feel taken advantage of, we either dismiss it or stew on it, and both options hold us back. This is a very disempowered way to lead and live your life, so what can we do about it?

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Ep #280: Allowing an Urge

The Empowered Principal™ Podcast Angela Kelly | Allowing an Urge

Does it feel like your urges have complete control over your life? Are you eating more than you’d like? Do you find yourself staying up watching Netflix when you said you would go to bed earlier? Are you answering emails, even when you said you wouldn’t check them?

We all experience that feeling of tension in our bodies where we have one thought convincing us to do one thing, and another thought telling us not to. This conflict in your mind generates intense and uncomfortable energy that we often want to release by just giving in. Unfortunately, this is exactly how unwanted habits are formed.

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Ep #279: Let Ease Come to You

The Empowered Principal™ Podcast Angela Kelly | Let Ease Come to You

My brain loves to frolic in the place of thinking about my clients. I spend a lot of time wondering how to make things easier for them, how to get them better results faster, and the best ways to model empowered leadership. As leaders, we often think about what the right, responsible, or proactive thing to do is, and I find myself in this energy often.

If you’ve ever felt spun out by your drive to get ahead of the game, whether professionally or personally, know that you’re not alone. The energy of being swift about our actions and wanting to do the right thing can feel empowering, but if you look underneath the surface, you might see that it’s not coming from an entirely clean place.

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Ep #278: What Parenthood Teaches You About School Leadership with Blanca Carranza

The Empowered Principal™ Podcast Angela Kelly | What Parenthood Teaches You About School Leadership with Blanca Carranza

In this episode, I have a very special guest who embodies what’s possible with determination and leadership skills. Blanca Carranza, my client for almost a year now, is a remarkable school leader in a massive district, a new mother, a Woman of Color, and an inspiration to students and colleagues alike.

Blanca has gracefully navigated the challenges of school leadership while also balancing the responsibilities of motherhood. In this episode, she shares her valuable insights on leadership lessons gained through motherhood, her unwavering commitment to serving her school and community, and her personal evolution during our coaching journey.

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Ep #277: Thoughts About Data

The Empowered Principal™ Podcast Angela Kelly | Thoughts About Data

There tend to be two camps of principals – the data-driven principals and the data-avoidant principals. Some of us get consumed with data and love it, whilst others of us freak out about it. I was in the avoidant camp for a long time, but this week, I offer you a balanced approach to data.

Data means what you make it mean, and it doesn’t have to make you feel bad. Data is simply numbers on a screen; it’s just math. Our interpretation of what we make that data mean is what makes it feel bad to us, but you don’t have to succumb to this disempowerment.

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Ep #276: How to End the School Year Smoothly

The Empowered Principal™ Podcast Angela Kelly | How to End the School Year Smoothly

Whether your school breaks up at the tail-end of June, or you only have about a month left, the end of the school year is quickly creeping up on us. The testing period is finishing up, you’re super stressed, and you’re exhausted from the year.

As a school leader, you’ve got staffing to deal with, hiring, letting people go, planning for next year, and of course, all the end-of-year events mixed in too. If you currently have a process that isn’t quite working for you or you doubt there is a better way to create calm as you wrap up the year, listen in.

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Ep #275: How to Manage Staff Emotions

The Empowered Principal™ Podcast Angela Kelly | How to Manage Staff Emotions

Last November, I led a workshop at the ASCD Leadership Summit Conference on managing staff emotions. There was high demand and it had such a great response that I was asked to write a book on this topic. This week, I want to offer some highlights of this workshop to give you a sense of what I shared. 

As a school leader, you need to be able to hold a conversation and maintain your emotional stability while allowing someone else to have an emotional reaction. We’re approaching the end of the school year which means you’ve got testing energy, spring fever energy, and exhaustion. You’re also tasked with not only managing your own emotions, but your staff, students, parents, and school board’s emotions too.

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