We are about to kick off the 2023/2024 school year, and this week, we’re diving into the topic of embracing and announcing change. This is a subject that most of my clients have trouble with at one point or another, and it’s important to dissect exactly what’s going on so you don’t have to sit with the fear of embracing and announcing change as the new school year begins.

As the school principal, you are often the middle person between the district officials who make decisions and your staff, teachers, and students. There are times when you’ll be excited to announce changes being made at the district level because you can see the potential value or rationale behind them. But what do you do when you’re presented with changes you aren’t on board with?

Read more

You’re entering a brand new school year, which means this is the perfect time to map out your school vision. Last week, I gave you a refresher on the concept of your school vision and why you need one, and on this Back to Basics episode, I’m guiding you through the next step: creating buy-in for your school vision.

The truth is, your staff wants a leader to follow, and this episode will teach you exactly how to become that person. Simply laying out a vision you have for the next year isn’t enough to get buy-in. You need a compelling vision that your school community is so excited by that it’s a no-brainer, which means learning to articulate it in a way that’s interesting, engaging, and enticing.

Read more

Throughout the month of July, I’m highlighting the most popular and valuable episodes of The Empowered Principal™ podcast. Even if you have listened to them in the past, they’re definitely worth revisiting and doubling down on because of the impact they’ve had in helping principals navigate leadership.

This week, you’re hearing the top episode to date of the podcast: Dealing with the Haters. This is an experience every school leader fears, and it’s one most principals will have to deal with in some capacity at one point or another. It’s a fear that’s so visceral that we’ll do just about anything to avoid it, so I’m sharing my top tips for dealing with haters.

Read more

The goal of my coaching relationship with my clients is to help them build resilience and problem-solving strength through the challenges that come with school leadership. Something I tell my clients all the time is that they can’t fail if they don’t give up, and I model that by being completely committed to my dreams, even if I miss the mark often.

However, I have recently been coaching some clients through exceptionally difficult circumstances. It has come to my attention that they might need to consider the option of quitting, which then begs the question: When should we contemplate quitting? Is there a right or wrong time to do so? What are you making quitting mean right now?

Read more

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.

Read more