Ep #47: Goodbye, Victim Mentality – Hello, Empowerment

You’ve made it to Thanksgiving! The smell of pumpkin spice is in the air and it’s time for your first real break since August. Thinking back on this part of the school year brought up a lot of memories of my time as a school leader; not least the exhaustion.

This fatigue can play a huge role in our mindset and can really lead us to a place of victim mentality and a lack of empowerment. Well, don’t worry because in this episode, I’m providing the tools you need to come back after Thanksgiving break with a new lease of life and a new perspective on the job.

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Ep #46: Mind-Management: The Real Work

I’m in it deep this week. I had to face the music about not reaching a goal I had set for myself and I felt like a complete failure. I was forced into a mental transformation, and I’m not going to lie, it has been super uncomfortable.

I’m sharing my story this week of how I came to terms with not meeting a target that I had set for myself, despite doing everything I had believed would achieve my desired outcome. The struggle is real, but it turned out that this is where the real work begins and I can’t wait for you to start applying this to your own results.

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Ep #45: Self-Coaching Strategies

I often get asked, “Angela, how do you get out of your head and coach yourself?” I think of it as second nature now, but at first, a lot of us find it difficult to even understand the concept. Even if you do manage to wrap your brain around the idea of self-coaching, it takes patience and practice to challenge your thoughts and gain the mental clarity required to start making confident decisions.

The strategies I’m sharing to today have allowed me to live the life I had always dreamed of. I was able to leave my job in education, elope, sell my home, move away from my family, and start this business without any prior experience as an entrepreneur, all through observing my thoughts and self-coaching.

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Ep #44: Having What You Want and Wanting What You Have

This topic came to me after an amazing vacation I took recently. Sadly, however, my husband could not join me. I knew he couldn’t come, so I had to make a decision based on the principle of having what I want and wanting what I have. It took some self-coaching, but it sheds light on a problem that comes up a lot when I coach new school leaders.

Some people don’t like to hear it, but when you finally become a school leader, you will face a whole host of challenges you never even considered would come up. Do these obstacles mean that the wonderful parts of the job are not worth the difficult times you will face?

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Ep #43: Sticking to Big Commitments

Principals, and especially aspiring principals, this episode is for you. Are you sticking to your big commitments when it comes to your desire to be a school leader? When we set out on a mission like getting that promotion, it’s not long before that initial rush of excitement is replaced with anxiety about how the future will pan out.

This week, I have a story about my son that not only inspired me but is a perfect example of the emotions that occur when we have set a big goal and it starts to dawn on us that we have to follow through.

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Ep #42: Seeking Approval

Being a school leader is no joke. I created this podcast to support all of you leaders because the drama and the workload is not an easy task to handle. I’m here this week to discuss the idea of needing approval from others and how it affects the results you get for you and your school.

Sure, it’s easy to say you don’t need approval from others, but you might be surprised to hear how our human brains are wired to crave it. I’m covering everything from why we need it, to how it affects your leadership, to how to stop the approval-seeking cycle.

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Ep #41: When Things Irritate You

Can you think of someone who gets on your last nerve? That guy who just has to have the last word in a discussion, or that Debbie-downer who always has something negative to say about a plan you’re presenting at a staff briefing? Well, you might be surprised to learn what these people’s ability to push your buttons says about you.

Sure we have days where our highest self stands out brightly in her power. But then we have other days where we find things getting to us more easily. We are human after all.

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Ep #40: Words of Gratitude for Fred Rogers

When I started this podcast, I was in major resistance mode. I did not believe my coach when she told me I was in a position where I could make a difference. And even after I started, I avoided divisive topics for a fear of backlash, which kind of contradicts some of the lessons I was trying to put out there.

Well, recently I saw a documentary on one of my childhood heroes, Mr. Fred Rogers – a man who was authentic and passionate about his message. As a child, I loved him, but I had no idea what an inspiration he would be.

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Ep #39: How to Build Resiliency

At the very core of helping school leaders manage the demands of their job is the ability to expand our resiliency. We use this phrase all the time when referring to students and teachers, but when we become a school leader, we’re expected to handle everything with superhuman poise and grace. That, my friends, is unrealistic.

This concept is the very core of my coaching practice and today, I’m giving you the tools to maintain and expand your emotional resilience in your position, allowing you to be the empowered leader that you know you are. Using the STEAR Cycle, together we can prepare you for anything the school day might throw your way.

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Ep #38: Why a Vulnerable Leader Is a Good Leader

We’re now well into the beginning of the school year and I’ve no doubt you’ve experienced the full range of emotion that comes packaged with this experience. New parents, students, and teachers can make this time of year a real challenge… for everyone. And, especially if you’re also a new school leader, it can be very difficult to know how is best to approach the situation.

Leading your team and student body through this time can be a real humdinger, so this week on the podcast, I’m discussing the virtues of displaying vulnerability on the job. Some people assume that the people following you want you to be a hard exterior of self-assuredness, but the truth may surprise you.

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