How to Handle Criticism
One trait of effective leadership is the ability to embrace criticism. Embracing criticism is the willingness to listen to and consider...
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9 Tips for Running Good Meetings
When I became a school administrator, I immediately found myself leading many meetings. Although I had led meetings in the past, most of...
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9 Steps for Leading Change
Among all the things leaders are expected to do, one duty has risen to the top in terms of most difficult to accomplish with great...
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Dealing with Staff Burnout
In education there is a long-standing belief: The more hours you work, the better you are at your job. Consider the following:...
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Leaders Create More Leaders
A few years ago, I discovered that one of our administrators was being courted by a nearby district for an open position. The neighboring...
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9 Teacher Shortage Tips
When asked to share the biggest challenge facing today’s schools, one answer has risen to the top: the teacher shortage. As is the case...
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6 Tips for Dealing with Toxic Employees
In previous blogs we have discussed the importance of teacher evaluation and employee management. However, there is one type of school...
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Employee Management
Look at any principal job posting and you’re likely to see the following essential duties: Manage the supervision and evaluation of...
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Teacher Evaluation
High-performing schools create a culture where teachers enjoy coming to work every day. High-performing schools also create a culture...
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No Surprises
When I accepted my first job as school superintendent, I wasn’t sure what to expect. To prepare for the role, I reached out to several...
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9 "Pro Tips" for Email
Do you recall sending your first email? Perhaps you were one of the earliest adopters, using America Online to send your first email in...
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7 Tips for Effective Communication
The best leaders all have one thing in common: they are skilled communicators. Leaders who effectively communicate improve culture. When...
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9 Tips for Running a Good Meeting
"Teamwork begins by building trust. And the only way to do that is to overcome our need for invulnerability."— Patrick Lencioni from The...
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Ed Leadership Playbook Introduction
This story begins in 7th grade. At 12 years old, I became deeply involved in the world of school-sanctioned tackle football, a right of...
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I Don't Know & That's Okay
Several years ago, a community member approached me at a wrestling meet. The individual had questions about property taxes and they came...
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The Power of Asking
In 2016 I landed my “dream job.” As the head principal of a building with 200 staff and 1,600 kids, I was asked to lead one of the...
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Integrity
Pop Quiz! What is the single most important leadership trait? Determination? Confidence? Courage? Intelligence? While those are great...
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1:1 Meetings
I once worked for a distracted boss. This boss was constantly working on “important matters” and never had time for employees. When staff...
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Get Out of the Office!
In Search for Excellence, Tom Peters and Robert Waterman chronicle a number of successful Fortune 500 companies, seeking for common...
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Trust.
When I was a building principal, a teacher asked for a week off from work to take a family vacation. Although visibly nervous, she did a...
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Delegation
My first day as an assistant principal was a whirlwind. The day began at the district office where I completed paperwork and met district...
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You Need More Experience
“We’re looking for someone with experience.” Aspiring school leaders hear this all the time when trying to move up the administrative...
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Dealing with Rejection
I spent eight years as an assistant principal. Those eight years provided a great learning experience. I handled all of the “typical” AP...
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First Impressions Matter
First impressions matter. Whereas good first impressions can serve as the foundation for a strong relationship, bad first impressions are...
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