🚨 How do you lead when the answer is "zero"? 🚨
In our latest encore episode of An Imperfect Leader, we sit down with the incredible Dr. Christina Kishimoto (Founder and CEO of Voice 4Equity and former superintendent in Hartford, Gilbert, and Hawaii) to talk about the radical power of relationship capital, the messy reality of school leadership, and what it truly means to lead with intention.
During the conversation, Dr. Kishimoto shared a powerful story from the start of the 2020 pandemic. When her district needed $100 million for student devices to support online learning across seven islands, the state legislature unexpectedly funded her request at ZERO dollars.
Instead of accepting defeat, she quickly pivoted. She called on her deep relationship capital by leveraging trusted partnerships in the private sector, nonprofits, the military, and Hawaiian Airlines to secure laptops, hotspots, and food for vulnerable families.
Here are some of our favorite takeaways from this episode:
💡 Relationship Capital isn't for politics; it's for safety: True networks are built so leaders can check in, keep each other safe, and ensure no one is leading in isolation.
💡 Imperfect is where the magic happens: Leadership is naturally messy, and that's exactly where innovation, diverse perspectives, and collective problem-solving are born.
💡 Empowering diverse voices: Why women, particularly women of color, need dedicated networks of support to navigate unique, racialized, and gendered leadership contexts.
💡 Staying curious: How curiosity about people makes them feel seen and strengthens organizational trust.
🎧 Tune in to hear the full conversation here or search for An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast on your favorite podcast platform.
👉 Want to connect with Dr. Kishimoto's work? Visit voice4equity.com
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Follow Host Peter Stiepleman on: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-stiepleman-76004819a/ Website: https://imperfectleader.com/
Follow Co-host Jamie Almanzán on:
Connect with APC Leadership Collaborative for support in navigating complex leadership situations: https://www.apccollab.com
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An Imperfect Leader is sponsored by IXL. Boost learning with a platform proven to deliver results. IXL gives educators a complete K–12 curriculum and personalized learning plans that adapt to every student.
Trusted by over 1 million teachers and 96 of the top 100 school districts, IXL helps schools outperform on state tests, and helps teachers focus on what matters most.
IXL: Powerful data. Personalized learning. Real progress.
Discover what IXL can do for your school at IXL.com/imperfect
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American education is at a crossroads, and the fight for justice cannot wait. Ezekiel Dixon-Roman and Sonya Douglass of Teachers College present The Politics of Possibility, a powerful series confronting the rollback of civil rights and student erasure. Featuring global voices, the series offers real strategies to honor every student's history. Watch Season 1 now.
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The Mosaic Project, one of our favorite organizations, has over 25 years of experience empowering students to celebrate differences, communicate assertively, and resolve conflicts peacefully at their outdoor school. Their innovative SEL curriculum is now available to An Imperfect Leader listeners at a 10% discount through their new documentary film-based Mosaic Classroom Project!
The Project's ready-to-use lesson plans include film, original music, "gametivities", and real conversations. We're proud to partner with The Mosaic Project in helping educators build inclusive, peaceful learning communities! Just mention An Imperfect Leader during the onboarding process to receive the 10% discount.
Learn more about The Mosaic Classroom Project.
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Think differently. Think in systems. Reach out to The Waters Center for Systems Thinking to learn more about how systems thinking capacity building can strengthen your team and organization.
Homepage: www.waterscenterst.org
Thinking Tools Studio: https://thinkingtoolsstudio.waterscenterst.org
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An Imperfect Leader: Leadership in (After) Action is supported by ILAA, LLC, a firm dedicated to supporting aspiring, new, and established leaders. For more information, please find them at imperfectleader.com.
Music for An Imperfect Leader was written and arranged by Ian Varley.
Sam Falbo created our artwork, a wood-print inspired daruma doll butterfly.
