Support for today’s episode comes from digiCOACH — the walkthrough and coaching platform designed to simplify data collection, strengthen feedback, and improve instructional clarity. Visit digiCOACH.com, mention Darrin sent you, and ask about special partner pricing.

In this solo episode of the Leaning Into Leadership podcast, Dr. Darrin Peppard takes leaders deep into one of the most important—and most avoided—responsibilities of leadership: crucial conversations.

Darrin shares a vulnerable story from early in his principalship and unpacks the powerful lesson he learned about how silence, avoidance, and hesitation can erode culture, damage trust, and create uncertainty. From there, he introduces a clear, actionable, eight-step framework rooted in the work of Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, and Switzler’s Crucial Conversations, adapted for leaders in every sector.

Listeners will learn how to:

• Center themselves before delivering hard messages
• Remove assumptions and stay grounded in facts
• Create psychological safety
• Describe performance gaps clearly and respectfully
• Invite honest dialogue
• Collaboratively build solutions
• Reinforce alignment through clear commitments
• Sustain accountability through effective follow-up

Darrin then applies the framework to three real-world leadership scenarios—from education, construction, and healthcare—providing detailed sample dialogue and leadership moves leaders can use immediately.

Whether you’re leading a school, a team, a department, or an organization, this episode will equip you with the clarity, confidence, and courage to navigate the tough moments that shape culture.

• Why tough conversations define leadership effectiveness
• What makes a conversation “crucial”
• The 8-step Crucial Conversations Leadership Framework
• How to avoid assumptions and approach conversations with purpose
• How to balance accountability with empathy
• How leaders across industries can apply these steps (with detailed examples)

1. Education — Staff not following safety protocols
2. Construction — Crew leader disrespecting team members
3. Healthcare — Nurse omitting required patient handoff details

These examples model exactly what effective leadership conversations sound like.

• The AWESOME Leadership Action Guide
• Leadership keynote information go to https://darrinpeppard.com
• Connect with Darrin on LinkedIn, Instagram, and social platforms

Partner Spotlight:

Let’s face it — leadership is complex. That’s why Darrin is proud to partner with digiCOACH, a walkthrough and coaching platform that simplifies observation and feedback so leaders can focus on what really matters — students and instruction.

Visit digiCOACH.com and mention that Darrin sent you for special partner pricing.

In Episode 245 of the Leaning Into Leadership podcast, Dr. Darrin Peppard sits down with Jayme Braida, Principal of Columbus Elementary in Chariton, Iowa, and the 2025 Iowa Elementary Principal of the Year.

Jayme opens up about her personal journey—from overcoming childhood ADHD and family trauma to becoming a passionate advocate for trauma-informed leadership, equity, and authentic connection. She shares the mindset shifts that helped her turn her challenges into strengths and how those experiences shape her leadership every single day.

Listeners will learn:

• Why vulnerability and self-awareness are the foundation of strong leadership
• How to foster safety and belonging for students and staff
• Practical steps to build trauma-informed practices into everyday school culture
• The importance of joy and purpose in sustaining long-term impact

This is an episode full of honesty, reflection, and hope—a must-listen for any leader who believes in the power of connection to drive transformation.

Connect with Jayme at jaymebraida.com

Partner Spotlight:

Let’s face it — leadership is complex. That’s why Darrin is proud to partner with digiCOACH, a walkthrough and coaching platform that simplifies observation and feedback so leaders can focus on what really matters — students and instruction.

Visit digiCOACH.com and mention that Darrin sent you for special partner pricing.

Have you ever felt like you’re just running from one issue to the next — solving problems, answering questions, and checking boxes — only to end the day realizing you didn’t actually move the needle on what matters most?

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. The issue isn’t time — it’s clarity.

In this solo episode, Dr. Darrin Peppard dives deep into why clarity is the most powerful tool a leader can possess. He explores how clarity transforms busyness into impact, how it builds trust, and how leaders can create cultures where everyone understands the “why” behind the work.

You’ll learn practical steps to:

• Gain clarity for yourself by aligning purpose, priorities, and actions
• Communicate clearly so your team knows where you’re going and why
• Model and empower clarity to drive ownership and momentum
• Build a culture of clarity that strengthens trust and accountability

Darrin also references Hubert Joly’s Harvard Business Review article on values-driven leadership and shares how Stephen Covey’s reminder — “The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities” — is foundational to effective leadership.

Because when leaders lead with clarity, organizations move with purpose.

Resources Mentioned:

• AWESOME Leadership Action Guide — a free tool to help you clarify your purpose and priorities
• “5 Principles of Purposeful Leadership” by Hubert Joly (Harvard Business Review)
• Visit our website: https://darrinpeppard.com/

Clarity in leadership starts with visibility—and that’s exactly what DigiCoach delivers. Designed to simplify walkthroughs and feedback, DigiCoach helps school leaders build a culture of coaching rooted in trust, consistency, and growth. Collect data, identify trends, and turn every classroom visit into an opportunity for meaningful support and improvement.

Visit digiCOACH.com and mention that Darrin sent you for special partner pricing.

What happens when the person leading your organization leads through fear? In this powerful and practical episode, Darrin sits down with Kate Lowry, a Silicon Valley–based CEO coach, venture capitalist, and author of Unbreakable: How to Thrive Under Fear-Based Leaders.

Kate and Darrin unpack the realities of working under toxic, dominance-driven leadership and share strategies for not only surviving but thriving in those environments. From understanding a fear-based leader’s motivations to preserving your own energy and identity, Kate offers tools that empower listeners to regain control, find their voice, and protect what matters most.

In this episode:

• What fear-based leadership really looks like in practice
• How to use emotional intelligence and strategy to navigate toxic power dynamics
• The “gray rock” method — and why being boring can be powerful
• How to protect your time, energy, and sense of self
• When to stand your ground — and when it’s time to move on
• Practical takeaways from Unbreakable that every leader should know

Connect with Kate Lowry

Website: katelowry.com

Unbreakable: How to Thrive Under Fear-Based Leaders

Amazon (Paperback) | Amazon (eBook)

LinkedIn

Instagram

Facebook

In this special on-location episode of Leaning Into Leadership, Dr. Darrin Peppard sits down with longtime friend and colleague Dr. Daniel Hornick, Superintendent of Orange County Public Schools in Virginia. Together, they unpack what it truly takes to grow future leaders in education, the realities of superintendent leadership today, and the balance between leading your board, your organization, and yourself.

Dr. Hornick shares insights on:

• Building a leadership pipeline through intentional coaching and “grow-your-own” development.
• Managing the dichotomy between leading a district and leading a school board.
• The value of trust, transparency, and reflection in effective leadership.
• How partnering with an outside coach has elevated confidence, clarity, and consistency across his district’s leadership teams.

This conversation goes beyond education—it’s about how any organization can strengthen its leadership culture through trust, reflection, and clarity of purpose.

Connect with Dr. Dan Hornick:

LinkedIn | X (@DanHornick)

Orange County Public Schools on LinkedIn

Connect with Dr. Darrin Peppard:

Visit darrinpeppard.com to explore his keynotes, leadership workshops, and coaching programs designed for school and corporate teams.

Episode summary

To celebrate the launch of darrinpeppard.com, Darrin shares six quotes that have shaped his leadership—and how each one connects to clarity, systems, purpose, relationships, and the courage to take the road less traveled. Along the way, he shares pivotal stories: moving from “Captain Chaos” to intentional leader, the coaching that changed everything, trusting relationships over titles, and choosing the Road to Awesome.

The six quotes & themes

1. “Clear is kind.” — Brené Brown → Clarity is respect; clear expectations build trust and culture.
2. “You don’t rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems.” — James Clear → Systems create freedom; move from reactive to proactive.
3. “We are uniquely positioned to help the person we once were.” — Rory Vaden → Why Darrin coaches overwhelmed leaders: he was one.
4. “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” — Simon Sinek → Purpose drives followership; leadership begins with why.
5. “The quality of your leadership is reflected in the quality of your relationships.” — John C. Maxwell → Leadership is a people business; trust is the measure.
6. “Two roads diverged… I took the one less traveled…” — Robert Frost → Courage to choose the harder, truer path—the Road to Awesome.

Key moments & stories

• Early lesson: tough conversations and the kindness of clarity.
• From big goals/small systems to calendar discipline and true prioritization.
• Coaching that shifted Darrin from firefighter to leader.
• Purpose as the anchor for speaking, coaching, and the new site.
• A critic turned ally: trust as leadership’s true metric.
• Three “two-roads” inflection points: focusing on what’s right, leader vs. firefighter, and the leap into entrepreneurship.

Timestamps (approx.)

00:00 — Welcome & website launch celebration

02:40 — Quote 1: Clear is kind

05:30 — Quote 2: Goals vs. systems

09:10 — Quote 3: Helping the leader I once was

14:40 — Quote 4: People buy your why

18:00 — Quote 5: Relationships mirror leadership

22:10 — Quote 6: The road less traveled

27:10 — Call to action & close

Resources & links

• Explore the new site: darrinpeppard.com
• Grab the free AWESOME Leadership Action Guide (link in show notes)
• Speaking, coaching, and workshops: inquire via the site’s contact page

Call to action

If you’re ready to move from chaos to clarity and lead with intention, visit darrinpeppard.com and download the FREE AWESOME Leadership Action Guide. Book Darrin for your next keynote, retreat, or leadership team training.

In this solo episode, Dr. Darrin Peppard dives deep into one of the hardest challenges leaders face — guiding their teams through circumstances completely outside their control. From district-wide budget cuts to post-COVID uncertainty, Darrin explores how leaders can help their teams release what they can’t control and regain focus, trust, and agency around what they can.

Drawing on a real coaching conversation and a personal story from his time as a superintendent, Darrin outlines how acknowledging loss, re-centering on purpose, and empowering staff voice can rebuild trust and momentum during difficult times. You’ll walk away with practical tools you can use in your next leadership meeting — including a powerful exercise to help your team “throw away” the things they can’t control and reclaim focus on what truly matters.

In this episode:

• The emotional toll leaders and teams experience during crises
• How to help your people let go of what’s beyond their control
• A real-world example from a post-COVID leadership retreat
• Three concrete leadership actions to rebuild trust and focus
• A simple reflection question to guide your next team meeting

Leaders can’t fix everything — but they can bring calm, clarity, and courage to those they serve.

Leadership starts with self-awareness—but most assessments only tell part of the story. In this episode, Dr. Darrin Peppard sits down with David Kolbe, CEO of Kolbe Corp, to explore the conative side of the human mind—the part that drives how we take action.

David explains the difference between thinking, feeling, and doing, and how the Kolbe A™ Index reveals your natural patterns for solving problems and taking initiative. Together, Darrin and David discuss:

• The four Action Modes—Fact Finder, Follow Through, Quick Start, and Implementer—and what each reveals about how you get things done
• Why diverse conative strengths make teams more effective
• How understanding these instincts improves hiring and collaboration
• Darrin’s own Kolbe A™ results (4-4-7-4) and what they say about his leadership style
• The connection between conation, culture, and AI in modern organizations

Whether you’re leading a school district, a company, or a small team, this conversation will help you leverage what comes naturally—so you can do more, more naturally.

Connect with David Kolbe & Kolbe Corp:

🔗 Website – Kolbe.com

🔗 Learn More – Do More, More Naturally

💼 LinkedIn – David Kolbe | Kolbe Corp LinkedIn

📱 Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter/X

Connect with Dr. Darrin Peppard:

🌐 Road to Awesome | LinkedIn

🎙️ Subscribe to the Leaning Into Leadership Podcast

In this episode, I sit down with Casey Watts—speaker, author, thought leader, and creator of the Clarity Cycle Framework. With over 20 years in education and a decade of coaching experience, Casey has helped countless leaders bridge gaps, foster commitment, and build sustainable alignment in their teams.

We dig into the missing piece that derails so many leaders: clarity. From the dangers of jargon like “fidelity” and “rigor” to building shared ownership of definitions, Casey unpacks how leaders can eliminate “quiet chaos” and create cultures of transparency and trust. She walks us through the six habits of her Clarity Cycle Framework—determine focus, analyze, gain insight, cast vision, celebrate, and calibrate—and why clarity isn’t just about communication but about creating habits that stick.

Along the way, Casey shares stories from her own leadership journey, the power of celebrating intentionally, and how redefining clarity can transform collaboration across schools and organizations.

We wrap up with Casey’s vulnerable and inspiring reflection on her own growth as a leader—challenging the narratives we carry into our work.

Connect with Casey:

🔗 Website: catchingupwithcasey.com

🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/catchupwithcasey

🔗 Instagram: instagram.com/catchupwithcasey

🔗 YouTube: youtube.com/@catchupwithcasey

In this week’s episode of Leaning Into Leadership, I sit down with Dr. Zac Bauermaster, an elementary principal in Lancaster County, PA, whose fist-bump videos with students recently went viral — one reaching over 382 million views on Instagram. But behind the headlines is a leader who has learned through personal challenges, family priorities, and a deep commitment to faith what it truly means to lead with people first.

Zac shares openly about his journey through teaching, administration, and overcoming struggles with anxiety and overwork. He talks about shifting from chasing “work-life balance” to finding a “work-life rhythm,” building systems that align priorities with actions, and the importance of being intentional about presence both at school and at home.

We also explore his writing, including his six-pillar “PEOPLE” framework for fruitful leadership: Prioritize, Empathize, Observe, Pray, Love, and Encourage. Along the way, Zac reminds us that small, consistent acts of encouragement can have lifelong impact.

This is an inspiring and authentic conversation about leadership, culture, family, and faith — one that will encourage every leader to pause, reflect, and lean into what matters most.

Connect with Dr. Zac Bauermaster

• Website: ZacBauermaster.com
• Instagram, Facebook, X: @ZBauermaster
• Books: Available on Amazon