Leaning into Leadership

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

In this episode, Dr. Darrin Peppard is joined by Dr. Kacy Shahid and Dr. Kevin Lein, members of NASSP’s Principal Recovery Network. They share their personal journeys through tragedy, the lessons they’ve learned, and the hope they bring to school leaders everywhere.

• Leading through crisis and recovery
• The role of empathy, vulnerability, and preparation
• How the Principal Recovery Network supports school leaders
• The Principal Recovery Network Guide and how it helps communities heal
• Why “heartening schools” is as important as hardening them
• Practical advice for leaders on rest, trust, and courage

Dr. Kacy Shahid transitioned from substitute teacher to principal in six years, eventually leading her alma mater, Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in St. Louis. After experiencing the tragedy of a school shooting in 2022, she found renewed purpose in advocacy and healing. She is the author of Know Your Place, Run Your Race and the 90-day journal HEARTWORK. She currently serves as a Strategic Advisor and Community Engagement Lead in Higher Education.

📌 Connect: LinkedIn | Instagram/Twitter: @DrKacyShahid | Facebook: Kacy Shahid

Dr. Kevin Lein is an assistant professor at Wayne State College (NE) with over 35 years of experience in education as a teacher, coach, principal, and higher education leader. A survivor of a school shooting, Dr. Lein has become a leading advocate for personalized learning, system reform, and safe schools. He is a founding member of the Principal Recovery Network and a national voice for heart-centered leadership.

In this solo episode, Dr. Darrin Peppard dives into the leadership buzzwords we all hear — and probably use — without stopping to define. Words like collaboration, accountability, engagement, data-driven, and professional development can either sharpen our work or blur it entirely, depending on how leaders frame them.

Darrin shares Webster’s definitions of 10 powerful words, explores how they’re often misused in both education and corporate spaces, and provides leadership takeaways for creating clarity.

If you’ve ever told your team you want more “collaboration” or asked for “rigor” without explaining what that means, this episode is for you.

Takeaways:

• Why words lose their power when they’re left undefined
• 10 common buzzwords and what they should mean
• How clarity in language creates clarity in action

Words are powerful — but only when leaders define them clearly.

• 00:00–02:25 | Introduction, inspiration for the episode, why words matter
• 02:25–04:45 | The danger of buzzwords without definition
• 04:48–07:12 | Word #1: Collaboration
• 07:12–09:34 | Word #2: Accountability
• 09:34–12:02 | Word #3: Engagement
• 12:02–15:41 | Word #4: Curriculum
• 15:41–17:32 | Word #5: Rigor
• 17:32–20:47 | Word #6: Fidelity
• 20:47–23:19 | Word #7: Best Practices
• 23:19–24:54 | Word #8: Data-Driven
• 24:54–26:38 | Word #9: Expectations
• 26:38–30:17 | Word #10: Professional Development
• 30:17–End | Wrap-up, leadership challenge, and call to action

Connect with Darrin on social media @DarrinMPeppard on all platforms

Website: www.roadtoawesome.net

Email: [email protected]

Dr. Darrin Peppard sits down with Dr. Jason Williamson—speaker, author, and creator of the Second Mile Mentality—to explore how leaders move beyond minimum expectations and build cultures where presence becomes proof. From a tiny Arkansas town to college athletics and the principal’s office, Jason’s journey shaped a practical framework for resilience, excellence, and intentional service.

He unpacks the Second Mile philosophy (go above the job description), the PACE model (Purpose • Affirmation • Collaboration/Control • Engagement), and concrete strategies for modeling, celebrating growth, and handling resistance without taking it personally. If you’re an early-career AP/Principal or a veteran leader sharpening your edge, this episode delivers playbook-ready tactics.

In this episode:

• Tech hiccups, persistence, and the leadership lesson of “find a way”
• From Ozan, AR (pop. 81) to college athletics: foundations of service-first leadership
• Second Mile leadership: presence → proof; kindness, eye contact, enthusiasm
• Turning customer-service training into school culture (the “my pleasure” mindset)
• Modeling what matters: visibility in halls, classrooms, and duty posts
• PACE core values in action:
• Put students first
• Focus on learning
• Support each other
• Commit to growth
• Engage in the process
• Dealing with disengagement and tough feedback without getting defensive
• Preparing assistant principals for the leap to the principal’s chair

Connect with Dr. Jason Williamson

Website & socials: IAmJasonWilliamson.com and @IAmJasonWilliamson

LinkedIn: JasonWilliamsonEDD

Linktr.ee - Jason Williamson