Welcome back to "On the Way to School." In this episode, Dr. Chris Dennis speaks to brand-new school leaders who feel present in the room but not yet in it. He reframes leadership as identity, not title, and reminds new leaders that they already carry leadership through their lived experience.

He shares three pillars for early leadership growth:

Your experience is leadership capital.

Name roles, seek structure, understand unwritten rules.

Identity shapes how leaders handle conflict, feedback, and silence.

The core message: You didn’t get the seat as a favor; you earned it. You belonged before you performed. Stand in your presence, ask before you answer, and build with alignment, not applause.