Before this week’s interview, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke take some time to answer a listener question. This week’s question is: 

Do I HAVE to appease parents? How can I shut down a cycle of unproductive conversation?  (I’m referring to the most unreasonable situations)

Listen in to hear their response!

Dr. Brandi Kelly is an award-winning educator, leadership coach, and author of Lead with H.O.P.E.: Building a System of Self-Efficacy. With over 20 years of experience in education and mental health, she has served as a school social worker, principal, and superintendent. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Maxwell Certified Coach, Dr. Kelly is dedicated to empowering leaders to inspire growth, create positive change, and cultivate environments where success thrives. 

Her H.O.P.E. framework—Habits, Optimistic Outlook, Purpose, and Excellence—offers a holistic approach to leadership rooted in self-efficacy. Through her work, Dr. Kelly helps leaders build resilience, foster purpose, and pursue excellence. 

Dr. Kelly is also the founder of Spark HOPE Edu and hosts the Lead with HOPE podcast, where she shares insights on leadership and resilience. Her mission is to ignite hope and empower individuals to lead with purpose and passion. To learn more about Dr. Brandi Kelly and her work, visit sparkhopeedu.com.

When asked about the district she serves, Dr. Kelly shares that she is stepping away from her role as superintendent and focusing on her work at Spark HOPE Edu, LLC. Still, she is proud of her former school district and the work she and others put in to build systems. Teachers and staff members often get burnt out because they are asked to carry so much weight. Putting those systems in place as a method of burn out prevention is something the Dr. Kelly celebrates about her former school district. She also celebrates students that stepped up into leadership roles through the creation of a student CEO program and a See You at the Pole program. 

In her book, Lead with H.O.P.E., Dr. Kelly explains why it is important for leaders to have a system for reaching their goals. H.O.P.E. stands for Habits, Optimistic Outlook, Purpose, and Excellence. Through utilizing that framework, school leaders can build a system that helps them meet their goals. Dr. Kelly states that it is only through the intentional practice of self-reflection that a person can grow as a leader. She then gives Principal Matters listeners a brief overview of her book. Listen in to learn more!

One story that Dr. Kelly tells in Lead with H.O.P.E. is the story of a student named Reagan who taught her how to hold out hope for someone else. This student was one who had previously been to counseling and did not think it would help her. She had fallen in with the wrong crowd, abused drugs, and struggled to maintain relationships. Through encouraging Reagan when she was struggling and showing her that she was seen and valued, Dr. Kelly was eventually able to reach Reagan. Brandi states that Reagan taught her that sometimes there are people in life that we want to help, but we are not yet able to. Instead, we must hold out hope for them. If you show up for students and consistently show that you believe in them, you may eventually be able to help them. 

In the final part of her interview, Dr. Kelly shares that the difference between Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Post-Traumatic Growth makes a difference in the way she reflects on leadership lessons. She states that a traumatic event is a wound, and how we carry that wound in our body is what makes the difference. In her own words, we can either operate in fear mode or in love mode upon suffering from a traumatic event. Growth after a traumatic event is possible, but it is something that requires an active choice. In striving towards post-traumatic growth, Dr. Kelly tells listeners that they have to remember the importance of rest and asking for help.

Listeners can stay connected with Dr. Brandi Kelly via her website or her Linkedin page. You can also check out her book to learn more about leading with H.O.P.E.

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