Principal Pep Talks

This episode features Dr. Margaret Crespo, a seasoned educational leader and advocate for equity and well-being in education. Margaret and I discuss leadership resilience, the importance of self-care (and what it really looks like in practice), and how personal well-being impacts professional success.

I've known Margaret for several years, as colleagues and then friends. I've learned so much from her about courageous leadership, advocating for ourselves and others, and leading with heart. I'm thrilled to share her expertise and wisdom with all of you.

Listen to hear Dr. Crespo and I talk about:

• Margaret shares her diverse educational journey from Jersey City to Wyoming, emphasizing her passion for student access and systemic impact.

• The importance of pausing and breathing during overwhelmed moments to make better decisions.

• Creating boundaries and systematic self-care strategies like calendar booking and support networks.

• The significance of modeling healthy behavior for staff and students to foster a positive school culture.

• Recognizing that personal well-being is integral to professional effectiveness — it's part of the work.

• The idea that embracing all parts of oneself, both professional and personal, is essential for genuine leadership.

• Building hope in students through intentional connections and fostering joy amidst systemic challenges.

• Strategies for staying connected with students and staff without being confined to the office.

• The power of reflection, systemic routines, and taking small, consistent actions to de-escalate conflicts and manage workload.

• Leadership as service: showing up authentically to create meaningful change.

BIO

Dr. Margaret Crespo brings a wealth of experience and a pioneering spirit to her role as the Superintendent-in-Residence at Women Leading Ed. Notably, she was the first woman to serve as superintendent in Laramie County School District 1 in Wyoming. Before this role, Dr. Crespo was an area superintendent for Boulder Valley School District in Colorado and also served as the district's assistant superintendent for secondary school leadership.

With over 25 years of educational and administrative experience spanning four states, Dr. Crespo's career has been marked by a diverse array of roles. She has been a teacher, counselor, assistant principal, and principal at the secondary level. In the Thompson School District in Loveland, Colorado, she distinguished herself in multiple leadership positions, including secondary director, chief academic officer, and chief operations officer in both rural and urban districts.

Dr. Crespo's commitment to education extends beyond administrative roles. As a Transcend alumna and a current Pahara Fellow, she deeply understands the significance of coaching, sponsoring, and maintaining a robust professional network. Her extensive experience and dedication to fostering educational excellence make her an asset to the WLE community.

Resources mentioned:

Please connect with us!

Sage B. Hobbs - LinkedIn

Dr. Margaret Crespo - LinkedIn

Chapters

00:00 - Welcome and introduction to Margaret Crespo's inspiring leadership journey

02:23 - Margaret's career path and her passion for educational equity

05:38 - Overcoming overwhelm: techniques for leaders in high-pressure situations

07:42 - The science of regulating stress through the power of the pause

09:19 - Protecting personal well-being amid demanding leadership roles

11:14 - Systematic approaches for monthly self-care and reflection

12:16 - Modeling behaviors that reflect balance and authenticity

13:32 - Embracing vulnerability and wholeness as a leader

15:11 - Supporting young people's hope and joy in education

23:44 - Staying connected to students and staff through intentional routines

25:34 - Managing emails, discipline, and maintaining visibility

26:37 - The importance of self-awareness and reflection for better leadership

27:22 - Leadership as an act of service: giving generously of time and attention

28:30 - Connecting with Margaret and closing thoughts

When I was introduced to today's guest, Dr. Katie Anthes, I was beyond eager to hear about her work as the former Colorado's Commissioner of Education - during the pandemic! She was faced with unprecedented challenges in political polarization, faced death threats for her efforts, and leaned in hard to the power of listening in navigating choppy waters.

In today's episode, Dr. Anthes shares her extensive experience in education leadership, navigating political polarization, and the importance of authentic listening and self-care for leaders. Discover practical insights on managing conflict, setting boundaries, and fostering hope in challenging times.

• Navigating political polarization in education

• The importance of authentic listening and empathy

• Self-care and boundary setting for leaders

• Strategies for managing conflict and disagreement

• Building hope and resilience in leadership

• The role of compromise and incremental progress

• Leadership lessons from the COVID pandemic

• The importance of diverse perspectives in decision-making

Dr. Katy Anthes is the creator and director of the FORWARD initiative at the Public Education and Business Coalition (PEBC) as well as a founder and partner of The Third Mile Group, a social policy consulting firm. The FORWARD Initiative — from polarization to progress— prepares leaders in public policy to prevent and manage political polarization in their communities and workplaces. Formerly, Anthes was the Commissioner of Education in Colorado from 2016- 2023, and is widely respected for her commitment to listen to diverse perspectives and develop solutions that are founded on productive middle ground. As Commissioner, Anthes worked with the Colorado State Board of Education, the Legislature and the Governor to craft and implement a vision of education for Colorado.

She led the Colorado Department of Education, an $8 billion dollar agency, dedicated to helping districts achieve great things for students. During her time as Commissioner, she served on the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) Board of Directors and the Education Commission of the States (ECS), Steering Committee. Dr. Anthes was with CDE since 2011, serving as chief of staff, interim associate commissioner for achievement and strategy and executive director of educator effectiveness.

Prior to CDE and the Third Mile Group, she had seven years of research, policy work and leadership experience at the Education Commission of the States focusing on school and district leader effectiveness. Anthes holds a Ph.D. in public policy and a master's degree in public affairs from the University of Colorado Denver. She did her undergraduate work at the University of Oregon

Public Education & Business Coalition (pebc) FORWARD Initiative: https://www.pebc.org/forward-from-polarization-to-progress/

Learn more about Sage's work at https://sagebhobbs.com/

Please connect with us!

Sage B. Hobbs - LinkedIn

Katy Anthes - LinkedIn

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Katie Anthes

02:41 Navigating Political Polarization in Education

05:23 The Journey into Education and Leadership

09:54 Overcoming Challenges During the Pandemic

15:25 The Importance of Listening and Conflict

18:15 Self-Care and Boundaries in Leadership

25:43 The Future of School Leadership and Hope

My guest today is someone I admire greatly and whose reputation precedes him many times over. I was honored to host William Robinson, a leader driven by a deep commitment to equity and system change in education.

We explore William's journey from childhood in underfunded schools of the Arkansas Delta to leading transformational education initiatives all over the country through his work at the University of Virginia in their Partnership for Leaders in Education.

William emphasizes the human element in systemic reform and the importance of deep partnership for lasting impact. He offers real world experience matched with incredible expertise and layered with remarkable humility.

Everyone can learn from this conversation.

Key Takeaways and Food for Thought:

• William's personal story of attending underfunded schools and how his motivation is rooted in community and systemic inequities

• System design and collective action in school turnaround efforts

• Three reflective questions to manage overwhelm

• Leveraging mindfulness for our own wellbeing

• Creativity as a leadership competency

• The importance of human-centered approaches and integrating lived community experiences

• Strategies for leader resilience, including reflection, deep focus, and stakeholder engagement

• The power of relational leadership in building trust and unlocking potential

• The role of hope, purpose, and next-generation leadership in advancing educational equity

• Practical advice for staying resilient and intentional in complex system work

"Mic-drop" quotes:

"There's no better place to live your purpose than being an educator."

"Those who seek to solve all of their challenges at once often don't solve any." William Robinson

"Resist the temptation to fall in love with solutions. Instead, try very hard to fall in love with the problem and learn other peoples' perspectives about it."

"How do we manifest our belief in people more readily?"

"Relational work is not a "check box," but essential to unleashing human possibility."

"Hope is abundant when you get to meet with the people that I do. There are exemplars across the country."

Resources mentioned:

• UVA PLE Website

Guest's Bio:

William Robinson is a collaborator, operator and systems thinker that facilitates teams and diverse stakeholders across organizations towards understanding and addressing complex challenges. Servant leader with passion for creating equitable conditions where every citizen can thrive and where more leaders grow into their potential to confront systemic challenges standing in the way.

As Executive Director at University of Virginia Partnership for Leaders in Education, orchestrated turnaround, growth, and reinvention of national leaders in educational transformation field:

• Drive strategy, recruitment, and team building for forerunner in leadership capacity-building and education system redesign recognized by multiple academic journals for significant student learning impact.

• Oversee and integrate strategy and adult learning excellence, operations, client service, fundraising, and rebranding. Led towards both quadrupling of annual new partners, revenue and partners extending their relationship with an organization that has now worked in 32 states.

• Champion forward-thinking practitioner resources leveraged by hundreds of school districts and 20 state educational agencies to rethink and redesign their approaches including new "exploring new frontiers" report.

Supported other philanthropic, social sector, higher education, and K-12 entities to advance transformation strategy and operations. General management expertise in designing and leading world-class adult learning, team building, strategy execution, policy and resource shifts, and cross-sector connections towards teams being more responsive to their community's needs.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction to William Robinson and his transformative work in education

02:20 - William's childhood in Arkansas and early influences

04:24 - Recognizing systemic challenges and pursuing social change through education

06:13 - The importance of collective ownership and systems transformation

07:13 - Building capacity and leadership development in underserved communities

09:16 - Talent, system incentives, and the human element in school reform

10:36 - Balancing data with community insights for system change

12:06 - The UVA turnaround program and partnership approach to teacher and student well-being

13:41 - Leadership expectations, partnership, and high standards

16:33 - Overcoming overwhelm and maintaining resilience as a leader

18:14 - Reflective practices for focus and purpose amidst systemic challenges

20:20 - Supporting state leaders and navigating political and policy uncertainty

33:33 - Hope inspired by exemplar schools and next-gen student leadership

35:01 - The future of education driven by purpose and innovation

36:54 - Connecting with UVA's Partnership for Leaders in Education

Ever since I started coaching school leaders, I've been inspired by their ability to juggle a million demands, build relationships with diverse constituents, and keep their focus on student learning as the primary goal through it all. I've been fortunate to work with Dr. Tiffany Rehbein for a few years and now I have the honor of sharing her journey in educational leadership here on the show!

Dr. Rehbein openly discusses the challenges of feeling overwhelmed, the importance of self-care, and the power of vulnerability in building trust with staff. She emphasizes the need for effective communication and the significance of using one's voice in leadership roles. Dr. Rehbein also expresses hope for the future of school leadership, highlighting the importance of student voices and mentorship in shaping the next generation of educators.

• Leadership often comes with feelings of overwhelm and how reflection can mitigate that feeling.

• Prioritizing tasks is essential for effective leadership and how she's figured out how to do it when a million things are coming at you.

• Self-care habits are crucial for maintaining wellbeing. For her, it's outdoor time, yoga, reading, journaling… even though she's from "old school Montana, where yoga wasn't a thing."

• How admitting that she messed up changed everything with trust on her teams.

• Writing her story for her local newspaper and how sharing her story humanized her in the superintendent role.

• How she's gotten out into the community to build relationships with the schools more actively…"Oh, it's really you!"

• Why student voices are key to understanding educational needs.

• Rural schools and leadership - how it's different.

• How she uses courage to try new things in her own growth and leadership.

• What gives her hope about the future of schools

Dr. Tiffany Rehbein is an accomplished educational leader with over 20 years of experience dedicated to student success and curriculum innovation. Currently serving as the Superintendent of the Anaconda School District in Anaconda, Montana, Dr. Rehbein's career includes roles as a teacher, instructional coach, district administrator, and principal.

A proud Montanan, Dr. Rehbein was born and raised in Richey, Montana, (pop. 161) and earned degrees from the University of Montana, including bachelor's in Journalism and English Literature and an M.A. in English Teaching. Her doctorate is in Curriculum and Instruction.

Beyond her commitment to education, she is passionate about the Montana Grizzlies and the Colorado Rockies, and she is a fan of poetry, books, and writing. Dr. Rehbein has a wife and two sons, both of whom are on college wrestling teams.

• Charlie Donlea, Guess Again

• Brene Brown, Strong Ground: The Lessons of Daring Leadership, the Tenacity of Paradox, and the Wisdom of the Human Spirit

• Silvia Moreno-Garcia, The Intrigue (* the author's name was incorrect in the interview)

• Laramie Dean, Haunt Me, Then (they went to high school together)

00:00 Introduction to Leadership and Overwhelm

03:01 Leadership Habits and Wellbeing

06:04 The Power of Vulnerability in Leadership

12:02 Building Trust Through Communication

17:51 Finding Your Voice as a Leader

21:04 Hope for the Future of School Leadership

24:02 Final Thoughts and Recommendations

"You will like your job more, and have more happiness in your life, if your life is bigger than your work." - Sage

In the concluding episode of our 15-part series, we delve into the theme of crafting an identity beyond our professional roles.

I share insights from my own journey, transitioning from a decade-long career in school counseling, and the profound self-discoveries that came with it. To wrap up, I offer a reflective exercise designed to encourage you to contemplate your identity beyond work.

Key takeaways from today's Pep Talk:

• Exploring the deep connection between our jobs and our sense of self

• Lessons learned from my personal shift in career paths and the impact on my identity

• A final, thought-provoking exercise to inspire and empower you

Connect and find more resources:

The Principal Leadership Program

Executive Coaching, Training & Facilitation

Speaking

Let's connect on LinkedIn!

Love the show? Please tell all your colleagues about it! And rate it and review it on Apple Podcasts. Just a few short words really helps folks to find the show. Thank you :)

"People are messy. Human beings are complicated. We're big balls of feelings and reactivity. So communication is really hard, it's nuanced. It has subtlety, it has artistry. But it also has skills that can be learned." - Sage

In this episode, we delve into the essence of communication and the art of doing it effectively. I share the tenets of the Communication for Connection framework so you can have a tangible tool to implement in your crucial roles.

Key takeaways from today's Pep Talk:

• What it means to communicate for connection

• 5 key components of this powerful framework

• Why compassion is both critical and challenging

Connect and find more resources:

The Principal Leadership Program

Executive Coaching, Training & Facilitation

Speaking

My Book: Naked Communication

Let's connect on LinkedIn!

Love the show? Please tell all your colleagues about it! And rate it and review it on Apple Podcasts. Just a few short words really helps folks to find the show. Thank you :)

"Yes, you have to attend to this crazy job and all that comes up. But, how you attend to all the things matters." - Sage

In this episode, we look at what we can do to counter the endless things that get thrown at you as a principal. I emphasize the critical nature of HOW you tackle your various responsibilities and obstacles and why it's essential to deliberately make time to embrace and appreciate the joy inherent in your role.

Key takeaways from today's Pep Talk:

• The importance of HOW you address everything on your plate

• Cultivating your emotional intelligence skills

• Carving out time for the joy in your job

Connect and find more resources:

The Principal Leadership Program

Executive Coaching, Training & Facilitation

Speaking

Let's connect on LinkedIn!

Love the show? Please tell all your colleagues about it! And rate it and review it on Apple Podcasts. Just a few short words really helps folks to find the show. Thank you :)

"I've heard again and again [leaders] wondering how to manage supervising school events if it becomes legal for parents to carry guns to these events. Again, there's no training on this." - Sage

In this episode, I highlight the pressures of polarizing cultural events using a real example of a principal who navigated the controversy of a Black Lives Matter poster in a teacher's classroom. As we touch upon modern dilemmas faced by educators, I remind you that school leaders are tasked with dealing with WAY more than most graduate programs provide in terms of conflict resolution and de-escalation. AND, despite that, you've still got what it takes!

Key takeaways from today's Pep Talk:

• The complex challenges of modern education

• The pressure for school leaders to maintain a productive learning environment despite unprecedented political circumstances

• How to navigate real time challenges when politics and strong beliefs enter the school culture

Connect and find more resources:

The Principal Leadership Program

Executive Coaching, Training & Facilitation

Speaking

Let's connect on LinkedIn!

Love the show? Please tell all your friends and colleagues about it! And rate it and review it on Apple Podcasts. Just a few short words really helps folks to find the show. Thank you :)

"...If you really were in danger and facing down a lion, you would be breathing heavily, probably out of your mouth. So, when we breathe deeply through our nose, we can automatically send a message to our body that we're safe. We're okay." - Sage

In this episode we talk about what you can do right now to mitigate feeling like you're drowning in your job. I give three "nuggets" to try in your day- to-day and, as always, leave you with a reminder of how ridiculously important the work you do is!

Key takeaways from today's Pep Talk:

• We reiterate the importance of breathing from episode three "Peeing Meditation."

• Being resourced. When you feel like you're in over your head, who or what could help?

• The four D's of productivity and seeing what's most urgent in a situation.

Connect and find more resources:

The Principal Leadership Program

Executive Coaching, Training & Facilitation

Speaking

Let's connect on LinkedIn!

Love the show? Please tell all your friends and colleagues about it! And rate and review it on Apple Podcasts. Just a few short words really helps folks to find the show. Thank you :)

"Often folks just need to be heard, and oftentimes it's not about you or something you did wrong, or even something that's inside of your control." - Sage

In episodes 7 and 9 I talked about the first two themes I've noticed that will improve your ability to lead well. Today, we're tackling the third theme… and it's a tricky one. Our focus is on non-defensiveness—mastering the art of receiving feedback without taking it personally.

Key takeaways from today's Pep Talk:

Being a "punching bag" for angry parents.

How do you, as a leader, handle input?

How do you give input?

What if the feedback you are receiving is actually more of an attack?

Connect and find more resources:

The Principal Leadership Program

Executive Coaching, Training & Facilitation

Speaking

Let's connect on LinkedIn!

Love the show? Please tell all your friends and colleagues about it! And rate it and review it on Apple Podcasts. Just a few short words really helps folks to find the show. Thank you :)