Schools of Excellence: The No. 1 ECE & Private School Leadership Podcast

Having closed out a month of Jewish holiday celebrations in October, I find myself reflecting on how holidays do such a good job of highlighting the importance of routines, rituals, and experiences. Each of them serves a unique role in our daily lives.

A routine is a consistent, repeated action we take that helps set expectations and provide structure. For my family during the holidays, that looks like sitting down to have breakfast as a family before my husband goes to synagogue. It keeps us connected during an overwhelming time.

A ritual—while similar to a routine—is a meaningful practice that gives an action a greater sense of purpose and helps ground you in your values, such as my family gathering to light the candles on the menorah during Hanukkah. This ritual anchors us to the holiday’s values of connection and family.

Experiences are a bit different. Although routines and rituals are types of experiences, what I really mean are the formative experiences that shape who you are. 

They’re a way for us to connect with those around us on a deeper level, in a way that no material item can replicate—which is why this past Hanukkah, my husband and I decided to give our kids experiences rather than gifts.

What routines, rituals, and experiences have in common is the opportunity they give us to ground ourselves in the present moment. And when we’re present, we have the chance to zero in on our values.

You can leverage this power within your center. By considering how you can anchor your routines, rituals, and experiences to the values of your school, you can nourish the connections among your team and transform the culture of your center.

In this week’s episode, I’m talking about how to utilize routines, rituals, and experiences in integrating values into the culture of your school.  It’s the final part in our 3-part series on values-based leadership.

Join me for a conversation about:

• The difference between routines, rituals, and experiences 
• Why rituals are critical for building culture and teaching values
• How experiences can help you nourish connections among your team
• How to choose rituals and create experiences that anchor you to your values

As we head into the final months of the year, take the time to reflect on how you can leverage the power of routines, rituals, and experiences in weaving your company values into the fibers of your school culture.

Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic  

I’ll be going into even more depth about routines, rituals, and experiences at the 2023 Summit of Excellence, which is all about building legacy through values-based leadership. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/summit

Although the event is limited to members only, non-members still have time to join! If you’re interested in attending the event but aren’t yet part of our Owner’s Only HQ and Director’s Inner Circle membership programs, fill out an application today. As a member, you’ll be able to join us at the Summit of Excellence while also benefiting from the leadership support from like-minded peers who are walking the same path.

More about the show:

If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life. 

Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

We’ve all had role models throughout our lives, whether parents, teachers, friends, or the people we look up to from afar (like astronauts or Olympic athletes).

These people serve as examples of who we want to become, and so we absorb their behaviors and values in an effort to replicate their actions and accomplishments.

Whether they intend to or not, our role models have the power to influence us in profound ways. They can affect our mindset, our choices, and even the people we surround ourselves with.

In short, role modeling is a powerful tool for change, including in your school.

In the same way that our childhood role models once influenced us, you can influence your team and your center’s culture by using your position as a leader to model the kinds of behaviors and values you want to see.

And while this may already be something you’re doing, that doesn’t necessarily mean your team members are getting the hint.

Being a good role model yourself is only half the battle. You also need to understand how to translate this skill to your team so they can be good role models, too.

In this week’s episode, I’m diving into the topic of role modeling, the second part in our 3-part series on values-based leadership.

Join me as I talk about:

• The 6 qualities of a good role model
• The responsibilities of being a leader
• How you can become a better role model
• How to translate these qualities to your team

When you understand how to model company values through your day-to-day decisions and interactions and can translate that effectively to your team, you’ll be amazed at the cultural transformation that follows.

Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic  

This podcast reveals one of my most effective tips for helping your team become better role models, and I’ll be sharing even more strategies at the 2023 Summit of Excellence. This year, the event centers on building legacy through values-based leadership. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/summit

Although the 2023 Summit of Excellence is limited to members only, it’s not too late for non-members to participate! If you’re interested in attending the event but aren’t yet part of our Owner’s Only HQ and Director’s Inner Circle membership programs, fill out an application today. As a member, you’ll not only gain access to the event, but also the supportive community, high-level coaching, and valuable mentorship that our programs have to offer.

More about the show:

If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life. 

Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

Many of us have those “special” family stories—you know, the ones you’ve heard a million times that have been passed down from generation to generation.

For me, the one that always comes to mind is when my grandfather traveled to New York and met the Rebbe, one of the most influential Jewish leaders of the 20th century. 

My grandfather was born in Russia during the communist regime, and in 1979, he and his wife fled to Israel. There, he worked three jobs just so that he could save extra money and one day go to New York to meet the Rebbe, who was instrumental in helping them escape.

After months of hard work, my grandfather had finally saved enough money and traveled to New York during the High Holidays that year.

When it finally came time for my grandfather to meet the Rebbe, the Rebbe asked him if he had bought his wife a gift. Dejectedly, my grandfather replied that he had spent all his savings to come to New York and couldn’t possibly afford to bring anything home.

Without pause, the Rebbe gave my grandfather the name of a jeweler where he could buy a gift—and when the Rebbe tells you to do something, you listen.

When he returned to Israel, my grandfather gifted my grandmother a set of precious pearls he had bought from the jeweler the Rebbe had recommended. She wore those pearls proudly until her very last day, and after she died, they were passed down to my mother.

When I was a kid, the tale of my grandfather’s journey to New York was just a story, like the ones I read in books. At the time, the only special meaning it held was that it was about my family.

It wasn’t until I became an adult that I came to realize the value in the story and why my family chose to repeat it again and again: showing love  and appreciation for the ones we care for.

You see, storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to influence, teach, and inspire—not just in your family, but also your school.

When you understand how to leverage the power of storytelling, you can use the stories that happen within your school as anchors to teach values so they become woven into the fabric of your center. This will create a ripple effect that extends beyond you and your team. 

It’s a tool that has the potential to impact both the culture of your center and your community in a profound way—one that no amount of training ever could.

That’s why in this week’s episode, I’m diving into storytelling and how you can leverage it in values-based leadership. It’s the first of a 3-episode series that explores how values are taught in homes and schools and how they help you build a legacy.

Join me for a conversation about:

• What makes storytelling such a powerful tool in shifting your culture
• Why values play a key role at home and school
• Translating values into decision-making
• The transition into leading from your values (HINT: It’s messy)

Each one of us has stories that paint a picture of who we are, where we come from, and where we’re going. Learn to use your school’s stories to shift the culture of your center and create a lasting impact on your community.

Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic  

We’ll be diving even deeper into the power of storytelling at the 2023 Summit of Excellence, which centers on building legacy through values-based leadership. Although this year’s summit is limited to members only, it’s not too late for non-members to participate! https://schoolsofexcellence.com/summit

If you’re interested in attending the event but aren’t yet part of our Owner’s Only HQ and Director’s Inner Circle membership programs, fill out an application today. As a member, you’ll not only have the chance to attend the Summit of Excellence, but you’ll also benefit from the community, high-level coaching, and mentorship that our programs offer.

More about the show:

If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life. 

Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

When it comes to the holidays, I think we’re all a little guilty of overcommitting ourselves without checking our calendars. After all, it’s hard to stay grounded in realism when you’re enveloped in the warmth and thrill of the holiday season.

Leaders, though, are especially susceptible to overcommitting. As natural visionaries and care-takers, we easily fall into the trap of thinking we can—and should—do it all.

But when you try to do it all, you end up overwhelmed and exhausted, unable to actually enjoy the holidays and all the opportunities they bring for memories, experiences, and traditions.

The truth is that time is finite. This means when you say yes to one thing, you’re simultaneously saying no to a handful of others, whether they be events, quality time with family, or self-care—which is especially important during the holidays.

The answer to making the most of the holiday season lies in planning ahead and setting boundaries around your finite and valuable time.

When you do this,  you not only maintain your capacity to stay focused and attentive to the people around you, but also give yourself the space to enjoy the culture-building opportunity that the holiday season presents us.

This week’s podcast episode centers on how you can set boundaries that will prevent you from overcommitting yourself during the holiday season. 

Join me for a conversation about:

• Planning ahead and prioritizing your non-negotiables
• Maintaining a balance between your work and personal task loads
• Keeping up with your self-care rituals (seriously, don’t even THINK about skipping them)
• Setting expectations and communicating them to the people that matter
• Practicing discernment during the holiday season

The holidays only come around once a year. By setting better boundaries, you’ll not only get to actually enjoy what you’ve put on the calendar, but also be present for your team, staff, and family when they need your leadership most.

Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic  

Overcommitting and overworking often go hand in hand. But just as you can take steps to prevent yourself from committing to too many plans, you can take actions that will allow you to achieve your goals while still making time for yourself and your family. 

Through our Ideal Week for High Achieving School Leaders workshop, you’ll learn how to clarify your priorities, set boundaries, and make a practical plan, so that you can finally make your ideal week a reality.

Learn more about the Ideal Week Workshop here: https://discovered.thrivecart.com/ideal-week/

Learn more about the Time Management Bundle here: https://discovered.thrivecart.com/accountability-bundle/

More about the show:

If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life. 

Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

As a leader, you’re well aware that being in your position can feel extremely isolating. 

At times, it can feel like you’re stranded in the middle of the ocean on an island—alone, left to your own devices, and with no one to talk to for support and guidance.

That was Sheila Smozynski’s experience as the owner of two early childhood education centers when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. 

COVID turned operations at Sheila’s centers upside down and inside out. Staff morale began to slip, equipment shortages threatened quality instruction in her classrooms, and she and her team were struggling to do the bare minimum just to get by.

And through it all, Sheila felt like she had no one to rely on but herself. 

But everything changed when she stumbled across our Schools of Excellence podcast and learned about our Owner’s Only HQ membership program. After spending so much time in isolation, she finally felt like she had found her people.

The community Sheila found through Owner’s Only HQ not only helped her become a better leader at her centers, but also a better mom and wife at home. What began as a personal growth experience became a new way of life as the ripple effect extended to her staff, her centers, and her family.

In this week’s episode of the Schools of Excellence podcast, we’re spotlighting Sheila Smozynski and her journey from isolated leader to visionary role model.

Listen to my VP of Operations Michelina and Sheila as they talk about:

• Sheila’s struggles before joining Owner’s Only HQ
• Her experience finding a community of like-minded leaders
• What she’s learned in the program and how it’s affected her centers’ culture
• The impact of the program on both her professional and personal life 
• Her goals for her centers moving forward
• Why Sheila believes you should join the program without hesitation

You don’t have to do it alone. No matter how isolating leadership may seem at times, there are people just like you who are ready and willing to support you.

Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic  

Finding community as a leader and achieving the dreams you have for your center don’t have to be far-off possibilities. Just like Sheila, you can transform your school with the help of a like-minded community that will have your back every step of the way. 

In the words of Sheila, don’t hesitate! Apply now for our Owner’s Only HQ or Director’s Inner Circle membership programs.

More about the show:

If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life. 

Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

There’s a subtle but important difference between high standards and high expectations. Contrary to how it may feel, you can maintain high standards while still having developmentally appropriate expectations for the meeting of those standards.

Let me give you an example to show you what I mean. When it comes to cleanliness standards in your center, you likely expect teachers to keep their classrooms relatively organized and sanitary for the health and safety of the children.

But if you walk into a classroom of 2-year-olds and are surprised to see toilet paper on the floor, you better check your expectations! 

Maintaining high standards that align with your center’s values is important, but what’s even more essential is having appropriate expectations about how those standards will be met.

In a situation like this, you have a choice: you can either penalize the teacher for something outside of her control and risk damaging your relationship, or you can accept that making messes is young children’s M.O. and trust that she’ll clean things up when she’s able to.

When you learn to lead from this perspective, you can cultivate a healthier culture within your school, keep your teachers and staff happy, and reach new levels of excellence.

For this week’s podcast, I’m sharing a recording of an interview I was part of, where we talk about how to create culture and community in early childhood education centers.

During the interview, we touch on a variety of topics, including:

• How to set appropriate expectations for staff while maintaining high standards
• Shifting the focus from taking care of others to taking care of yourself
• Identifying what grounds you so that you make better decisions for your center
• What it’s like to work with me and Schools of Excellence

When you learn to maintain high standards that align with your center’s values while also managing your expectations, you nourish a healthy sense of community that keeps your staff happy and pushes your school toward new levels of excellence.

Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic  

Have you considered learning how to cultivate your school’s community within a community of other leaders just like you? As part of our Owner’s Only HQ and Director’s Inner Circle membership programs, you’ll receive exclusive training, tools, and resources among a supportive group of owners and directors who are on similar journeys.

More about the show:

If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life. 

Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

There’s only so much time in the year, and most of it is already accounted for. After you add up necessary activities like eating, sleeping, and showering, you’re left with just 2,400 hours—that’s 2,400 hours that must cover everything from work projects to family time to enjoying life’s small pleasures.

So, you have to ask yourself: What are you going to do with those 2,400 hours?

To make the most of the limited hours you have and prioritize what matters most, you need to plan out how you’re going to spend your time—just like a budget.

In the same way you budget your finances, you can learn to budget your time so that every hour you spend is intentional and surprises are few and far between.

Take flu season, for example. Despite the fact that it happens each and every year, many of us are still taken by surprise and forced to dip into our margin time to make up for it. 

 And that makes us feel as if we don’t have enough time and energy to focus on the things that actually move us forward, like legacy projects and one-on-one time with teachers. 

Learning to budget your time is a game changer, and it’s a topic I cover often in our membership programs, Owner’s Only HQ and Director’s Inner Circle. 

That’s why for this week’s podcast, I’ve chosen to share a recording from one of our live calls with members. During the call, I walked them through how to strategically plan for the upcoming school year. 

You’ll hear us talk about concepts like: 

• Tracking how you spend your time
• Taking inventory of your commitments in and outside of school
• Choosing what to prioritize and what to delegate
• Mapping out the school year on your calendar

My hope is that by sharing this call with you, you’ll not only pick up some valuable strategic planning tools, but also get a glimpse into what our membership programs look like in action.

Through calls just like these, we provide owners and directors with exclusive training and coaching, as well as a powerful community of support, that guide them through every stage of growth and development as they build and sustain schools of excellence.

 If after listening to the podcast, you’re interested in getting this kind of support, I encourage you to apply to our Owner’s Only HQ and Director’s Inner Circle programs

I’m confident this episode will offer you new insights, a fresh perspective on planning, and the confidence to head into the new school year knowing that you’ve got everything under control. 

Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic   

Learning how to role model these skills for your staff is no easy task, but it’s well worth the effort. Join our Owner’s Only HQ or Director’s Inner Circle programs to get support and strategies from like-minded leaders like you who are experiencing the same challenges. Their stores and insights can guide you as you work toward building a school of excellence.

While strategic planning is a valuable strategy, it’s just one of many tools you can learn to implement that will elevate your capacity and skills as a leader. For additional resources related to having difficult conversations, managing to-do lists, dealing with parent-teacher conferences, and more, check out:

School Leadership Toolkit https://discovered.thrivecart.com/school-leadership-tool-kit/

Ultimate Teacher Training Vault https://discovered.thrivecart.com/the-ultimate-teacher-training-vault/

More about the show:

If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life. 

Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

This is a special live-recorded episode to celebrate our 100th episode!

Being a leader is hard. It requires you to exercise new skills, make tough decisions, and have difficult conversations on a daily basis.

Periods of transition can be especially difficult. Whether it’s starting a new school year, training new teachers, or implementing a new routine, some days can feel—quite literally—painful.

And in these times of great discomfort, it’s not easy to remain consistent in working toward your goals. Exhaustion sets in, motivation wanes, and you find yourself questioning if all this effort is really worth it.

But there’s some good news and it’s important to keep in mind.

It’s all temporary.

“Nothing lasts forever” may be a cliché, but it’s valuable wisdom that growth-minded leaders know to be true. They know at their core that the discomfort and pain that come with learning a new skill or making a difficult decision are temporary.

That said, developing this growth mindset takes a lot of practice and guidance.

On this episode, I chat with you about what I call the 3 M’s: Maintenance, Motivation, and Mindset. These three factors are not only essential to your success as a leader, but also the stability and security of your team.

By mastering the 3 M’s, you’ll never have to worry about being thrown completely off course. No matter what difficulties you encounter, you’ll be able to weather the storm and lead your team to safety.

Join me for a conversation about:

• Focusing on maintenance and a growth mindset to reach your goals
• Setting very specific goals
• Dealing with waning motivation
• Maintaining the right anchors and habits to stay focused and consistent 
• Understanding your mental capacity and timing (also, finding out if your timing is off) 
• Ensuring your “why” is big enough

Join our private Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolsofexcellencelounge

Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic   

Learning how to role model these skills for your staff is no easy task, but it’s well worth the effort. Join our Owner’s Only HQ or Director’s Inner Circle programs to get support and strategies from like-minded leaders like you who are experiencing the same challenges. Their stores and insights can guide you as you work toward building a school of excellence.

More about the show:

If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life. 

Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

Everyone experiences a variety of emotions throughout the day. Whether it’s anxiety before a dentist appointment, excitement when we find $20 in our pocket, or disappointment when our favorite coffee cup breaks, emotions come and go—and it’s entirely normal.

There’s no such thing as a good or bad emotion. They’re just feelings that come and go like clouds passing in the sky.

But for some people, emotions aren’t always just clouds—they’re storms that ravage the land, causing destruction in their wake. 

When people experience emotions more intensely and frequently than normal, to the detriment of their relationships with others, it means they struggle with what’s called emotional regulation.

Emotional regulation is the ability to control your emotional state. It’s understanding that emotions impact behavior and then taking the appropriate  action to alter the intensity of your emotional experience.

So, when a teacher shows up late, someone who practices good emotional regulation would recognize the anger that arises and let it pass before it negatively affects the way they respond.

On the other hand, someone who struggles with emotional regulation might become consumed by the anger and take their emotions out on the teacher, potentially damaging the goodwill between them.

As a leader, you’ve probably seen your fair share of instances like these. And maybe you’ve felt frustrated by someone’s inability to keep their emotions in check and simply follow the protocol.

The problem is, an SOP can’t change the way a person’s nervous system has been trained to react in tense situations. 

So, what can you do to help your staff better regulate their emotions and transform your center’s culture?

In this week’s podcast episode, we’ll explore the answer to that very question. The final part of my B.R.I.D.G.E. series focuses on the skills and strategies you need to help your staff master emotional regulation.

Join me for a conversation about:

• What emotional regulation is
• Why people lose control of their emotions
• How emotional regulation impacts performance and work culture
• The 5 skills for mastering emotional regulation
• How to identify and reduce triggers

With lots of practice and proper modeling, you can show your staff how to control their own emotional state, improve the culture of your center, and create generational impact and legacy.

Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic   

Learning how to role model these skills for your staff is no easy task, but it’s well worth the effort. Join our Owner’s Only HQ or Director’s Inner Circle programs to get support and strategies from like-minded leaders like you who are experiencing the same challenges. Their stores and insights can guide you as you work toward building a school of excellence.

More about the show:

If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life. 

Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

What does it mean to be generous?

Oftentimes the first thing people think of is financial generosity. They believe that to be a generous leader, they need to focus on philanthropy.

But while financial generosity is a type of generosity, it’s certainly not the only one. Sharing your knowledge, time, and resources is generous too, and the things you choose to share say a lot about who you are.

Unfortunately, though, our education system teaches people that the way to get ahead is to leave others behind. Instead of pooling our assets to benefit the community, we’re taught to work in stingy isolation to climb the ladder of success.

This sets a precedent that leaves leaders wary of generosity before they even step into the role. They unknowingly shut down their capacity for generosity, become overly critical of themselves and others, and have a hard time forgiving mistakes.

While this mindset can bring you some success, it’s not the most effective way to move forward—let alone build a legacy.

To be the type of leader who sustains a school of excellence, you need to build a culture of generosity at your center.

So, what exactly does that look like?

Let me explain using a parenting example (because they so often lend themselves to matters of school leadership).

Let’s say that you buy your child that Nintendo (That’s a thing, right?) they’ve been going on and on about. You bring it home, set it up in the living room, and leave him or her to play alone.

Is that what would happen in your household? 

Consider this for a moment: What would happen if it didn’t stop there? What if by giving some of your time, you used it as an opportunity to connect on a deeper level and strengthen your relationship by playing together?

That is generosity.

And by cultivating a culture of generosity at your center, you can experience the same kind of beneficial connection between you and your staff.

This week’s podcast, the fifth of my B.R.I.D.G.E. series about developing critical meta-skills as a 21st century leader, will explore how to practice generosity in your center.

Join me as we talk about:

• The benefits of generosity
• How to be a more generous leader
• The “generous silence” and resisting the temptation to fix
• The difference between generosity and neglect
• Questions you can use to reflect on your own generosity

Let me leave you with one of my favorite quotes by the late designer Zeev Aram: “I’ve never found that my own light has been dimmed by lighting someone else’s candle.”

In other words, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by becoming a more generous leader.

Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic   

 If you’re looking for inspiration in practicing your own generosity, I encourage you to check out our Owner's Only HQ or Director's Inner Circle programs. These groups are made up of leaders just like you who see the value in sharing their insight, advice, and feedback with others.

More about the show:

If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life. 

Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.