In leadership, we often treat failure as something to avoid, manage, or recover from. But in reality, progress is rarely linear and many of the most important leadership shifts happen when things don’t go to plan.

In this episode of Simplicity in the Noise, Michael Everett explores the idea of 'falling forward': how to use setbacks, missteps, and imperfect moments as a source of clarity and momentum rather than critique or self-doubt.

You’ll learn:

• Why progress almost always includes dips, stalls, and unexpected turns

• How leaders reframe mistakes as part of forward movement

• The difference between reflective learning and unhelpful rumination

• Why controlled failure builds stronger teams and stronger systems

• Practical ways to “fall forward” rather than fall back when things don’t land

A short, calm reminder that leadership is less about avoiding failure and more about using each moment, even the difficult ones, to refine your direction and strengthen your practice.

One action for this week:

Identify one recent moment that didn’t go perfectly, and name the single insight you gained from it. Let that insight become your next step forward.

Connect with Michael:

• Regular leadership clarity: Simpang Signals

• More tools and frameworks at simpang.org

Every leadership journey includes mountains, the steep climbs, the moments when progress feels slow and the path ahead feels uncertain.

But mountains aren’t obstacles. They’re altitude.

In this episode of Simplicity in the Noise, Michael Everett explores what it means to lead through difficult terrain and why the hardest stretches often create the deepest clarity, alignment, and long-term strength.

You’ll learn:

• Why 'mountains' are a normal part of leadership
• How to maintain perspective when the gradient gets steep
• How to keep teams motivated during periods of pressure or uncertainty
• The importance of pacing, and why pushing harder isn’t always the answer
• How to turn challenges into strategic elevation
• Practical ways to move forward when visibility is low

This is an episode for anyone navigating challenge, change, or long-term improvement work.

A reminder that great leadership isn’t about avoiding mountains, it’s about learning how to climb them well.

One action for this week:

Identify the 'mountain' your team is currently climbing. Name it clearly, then take one small, deliberate step upward.

Connect with Michael:

Weekly leadership clarity via Simpang Signals

More frameworks and tools at: simpang.org

Leadership often feels like a lonely hunt, moving through complexity, making unseen decisions, carrying pressures that few people ever notice.

But loneliness in leadership isn’t a flaw. It’s a signal.

In this episode of Simplicity in the Noise, Michael Everett unpacks the metaphor of the “lonely hunt” and explores why leadership feels isolating at key moments, especially during change, conflict, and strategic planning.

You’ll learn:

• Why isolation isn’t a leadership weakness
• The difference between functional solitude and unhealthy loneliness
• Why the most important leadership work happens when no one is watching
• How to build clarity when you can’t share everything with everyone
• Practical ways to stay grounded when carrying unseen weight
• How leaders create connection without oversharing

This episode is a reminder that you’re not alone, even when the work feels solitary. With the right practices, the lonely hunt becomes a place of clarity, strength, and focus.

One action for this week:

Identify one leadership challenge you’ve been carrying alone, and share just 5% more of the thinking with someone you trust.

Connect:

• Weekly clarity via Simpang Signals
• More leadership tools: simpang.org

Every great school has something you can feel but not always see, a golden thread that connects people, priorities, and practice.

In this episode of Simplicity in the Noise, Michael Everett explores how leaders create coherence in complex environments, and why clarity beats intensity every time.

You’ll learn:

• What the “golden thread” is and how to know if your school has one

• Why fragmentation is the biggest silent killer of school improvement

• How to align curriculum, communication, culture, and systems

• The difference between “projects” and “direction”

• How small, consistent signals build trust and predictability

• Why coherence multiplies impact while noise divides it

If your leadership team ever feels busy but not aligned, this episode will give you a calm and practical way forward.

One action for this week:

Choose one message you want to reinforce across your school, and communicate it three times, in three different ways.

Connect with Michael:

• Weekly leadership insights: Simpang Signals

• Explore more: simpang.org

Progress isn’t a straight line, but most school leaders are still handed advice as if it is.

In this first episode of Simplicity in the Noise, Michael Everett explores the Sigmoid Curve and why schools often misread the most important moment in their improvement journey.

You’ll learn:

• Why plateaus are normal, and not a sign of failure
• How to spot the hidden moment when a school needs to shift direction
• The dangers of confusing busyness with improvement
• Why innovation isn’t the same as progress
• How the Clarity Index helps leaders diagnose where they really are

This episode sets the tone for the entire series: calm, clear, practical leadership thinking for complex school environments.

One action for this week:

Identify one area of your school that feels “busy but not improving” and name the plateau.

Connect with Michael:

• Weekly leadership insights: Simpang Signals
• Learn more: simpang.org