| A couple weeks ago in one of my daily emails I asked for people’s experiences, perspectives, and questions about culture. A reader responded:
 As far as culture, my main frustration is a lack of initiative I notice in some of our adult, professional faculty members...  Behaviors like not arriving on time for a duty, being unwilling to contact parents (or reply to parent contacts), and walking past litter on the hallway floor are my frustration.  My question is how to make it the norm in our school to be proactive and to take initiative? 
So, what does this mean when the adults aren’t behaving like… well, adults? 
The question to begin with is not “what can we do?” The question to start with is “Why is this happening?”

Celebration: Weather over 60 degrees and sunny enough to make hiking a joy!

Prelude: Who is a leader

One challenge many leaders and potential leaders face is they don’t “seem” or “feel” like leaders. This comes from a relatively narrow conception in our culture about what makes a leader. An overreliance on decision-making and charisma, as well as our culturally engrained images of the leader archetype, hamper our ability to encourage and develop leaders with a diverse set of skills. 

A participant in one of my recent trainings shared a 2020 article from Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. (link in show notes). The authors (Mueller, Jennifer S., Goncalo, Jack and Kamdar, Dishan) stated in their abstract:

Study 1shows creative idea expression is negatively related to perceptions of leadership potential in a sample of employees working in jobs that required creative problem solving. 

Study 2 shows that participants randomly instructed to express creative solutions during an interaction are viewed as having lower leadership potential. 

A third scenario study replicated this finding showing that participants attributed less leadership potential to targets expressing creative ideas, except when the “charismatic” leader prototype was activated. In sum, we show that the negative association between expressing creative ideas and leadership potential is robust and underscores an important but previously unidentified bias against selecting effective leaders.

Simple translation: Creative people aren’t perceived as leaders unless they have high charisma…

Full disclosure: I did not read and evaluate the entire article but their thesis is consistent with other research and my own observations and experiences.

Stepping back, I wonder, in what context would creative problem solving not be a big advantage? And yet, the research suggests we are not inclined to view creative problem-solving as a desirable leadership characteristic. 

Maybe it is the same for people who are really good at asking questions?

Or for people who are great at helping people collaborate with each other?

Or maybe people who are great at helping others learn to lead?

The challenge we face is that we have a narrow set of criteria we use, at a cultural level, to determine what leaders should be like. We have been conditioned to think about leaders in terms of a few specific characteristics like vision and decisiveness.

In pre-defining what constitutes leadership, we limit the possibilities for nurturing leadership in the majority of people around us. The point I’m trying to make is that if we can look at people’s strengths and seek to put people in position to leverage those strengths, we all win. I hope this all makes sense – it did to me when I write it but now, I’m not so sure 🤣

The Big Idea

Recap the situation

Symptoms versus problems

Pause: have you ever had a job, or a period of time, when you were just going through the motions? And if you have not, have you had people you respect take their foot off the gas and coast?

What would explain this?

• Physical health
• Trauma
• Responsibilities outside work
• Feeling hopeless at work
• Feeling lost at work
• Feeling like you don’t matter

How we respond depends on the underlying problem. 

Let’s look at what could be going wrong from an alignment perspective, in other words, let’s think about the negative behavior as being a reflection of a poor culture. We know culture is a translation of the degree of alignment, so what could be out of alignment?

• Purpose
   
  • Mission/purpose feels broken or hollow’
•  
  • Mission is not focused on kids
•  
  • Friction between purpose and leaders’ actions
•  
  • A personal purpose that trumps the school’s purpose
•  
  • Understanding the purpose behind the activity
•  
• Structures
   
  • Schedules are too tight
•  
  • Excessive duties and tasks (also a purpose and resource problem)
•  
  • Structures inhibit certain behaviors, like finding opportunities to call parents
•  
  • Lack of support or clear expectations or processes
•  
• Resources
   
  • Time – too much to do
•  
  • Attention – too many different things to do
•  
• People
   
  • Knowledge and skills: how to call home
•  
  • Dispositions: maybe it doesn’t matter if I’m late; or a way of demonstrating dissatisfaction
•  
  • Health caused by poor working conditions or stressors outside of school
•  

But… we don’t know the cause, and of course it may be different for different teachers.

 So now what?

Sponsor spot…

The way to answer why is to learn. There are many ways, but I might begin this way…

• What’s going well
• Have there been any surprises?
• Is there anything we could be doing differently?

Once we find out what’s wrong we:

• Support teachers by bringing purpose, structures, and resources into alignment
   
  • Purpose 
    • Check the alignment of our language and expectations around purpose? Are we prioritizing growing kids, or has a different set of priorities (test scores) crept in?
    • Do we talk about and act on the idea that teachers are central to student success, that teachers have the power to change kids’ lives?
• 
  
  • Structures
     
    • Review our discipline processes  - make the expectation of parent contact clear and explicit
  •  
    • Implement school-wide common procedures
  •  
    • Build in times to contact parents
  •  
• 
  
  • Resources
     
    • Eliminate non-essential tasks
  •  
    • Hire playground and lunch monitors to free up teacher time
  •  
    • Protect teachers from time-consuming new initiatives
  •  
    • Shave time off meetings to allow teachers to invest in parent contacts
  •  
• 
  
• Grow them by helping their knowledge, skills, dispositions, and healt...

In May, on episode 199, I had Jamie Brown on the show and he took us through a very simple but effective script for having a restorative conversation with a student. That show was re-aired at the end of December as my favorite show of 2024. After the show, Jamie and I discussed how APs can help new teachers become better at conversation – not just with students, but also with parents. We decided to dedicate an episode to helping you to help your teachers by modeling how to teach your early career teachers to make a positive call home. 
 You will here some repetition throughout the show as we have the same basic discussion in three different relationships: Administrator to student Teacher to student Teacher to parent
 By the end of today’s show, you will have a script to share with your teachers and the main points you will need to model and teach the technique to your teachers. 

Guest Bio:

 | Jamie is a champion of Student Leadership and Character Education. His passion for promoting student-driven leadership led to the development of the 1st District-Wide PEER Leadership program in NJ Public School education. Jamie earned a National Promising Practice from Character.org for ACCEPT University, a three-tiered Character Education assembly series promoting inclusion, acceptance, empathy and citizenship in schools. Jamie’s career includes working at a State and National School and District of Character, where he earned Teacher of the Year. He has served as both a building and District-Level Administrator, collaborating with the New Jersey Department of Education. Jamie is a proud author for Road to Awesome Publishing & Assistant Principal at Bluffton High School, SC.

Warmup questions:

• We always like to start with a celebration. What are you celebrating today?
• Is there a story that will help listeners understand why you are doing what you do?

Questions/Topics/Prompts

• Making a positive contact home
• Script
• Model
• Supports for getting it done
   
  • Choose - who/how to identify
•  
  • How APs can help
•  
• The final layer – debriefing with the teacher

Closing questions:

• What part of your own leadership are you still trying to get better at?
• If listeners could take just one thing away from today’s podcast, what would it be?
• Before we go, is there anything else that you’d like to share with our listeners?
• Where can people learn more about you and your work…

Sponsorship:

I want to thank IXL for sponsoring this podcast…

Everyone talks about the power of data-driven instruction. But what does that actually look like? Look no further than IXL, the ultimate online learning and teaching platform for K to 12. 

IXL gives you meaningful insights that drive real progress, and research can prove it. Studies across 45 states show that schools who use IXL outperform other schools on state tests. Educators who use IXL love that they can easily see how their school is performing in real-time to make better instructional decisions. 

And IXL doesn’t stop at just data. IXL also brings an entire ecosystem of resources for your teachers, with a complete curriculum, personalized learning plans, and so much more. 

It’s no wonder that IXL is used in 95 of the top 100 school districts. Ready to join them? Visit http://ixl.com/assistant to get started.

Close

• Leadership is a journey and thank you for choosing to walk some of this magical path with me.
• You can find links to all sorts of stuff in the show notes, including my website https://www.frederickbuskey.com/
• I love hearing from you so consider email me at [email protected] or connecting with me on LinkedIn.
• My new book, A School Leader’s Guide to Reclaiming Purpose, is now available on Amazon. You can find links to it, as well as free book study materials on my website at https://www.frederickbuskey.com/reclaiming-purpose.html 
• Please remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast.
• Have a great rest of the week, be present for others and, more importantly, take time to reflect and recover so you can continue to live and lead better.
• Cheers!

Guest links:

www.JamieBrownLeadership.com

LinkedIn, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube: (@JamieBrownLeadership) Twitter: @leadership_jb

Frederick’s Links:

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.frederickbuskey.com/ 

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/strategicleadershipconsulting 

Daily Email subscribe: https://adept-experimenter-3588.ck.page/fdf37cbf3a 

The Strategic Leader’s Guide to Reclaiming Purpose: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CWRS2F6N?ref_=pe_93986420_774957520

236: Culture Questions From Claude Part II

Show Description:

 | Last week I asked Claude AI to give me 12 questions I could answer that would help elaborate on school culture. We answered the first six questions last week and will do the second batch of six this week. 
 I have to say, I was quite impressed by the quality of the questions. As was the case last week, I have not read or prepped for the questions, so we will see if Claude can continue to impress. 
 As a reminder, here was my prompt… 
 …I'd like to do this show as a Q and A. I would like you, Claude, to represent my assistant principal (AP) listeners. Pretend you are a panel of several APs and you are interviewing me. Please come up with 12 questions related to school culture. Please include some questions that make it easy for me to give examples, and make suggestions for remedying common issues in a school's culture. 
 Okay, let’s go! 

Celebrations:

My Ohio State Buckeyes: From fear to fun

The Big Idea

I am answering these questions cold, because I wanted to feel like I was being interviewed.

1. "Dr. Buskey, we hear a lot about 'culture' but it seems really abstract. How do you define school culture in a way that actually helps us understand what we're dealing with?" 

1. "I'm seeing low morale among our teachers, especially the veterans. What are some warning signs of culture issues that we should be looking out for?" 

1. "Can you give us a specific example of how misalignment between different parts of a school system creates culture problems? Maybe something you've seen in your work with schools?" 

1. "As a new AP, I feel like I have very limited authority to make changes. What are some small but meaningful ways we can start influencing culture from our position?" 

1. "We're dealing with a lot of new teachers who came through alternative certification. How does this impact school culture, and what can we do to support them while maintaining high expectations?" 

1. "I've noticed that different grade levels or departments in our school seem to have their own micro-cultures. Should we try to create one unified culture, or is some variation okay?" 

1. "When you talk about aligning resources, what does that actually look like in practice? Can you walk us through an example?" 

1. "We implemented several new initiatives this year, and teachers are overwhelmed. How can we tell if we're asking too much of our teachers?" 

1. "What role do you think physical spaces play in school culture? Our building is old and not very inspiring - how much does that matter?" 

1. "Can you share a success story of a school that significantly improved its culture? What were the key steps they took?" 

1. "Sometimes it feels like external pressures - testing mandates, parent complaints, district initiatives - really damage our culture. How can we protect our teachers while still meeting these demands?" 

1. "How do you balance being supportive of teachers with maintaining high expectations? Sometimes it feels like focusing too much on teacher well-being means accepting lower standards."

Summarizing (The big takeaway)

How I think Claude did with these questions…

If there is a question you have about school culture, that you think maybe Claude missed, I would love to hear it. If you think I got something wrong, please let me know. I appreciate you investing your valuable time with me, on our journey together. I have written the introduction to A School Leader’s Guide to Reclaiming Culture and I’ve posted it on a hidden page on my website. If you are interested, you can go to https://www.frederickbuskey.com/culture and read it. It’s just the intro, so nothing earth shattering, but it is a way I can say thank you for listening.

Sponsorship:

I want to thank IXL for sponsoring this podcast…

Everyone talks about the power of data-driven instruction. But what does that actually look like? Look no further than IXL, the ultimate online learning and teaching platform for K to 12. 

IXL gives you meaningful insights that drive real progress, and research can prove it. Studies across 45 states show that schools who use IXL outperform other schools on state tests. Educators who use IXL love that they can easily see how their school is performing in real-time to make better instructional decisions. 

And IXL doesn’t stop at just data. IXL also brings an entire ecosystem of resources for your teachers, with a complete curriculum, personalized learning plans, and so much more. 

It’s no wonder that IXL is used in 95 of the top 100 school districts. Ready to join them? Visit http://ixl.com/assistant to get started.

Close

• Leadership is a journey and thank you for choosing to walk some of this magical path with me.
• You can find links to all sorts of stuff in the show notes, including my website https://www.frederickbuskey.com/
• I love hearing from you. If you have comments or questions, or are interested in having me speak at your school or conference, email me at [email protected] or connect with me on LinkedIn.
• If you are tired of spending time putting out fires and would rather invest time supporting and growing teachers, consider reading my book, A School Leader’s Guide to Reclaiming Purpose. The book is available on Amazon. You can find links to it, as well as free book study materials on my website at https://www.frederickbuskey.com/reclaiming-purpose.html 
• Please remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast.
• Remember the secret to good leadership:
   
  • Be intentional in choosing how you will show up for others
•  
  • Be fully present
•  
  • Ask reflective questions
•  
  • And then just listen
•  
  • Don’t overcomplicate it, the value is in the listening.
•  
• Have a great rest of the week!
• Cheers!

Frederick’s Links:

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.frederickbuskey.com/ 

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/strategicleadershipconsulting 

Daily Email subscribe: https://adept-experimenter-3588.ck.page/fdf37cbf3a 

The Strategic Leader’s Guide to Reclaiming Purpose: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0...

235: Culture Questions From Claude Part I

Show Description:

Two weeks ago, I did a show that described how school culture is a byproduct of the degree of alignment between people, purpose, structures, and resources. High alignment – good culture. Low alignment – poor culture. I also shared in that episode that I have begun working on my next book, A School Leader’s Guide to Reclaiming Culture, so you are going to be getting a heavy dose of podcasts related to building a strong school culture. I think that is a good thing.
I had originally planned to do a more detailed podcast focused on the six dimensions of organizations, but I haven’t been able to get excited about that. So instead, I turned to my friend, Claude AI, with the following prompt:
Claude, I host a podcast for assistant principals. Many of my listeners are in years 1-3, so they are still inexperienced leaders. I want to do a show about how to influence school culture. I will be using the framework I've developed called the Six Dimensions or Organizations, which says that inner forces result from the alignment or misalignment of people, purpose, structures, and resources.
Instead of just laying out the frameworks, as I did in the Building Culture Whole Show Transcript (in the project knowledge), I'd like to do this show as a Q and A. I would like you, Claude, to represent my assistant principal (AP) listeners. Pretend you are a panel of several APs and you are interviewing me. Please come up with 12 questions related to school culture. Please include some questions that make it easy for me to give examples, and make suggestions for remedying common issues in a school's culture.
What questions do think Claude will ask on your behalf? Stay tuned.

Celebrations:

Snow days and giving ourselves permission to breathe and Gwen editing the pod.

The Big Idea

I am answering these questions cold, because I wanted to feel like I was being interviewed.

1. "Dr. Buskey, we hear a lot about 'culture' but it seems really abstract. How do you define school culture in a way that actually helps us understand what we're dealing with?" 

1. "I'm seeing low morale among our teachers, especially the veterans. What are some warning signs of culture issues that we should be looking out for?" 

1. "Can you give us a specific example of how misalignment between different parts of a school system creates culture problems? Maybe something you've seen in your work with schools?" 

1. "As a new AP, I feel like I have very limited authority to make changes. What are some small but meaningful ways we can start influencing culture from our position?" 

1. "We're dealing with a lot of new teachers who came through alternative certification. How does this impact school culture, and what can we do to support them while maintaining high expectations?" 

1. "I've noticed that different grade levels or departments in our school seem to have their own micro-cultures. Should we try to create one unified culture, or is some variation okay?" 

Summarizing (The big takeaway)

How I think Claude did with these questions…

If there is a question you have about school culture, that you think maybe Claude missed, I would love to hear it. If you think I got something wrong, please let me know. I appreciate you investing your valuable time with me, on our journey together. I have written the introduction to A School Leader’s Guide to Reclaiming Culture and I’ve posted it on a hidden page on my website. If you are interested, you can go to https://www.frederickbuskey.com/culture and read it. It’s just the intro, so nothing earth shattering, but it is a way I can say thank you for listening.

Sponsorship:

I want to thank IXL for sponsoring this podcast…

Everyone talks about the power of data-driven instruction. But what does that actually look like? Look no further than IXL, the ultimate online learning and teaching platform for K to 12. 

IXL gives you meaningful insights that drive real progress, and research can prove it. Studies across 45 states show that schools who use IXL outperform other schools on state tests. Educators who use IXL love that they can easily see how their school is performing in real-time to make better instructional decisions. 

And IXL doesn’t stop at just data. IXL also brings an entire ecosystem of resources for your teachers, with a complete curriculum, personalized learning plans, and so much more. 

It’s no wonder that IXL is used in 95 of the top 100 school districts. Ready to join them? Visit http://ixl.com/assistant to get started.

Close

• Leadership is a journey and thank you for choosing to walk some of this magical path with me.
• You can find links to all sorts of stuff in the show notes, including my website https://www.frederickbuskey.com/
• I love hearing from you. If you have comments or questions, or are interested in having me speak at your school or conference, email me at [email protected] or connect with me on LinkedIn.
• If you are tired of spending time putting out fires and would rather invest time supporting and growing teachers, consider reading my book, A School Leader’s Guide to Reclaiming Purpose. The book is available on Amazon. You can find links to it, as well as free book study materials on my website at https://www.frederickbuskey.com/reclaiming-purpose.html 
• Please remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast.
• Remember the secret to good leadership:
  • Be intentional in choosing how you will show up for others
  • Be fully present
  • Ask reflective questions
  • And then just listen
  • Don’t overcomplicate it, the value is in the listening.
• Have a great rest of the week!
• Cheers!

Frederick’s Links:

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.frederickbuskey.com/ 

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/strategicleadershipconsulting 

Daily Email subscribe: https://adept-experimenter-3588.ck.page/fdf37cbf3a 

The Strategic Leader’s Guide to Reclaiming Purpose: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CWRS2F6N?ref_=pe_93986420_774957520

#234: Leading an Ethical School with Dr. Nason Lollar

Description:

Today’s guest has developed a framework and language around professional conduct, which he defines as “my contribution to our culture of learning.” Cool. And what else is cool, is that you will hear, in slightly different terms, some of my core talking points around supporting and growing teachers, being present and listening, and, of course, working in quadrant 2 by managing your priorities, not your time.

Guest Bio:

Having served twenty-four years in the field of education, Dr. Nason Lollar has leveraged those experiences into his first book, The Five Principles of Educator Professionalism. Nason began his career in the classroom, serving as a high school math and social studies teacher and as a baseball coach for fourteen years. He then transitioned to administration, serving as a high school assistant principal for nine years. He currently serves as a principal of the Madison Career & Technical Center in Madison County, Mississippi. His journey as a student of Educational Leadership began with graduate work at Mississippi College, and culminated with a Doctorate of Education from William Carey University in 2018. In 2023, Nason was honored by the Mississippi Association of Secondary School Principals as state Assistant Principal of the Year.

Warmup questions:

·      We always like to start with a celebration. What are you celebrating today?

·      Is there a story that will help listeners understand why you are doing what you do?

Questions/Topics/Prompts

• Brief overview and discussion around each principle

o   Teaching and learning always come first.

o   Remain vigilant to safety concerns.

o   Understand the power of communication.

o   Seek balance.

o   Take ownership of your morale.

• Discussion on how administrators help teachers follow the principles

Closing questions:

·      What part of your own leadership are you still trying to get better at?

·      If listeners could take just one thing away from today’s podcast, what would it be?

·      Before we go, is there anything else that you’d like to share with our listeners?

·      Where can people learn more about you and your work…

Sponsorship:

I want to thank IXL for sponsoring this podcast…

Everyone talks about the power of data-driven instruction. But what does that actually look like? Look no further than IXL, the ultimate online learning and teaching platform for K to 12. 

IXL gives you meaningful insights that drive real progress, and research can prove it. Studies across 45 states show that schools who use IXL outperform other schools on state tests. Educators who use IXL love that they can easily see how their school is performing in real-time to make better instructional decisions. 

And IXL doesn’t stop at just data. IXL also brings an entire ecosystem of resources for your teachers, with a complete curriculum, personalized learning plans, and so much more. 

It’s no wonder that IXL is used in 95 of the top 100 school districts. Ready to join them? Visit http://ixl.com/assistant to get started.

Close

·      Leadership is a journey and thank you for choosing to walk some of this magical path with me.

·      You can find links to all sorts of stuff in the show notes, including my website https://www.frederickbuskey.com/

·      I love hearing from you. If you have comments or questions, or are interested in having me speak at your school or conference, email me at [email protected] or connect with me on LinkedIn.

·      If you are tired of spending time putting out fires and would rather invest time supporting and growing teachers, consider reading my book, A School Leader’s Guide to Reclaiming Purpose. The book is available on Amazon. You can find links to it, as well as free book study materials on my website at https://www.frederickbuskey.com/reclaiming-purpose.html

·      Please remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast.

·      Remember the secret to good leadership:

o   Be intentional in choosing how you will show up for others

o   Be fully present

o   Ask reflective questions

o   And then just listen

o   Don’t overcomplicate it, the value is in the listening.

·      Have a great rest of the week!

·      Cheers!

Guest links:

https://nasonlollar.wordpress.com/ 

On X: @nasonlollar

Frederick’s Links:

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.frederickbuskey.com/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/strategicleadershipconsulting

Daily Email subscribe: https://adept-experimenter-3588.ck.page/fdf37cbf3a

The Strategic Leader’s Guide to Reclaiming Purpose: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CWRS2F6N?ref_=pe_93986420_774957520

#233: Imposter Syndrome (Greatest Episode of All Time)

There is a very brief intro to this, my favorite episode of all time!

Originally released in May, 2023…

Let’s face it, you aren’t cut out for this job. You are in over your head, and soon everyone will discover it! What were you even thinking? You can’t help your teachers grow. You should never have done this, and you will certainly never make it to the next level.

Ouch – such terrible thoughts! There is a diagnosis for this kind of negative thinking and it is called imposter syndrome – the feeling that, despite everything you have achieved, you are somehow not fit to do the job you are doing.

If you, like me, are one of those afflicted souls, stay tuned. We are going to turn imposter syndrome on its head! If you have never suffered from imposter syndrome, you need to listen to this episode because many of your colleagues do suffer from it.

Sponsorship:

I want to thank IXL for sponsoring this podcast…

Everyone talks about the power of data-driven instruction. But what does that actually look like? Look no further than IXL, the ultimate online learning and teaching platform for K to 12. 

IXL gives you meaningful insights that drive real progress, and research can prove it. Studies across 45 states show that schools who use IXL outperform other schools on state tests. Educators who use IXL love that they can easily see how their school is performing in real-time to make better instructional decisions. 

And IXL doesn’t stop at just data. IXL also brings an entire ecosystem of resources for your teachers, with a complete curriculum, personalized learning plans, and so much more. 

It’s no wonder that IXL is used in 95 of the top 100 school districts. Ready to join them? Visit http://ixl.com/assistant to get started.

Close

·      Leadership is a journey and thank you for choosing to walk some of this magical path with me.

·      You can find links to all sorts of stuff in the show notes, including my website https://www.frederickbuskey.com/

·      I love hearing from you. If you have comments or questions, or are interested in having me speak at your school or conference, email me at [email protected] or connect with me on LinkedIn.

·      If you are tired of spending time putting out fires and would rather invest time supporting and growing teachers, consider reading my book, A School Leader’s Guide to Reclaiming Purpose. The book is available on Amazon. You can find links to it, as well as free book study materials on my website at https://www.frederickbuskey.com/reclaiming-purpose.html

·      Please remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast.

·      Remember the secret to good leadership:

o   Be intentional in choosing how you will show up for others

o   Be fully present

o   Ask reflective questions

o   And then just listen

o   Don’t overcomplicate it, the value is in the listening.

·      Have a great rest of the week!

·      Cheers!

Guest links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tequilalamar/

Frederick’s Links:

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.frederickbuskey.com/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/strategicleadershipconsulting

Daily Email subscribe: https://adept-experimenter-3588.ck.page/fdf37cbf3a

The Strategic Leader’s Guide to Reclaiming Purpose: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CWRS2F6N?ref_=pe_93986420_774957520

#232: 2024’s BEST Podcast!

Power Quote: “Every kid has a story”

Jamie’s Student Debrief Protocol:

1.     Are you okay?

2.     What was the trigger?

3.     How did the behavior impact others?

4.     What could you have done differently?

Description:

This is a replay of my favorite interview form 2024, PLUS a few new minutes at the beginning with more wisdom from Jamie Brown.

Guest Bio:

Jamie is a champion of Student Leadership and Character Education. His passion for promoting student-driven leadership led to the development of the 1st District-Wide PEER Leadership program in NJ Public School education. Jamie earned a National Promising Practice from Character.org for ACCEPT University, a three-tiered Character Education assembly series promoting inclusion, acceptance, empathy and citizenship in schools. Jamie’s career includes working at a State and National School and District of Character, where he earned Teacher of the Year. He has served as both a building and District-Level Administrator, collaborating with the New Jersey Department of Education. Jamie is a proud author for Road Awesome Publishing & Assistant Principal at Bluffton High School, SC.

Questions/Topics/Prompts

·      In moving from a “traditional” approach to discipline to a more restorative approach, how has that impacted students, teachers, and you?

·      You have a wonderful protocol for having a conversation with a student who is “in trouble.” Could you take us through the basics and explain your rationale behind each step?

·      I think teachers could also use this protocol. How might you adapt it for them and how would you teach them how to use it?

Closing questions:

·      What part of your own leadership are you still trying to get better at?

·      If listeners could take just one thing away from today’s podcast, what would it be?

·      Before we go, is there anything else that you’d like to share with our listeners?

·      Where can people learn more about you and your work…

I’ll include the student interview questions in the show notes. Copy, print, and try them out. If you try nothing else, begin your next discipline conversation by asking, “Are you okay?”

Sponsorship:

I want to thank IXL for sponsoring this podcast…

Everyone talks about the power of data-driven instruction. But what does that actually look like? Look no further than IXL, the ultimate online learning and teaching platform for K to 12. 

IXL gives you meaningful insights that drive real progress, and research can prove it. Studies across 45 states show that schools who use IXL outperform other schools on state tests. Educators who use IXL love that they can easily see how their school is performing in real-time to make better instructional decisions. 

And IXL doesn’t stop at just data. IXL also brings an entire ecosystem of resources for your teachers, with a complete curriculum, personalized learning plans, and so much more. 

It’s no wonder that IXL is used in 95 of the top 100 school districts. Ready to join them? Visit http://ixl.com/assistant to get started.

Close

·      Leadership is a journey and thank you for choosing to walk some of this magical path with me.

·      You can find links to all sorts of stuff in the show notes, including my website https://www.frederickbuskey.com/

·      I love hearing from you. If you have comments or questions, or are interested in having me speak at your school or conference, email me at [email protected] or connect with me on LinkedIn.

·      If you are tired of spending time putting out fires and would rather invest time supporting and growing teachers, consider reading my book, A School Leader’s Guide to Reclaiming Purpose. The book is available on Amazon. You can find links to it, as well as free book study materials on my website at https://www.frederickbuskey.com/reclaiming-purpose.html

·      Please remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast.

·      Remember the secret to good leadership:

o   Be intentional in choosing how you will show up for others

o   Be fully present

o   Ask reflective questions

o   And then just listen

o   Don’t overcomplicate it, the value is in the listening.

·      Have a great rest of the week!

·      Cheers!

Guest links:

www.JamieBrownLeadership.com

LinkedIn, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube: (@JamieBrownLeadership) Twitter: @leadership_jb

Frederick’s Links:

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.frederickbuskey.com/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/strategicleadershipconsulting

Daily Email subscribe: https://adept-experimenter-3588.ck.page/fdf37cbf3a

The Strategic Leader’s Guide to Reclaiming Purpose: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CWRS2F6N?ref_=pe_93986420_774957520

A School Leader’s Guide to Building Culture 

Show Description:

“Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” -Peter Drucker, Author “Culture is like the wind. It is invisible; yet its effect can be seen and felt.” -Bryan Walker, Partner and Managing Director, Ideo “Corporate culture is really hard to define; it’s the side effects of working for your organization.” -Jacob Morgan, Author, The Future of Work How can you build a great culture if we can’t see or define it? It requires hard work, but it is not as complicated as it seems. Today, I will demystify organizational culture by helping you define it, understand the components, and learn the process for improving it. If you are a regular listener, and/or read my daily email, and/or have read my book, A School Leader’s Guide to Reclaiming Purpose, then you will hear several of my most common themes and ideas woven together in a way that I have not really articulated previously.

The Big Idea

How do we build a better culture?

·      Why is culture important?

o   Easier to do great work in a great culture

o   Culture is the rising tide that lifts all boats

o   Recruitment, development, and retention

·      What is culture?

o   A reflection of the degree of alignment within an organization; a sum of the inner forces

o   The six dimensions of organizations

·      MVP path to growing your culture: Align the purpose, structures, and resources to make it easier for people to do the work AND help people develop the knowledge, skills, dispositions, and health they need to be good at what they do.

·      What do we mean by alignment?

o   Clarity and consistency of purpose, driven by the people

o   Structures make focusing on core work easier

§  Teacher lesson plan example

§  ILT example

§  Flow of information (district example)

o   Resources are invested in the core work, distractions are eliminated, attention is protected

o   People receive training in the areas they need (KSDH)

·      How do we get there?

o   Relationships (four phases)

§  Learn: Purpose, aspirations, strengths, barriers, pain points

§  Support

·      Align to decrease barriers and ease pain points

§  Empower

·      Provide opportunities to use strengths

·      Empower decision-making

·      Help them identify and focus on their growth goals

·      Trust them

§  Grow

·      They lead

·      We support

·      KSDH

·      What we get:

o   People know why they do what they do

o   Policies, rules, schedules, make it easier to do the work and 

o   Most time and attention is focused on the most meaningful work

o   People consistently get better at their craft and experience success

o   People feel valued and trusted

Sponsorship:

I want to thank IXL for sponsoring this podcast…

Everyone talks about the power of data-driven instruction. But what does that actually look like? Look no further than IXL, the ultimate online learning and teaching platform for K to 12. 

IXL gives you meaningful insights that drive real progress, and research can prove it. Studies across 45 states show that schools who use IXL outperform other schools on state tests. Educators who use IXL love that they can easily see how their school is performing in real-time to make better instructional decisions. 

And IXL doesn’t stop at just data. IXL also brings an entire ecosystem of resources for your teachers, with a complete curriculum, personalized learning plans, and so much more. 

It’s no wonder that IXL is used in 95 of the top 100 school districts. Ready to join them? Visit http://ixl.com/assistant to get started.

Close

·      Leadership is a journey and thank you for choosing to walk some of this magical path with me.

·      You can find links to all sorts of stuff in the show notes, including my website https://www.frederickbuskey.com/

·      I love hearing from you. If you have comments or questions, or are interested in having me speak at your school or conference, email me at [email protected] or connect with me on LinkedIn.

·      If you are tired of spending time putting out fires and would rather invest time supporting and growing teachers, consider reading my book, A School Leader’s Guide to Reclaiming Purpose. The book is available on Amazon. You can find links to it, as well as free book study materials on my website at https://www.frederickbuskey.com/reclaiming-purpose.html

·      Please remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast.

·      Remember the secret to good leadership:

o   Be intentional in choosing how you will show up for others

o   Be fully present

o   Ask reflective questions

o   And then just listen

o   Don’t overcomplicate it, the value is in the listening.

·      Have a great rest of the week!

·      Cheers!

Frederick’s Links:

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.frederickbuskey.com/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/strategicleadershipconsulting

Daily Email subscribe: https://adept-experimenter-3588.ck.page/fdf37cbf3a

The Strategic Leader’s Guide to Reclaiming Purpose: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CWRS2F6N?ref_=pe_93986420_774957520

#330: Email Sucks

Show Description:

Last week, Darrin Peppard and I went over some of our favorite time hacks. Towards the end of the show, we talked about email. Today, I’m devoting a whole show to email. I’ll share some tips and tricks, but how we manage email is as much about our mindset as it is the clock. As we get going, I want you to seriously play with an idea: what if email went away? What would your leadership and life be like?

Celebrations:

Recognizing the fragility and impermanence of this life

The Big Idea

My history with email:

·      1988: no such thing

·      1993: first “real” computer in my room

·      1999: Few emails each day as district EC Coordinator

·      2006: PC for online program

·      2018: HE exit leads to lack of email

·      2025: the slow creep

Take what you want from today’s show…

·      Be serious in playing with the ideas

·      Consider what is realistic

·      Push the boundary

What if the principal did not respond to email?

Priority management versus time management:

1.     Turn off alerts; email is not an instant communication tool! If email is being used for time-sensitive communications, then it is being misused. 

2.     Don’t respond to “urgent” emails via email. Pick up the phone. At the end of the call, tell the person to call you next time it is urgent.

3.     Teach and condition others regarding reasonable response times.

4.     Do not answer email outside of business hours! If you need to work on email at off times, use an autoresponder to send out replies during working hours. This is critical for conditioning and teaching people to use email wisely.

5.     Don’t look at email after work hours. If you must, then adhere to the following:

a.     Only specific times

b.     Only when you are in a specific location (like a desk, not your couch)

c.     Only from certain people

6.     Stop caring about your inbox. Everyone gets too much email. Many people just don’t respond to 90% of what they get and they don’t care anymore. You can join them.

7.     Post in a prominent area where you do your email, a note that says “If I spent 10 minutes less on email each day, I would invest that time doing…” and fill in the blank. Read it every day, multiple times.

Was going to call this show “Email Time Hacks” but…

Summarizing (The big takeaway)

Email isn’t as important as you think it is.

Sponsorship:

I want to thank IXL for sponsoring this podcast…

Everyone talks about the power of data-driven instruction. But what does that actually look like? Look no further than IXL, the ultimate online learning and teaching platform for K to 12. 

IXL gives you meaningful insights that drive real progress, and research can prove it. Studies across 45 states show that schools who use IXL outperform other schools on state tests. Educators who use IXL love that they can easily see how their school is performing in real-time to make better instructional decisions. 

And IXL doesn’t stop at just data. IXL also brings an entire ecosystem of resources for your teachers, with a complete curriculum, personalized learning plans, and so much more. 

It’s no wonder that IXL is used in 95 of the top 100 school districts. Ready to join them? Visit http://ixl.com/assistant to get started.

Close

·      Leadership is a journey and thank you for choosing to walk some of this magical path with me.

·      You can find links to all sorts of stuff in the show notes, including my website https://www.frederickbuskey.com/

·      I love hearing from you. If you have comments or questions, or are interested in having me speak at your school or conference, email me at [email protected] or connect with me on LinkedIn.

·      If you are tired of spending time putting out fires and would rather invest time supporting and growing teachers, consider reading my book, A School Leader’s Guide to Reclaiming Purpose. The book is available on Amazon. You can find links to it, as well as free book study materials on my website at https://www.frederickbuskey.com/reclaiming-purpose.html

·      Please remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast.

·      Remember the secret to good leadership:

o   Be intentional in choosing how you will show up for others

o   Be fully present

o   Ask reflective questions

o   And then just listen

o   Don’t overcomplicate it, the value is in the listening.

·      Have a great rest of the week!

·      Cheers!

Frederick’s Links:

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.frederickbuskey.com/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/strategicleadershipconsulting

Daily Email subscribe: https://adept-experimenter-3588.ck.page/fdf37cbf3a

The Strategic Leader’s Guide to Reclaiming Purpose: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CWRS2F6N?ref_=pe_93986420_774957520

Email tips: https://www.frederickbuskey.com/email.html

#229 Outline and Show Notes

Show Title: 10 Awesome Time Hacks with Darrin Peppard

Power Quote:

Description:

Time. The most limited resource (along with attention). Many leaders feel if they can better manage their time, they can become better leaders. Yes… and no. The big secret to time management isn’t actually about time. In today’s episode, my good friend Darrin Peppard and I discuss about 10 different tips for managing your time. We lead with the previously mentioned “big secret” so you don’t need to wait long for that. Also, near the end of this episode, Darrin is going to share a couple of complimentary resources that I think you are going to want to have. Okay, let’s go!

Guest Bio:

Dr. Darrin Peppard is a dynamic keynote speaker, leadership expert, and consultant with a passion for transforming organizational culture and developing the next generation of leaders. As a former high school principal turned leadership coach, Darrin draws from nearly 30 years of experience in education to inspire leaders to embrace clarity, purpose, and joy in their work. He is the best-selling author of Road to Awesome and hosts the popular Leaning Into Leadership podcast, where he shares actionable insights on leadership, team development, and creating thriving, purpose-driven cultures. With his engaging and authentic approach, Darrin helps organizations reimagine their culture, cultivate strong leadership, and foster environments where people and teams can truly excel.

Note: Darrin appeared previously on Ep 139, July 4, 2023

Warmup questions:

·      We always like to start with a celebration. What are you celebrating today?

·      Is there a story that will help listeners understand why you are doing what you do?

Questions/Topics/Prompts

·      Our favorite time hacks:

·      Frederick

o   Manage your priorities before managing your time

§  Every yes is a no to something else

§  Priority list versus to-do list

§  Time block your calendar

§  Three essential priorities (safety, legal, grow people)

§  The only way to create a great school is to grow your teachers (priorities)

o   Be fully present

§  Allows you to be proactive

§  Builds relationships

§  Improves culture

o   End the day right

§  Reflect on today (celebrate)

§  Plan for tomorrow

o   Begin the day right

§  Move

§  Ground

§  Set an intention

o   Develop your SOPs to offload/improve common tasks (especially discipline)

o   Email:

§  Archive (don’t file) your email

§  Block time to check (attention cost)

Closing questions:

·      What part of your own leadership are you still trying to get better at?

·      If listeners could take just one thing away from today’s podcast, what would it be?

·      Before we go, is there anything else that you’d like to share with our listeners?

·      Where can people learn more about you and your work…

Sponsorship:

I want to thank IXL for sponsoring this podcast…

Everyone talks about the power of data-driven instruction. But what does that actually look like? Look no further than IXL, the ultimate online learning and teaching platform for K to 12. 

IXL gives you meaningful insights that drive real progress, and research can prove it. Studies across 45 states show that schools who use IXL outperform other schools on state tests. Educators who use IXL love that they can easily see how their school is performing in real-time to make better instructional decisions. 

And IXL doesn’t stop at just data. IXL also brings an entire ecosystem of resources for your teachers, with a complete curriculum, personalized learning plans, and so much more. 

It’s no wonder that IXL is used in 95 of the top 100 school districts. Ready to join them? Visit http://ixl.com/assistant to get started.

Close

·      Leadership is a journey and thank you for choosing to walk some of this magical path with me.

·      You can find links to all sorts of stuff in the show notes, including my website https://www.frederickbuskey.com/

·      I love hearing from you. If you have comments or questions, or are interested in having me speak at your school or conference, email me at [email protected] or connect with me on LinkedIn.

·      If you are tired of spending time putting out fires and would rather invest time supporting and growing teachers, consider reading my book, A School Leader’s Guide to Reclaiming Purpose. The book is available on Amazon. You can find links to it, as well as free book study materials on my website at https://www.frederickbuskey.com/reclaiming-purpose.html

·      Please remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast.

·      Remember the secret to good leadership:

o   Be intentional in choosing how you will show up for others

o   Be fully present

o   Ask reflective questions

o   And then just listen

o   Don’t overcomplicate it, the value is in the listening.

·      Have a great rest of the week!

·      Cheers!

Darrin's links:

Principal Academy Link: https://www.theprincipalacademy.com/     

**Discount Code for $100 off APPODCAST

Principal Planner link: https://mailchi.mp/roadtoawesome.net/principalplanner

Our website: roadtoawesome.net

Social Media: Facebook X TikTok Instagram LinkedIn

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