Simply put, a ruckus maker is an innovative school leader who makes change happen in school. They don’t make change just for the sake of change. They make change because their communities deserve it. Your students are crying for it. Your teachers want to aspire to something more.
To be an effective school leader, go make a ruckus.
Here are 10 ways to make a ruckus within your school . . .
The BLBS “Just Cause” is “to connect, grow, and mentor every school leader who wants to level up.” It’s a big goal and I can’t accomplish it on my own. And yet my default is to sit in my office, backwards map a plan to get there and start executing on the plan.
The problem with that approach is not only is it stressful; it is ineffective.
I’m reading a great book that has challenged my thinking on this matter. According to Dan Sullivan, I need to find the right “WHOs” that can execute on my vision and forget about “HOW” BLBS will get there.
If your vision fits on a coffee mug or banner, it may sound good, but it’s less inspiring than you realize. It’s not bold enough.
I have an uncommon approach to crafting a meaningful vision and the truth is — most school vision statements suck. Instead of writing a few sentences of where your organization is going, a meaningful vision is robust and looks at everything like organizational goals, core values, ideal team members, how you spend your time as a leader, future programs that would enhance the school experience, etc.
At BLBS we believe, “Everyone wins when a leader gets better. Everyone wins when you get better.” Your community is counting on you to be the best version of yourself. If you don’t develop yourself intentionally, there is an actual cost to you and your community. Instead of growing you are degrading. The choice is yours.
A few ways I develop myself that will work for you too:
Earlier I mentioned the importance of finding the right WHOs to implement your vision. Your job is to cast the vision, set up the guardrails, and develop your team. Effective school leaders utilize assessments like StrengthFinders 2.0 and allow people to contribute in their “zone of genius.” You might also consider developing your coaching skills.
The surest path to leading a mediocre school is to do what everyone else does. By doing the opposite you can become more effective in your role.
Anything great was first an outlier.
Henry Ford said, “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.”
Steve Ballmer, the head of Microsoft, laughed at the idea of an iPhone.
Schools have a funny way of paying lip service to innovation, but how many great schools around you are truly innovating? I was hired to innovate within a school. That pissed off the Board of Ed and Central Office team who hired me. I would have been fired if I didn’t resign.
High Tech High is the poster child for innovation.
So why aren’t there more High Tech Highs across the nation?
Be the pink umbrella.
I like to post my goals, results, and reflections in public. This does two things for me:
Before bringing OKRs to the entire school, Gene modeled his professional and personal goals. Then he piloted it with his leadership team. Now this goal setting system has gone school wide and has momentum.
Working on a bucket list (or dream list) is a great way to build culture in your school. What would happen if you had an idea of every individuals’ dreams in your school and you helped them achieve some of those dreams?
Many schools have the opposite problem.
Test me on this idea. I dare you.
We don’t read any education-focused books in the mastermind. That’s because school leaders read enough about education already. Education “bubbles” exists when the only information coming in is from education content creators.
“It is extremely difficult to maintain a circle of competence without an outside perspective.”
– Shane Parrish
What do Oprah, Bill Gates, and Warren Buffet have in common?
Yes, they’re all billionaires, but they also read — a lot. Buffet reads five to six hours a day. Gates reads at least fifty books a year. Oprah credits much of her success to books.
Read widely and read diverse perspectives.
There is a difference between deep and shallow work. Shallow work helps you maintain your job. Deep work makes you indispensable.
It feels good to cross things off your to-do list and you can check off 10 shallow items for an individual deep task.
Fight the urge to do easy, comfortable, nearly automatic work. Invest in emotional labor, projects that move your vision forward, and tasks you might even be likely to fail at.
Shallow work can often be automated, delegated, or eliminated. Deep work is like a lead domino — once you knock it down, everything else falls into place.
The energy you bring to your work is contagious. The work is serious, but you don’t have to take yourself too seriously. No one wants to be around (or work for a jerk).
They say, “People don’t leave bad jobs, they leave bad bosses.”
One step toward being more effective is to have fun in your role. If that’s not possible, maybe you should reflect on if you’re in the right position and industry.
My promise: do these 10 things and you are guaranteed to see change in your community. Like the lead domino, each of these 10 items are highly leverageable and create a ripple effect within your school.
?CONGRATS AND WELCOME TO THE RUCKUS MAKER CLUB ?
How does it feel?
Since 2016, Better Leaders Better Schools has served 100s of school leaders from around the world by connecting hungry, innovative leaders to each other through a powerful network called, “The Mastermind.”
If you are leading on an island …
If you are surrounded by others, yet still isolated …
Or if you just want to level up your skill set and serve your community at a higher level, then check out why the mastermind is a powerful professional development experience.
As a chronically late student, Danny Bauer once told his Chemistry teacher a fib about saving an entire girl scout troop from a burning building to get out of a tardy.
Danny is not sure if it was the very made up story, the very real cookie he offered his teacher, or a combination of both that got him out of a detention that day …
That experience taught him it pays to develop your storytelling skills.
Danny has been telling stories since then, most recently on the Better Leaders Better Schools podcast, ranked in the TOP 0.5% of 3 million global podcasts, and via his two bestselling books, Mastermind: Unlocking Talent Within Every School Leader and Build Leadership Momentum: How to Create the Perfect Principal Entry Plan.
He also loves telling stories while facilitating in person leadership workshops at national conferences and for school districts.
Danny’s mission is to help Ruckus Makers Do School Different™.
Soniya, hailing from the culturally rich land of India, is a dynamic professional in the field of web services, crafting digital landscapes. Soniya’s journey into the world of technology is a testament to her unwavering passion and commitment to excellence, transforming ideas into impactful online realities.
Since 2022, Soniya has played an important role in supporting BLBS with her comprehensive website services.
She loves to travel and cook new recipes.
Music is an inspiring art form. Sound is conveyed via the air to the ears of living beings, and each being perceives it in its own unique way, eliciting a certain feeling. Dragan feels the same sensation every time he hears music, from infancy to now, as if it were a part of his existence that he couldn’t fathom living without. Dragan opted to deal with sound his entire life despite his formal degree, and today he is one of the most passionate audio producers you can meet and chat to about sound and music all day long. His enthusiasm for audio production, student-like thinking, and curiosity keep him continually mobile in generating new, quality, and enjoyable sound on a regular basis.
Dragan has been producing BLBS audio and video content since 2020.
My passion for both baseball and literature was the initial catalyst that led me into education. Growing up as a softball player and a die-hard fan of the Chicago Cubs from the North Side of the city, I developed a profound appreciation for the South Side of Chicago, not enough to convert me into a White Sox fan. As a National Board certified teacher, with over 16 years of experience on Chicago’s South Side, my journey as an educator has taken me from my roots in the Windy City to Virginia, as an instructional coach.
From the very beginning, I have been an unwavering believer in the philosophy of BLBS. My journey alongside Danny has been one of daring innovation and audacity, right from the moment he challenged me to say, “boom” and drop the mic during our initial city-wide professional development event. He has cultivated a team capable of winning a World Series, and I am deeply honored to be a part of this community of individuals who consistently push the boundaries and endeavor to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
Premaria Mutambudzi is the BLBS Office Administrator, This is her 2nd year, she has served in the administrative field for 5+ years, Prim is originally from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. She has been married for 7 years to her husband Takunda, and is blessed with two children.
Prim loves meditation, creative writing, poetry, and reading. In her spare time, Prim is a talented and creative Makeup Artist.
– Head Coach
Sofía’s lifelong search for a profession that would “leave the world a little better than she found it” led her to study philosophy and comparative religions, become a teacher, lead schools and educational projects, work for the Argentine Ministry of Education, contribute as a volunteer in various NGOs and become personally committed to causes that raised awareness about the world’s challenges and the potential of education to overcome them.
She is a practically-minded idealist, a profound believer in people and their potential for good, committed to collaborative leadership environments, and instinctively and naturally drawn to create order and systems in seemingly chaotic contexts.
After more than 30 years in the classroom and almost 20 as a school leader, Sofía now divides her time as Schools Development Manager for Cambridge University Press and Assessment, Executive Secretary for the International Confederation of Principals, Facilitator for the ESSARP Teacher Training Centre in Argentina and BLBS Mastermind Coach.
Each of her current roles allows her to travel near and far while contributing to her own lifelong learning, and that of school leaders across the world, in the slow way she cherishes: one experience, one adventure, one conversation and one relationship at a time.
– Head Coach
Once a roller derby ref, now enjoying “retirement”, Dan’s got some wild tales from the track. Picture this: Dallas, a Division 1 tournament, and Dan’s zipping around as an “outside pack ref” when suddenly, BAM! He gets bulldozed by “Ruthless Red” charging out of the penalty box. But did he stay down? Not a chance! Dan bounced right back up, finished the game like a champ, and jetted off to Barcelona for the World Cup, broken tailbone and all.
Bruises and broken bones couldn’t keep Dan out of the action. Those derby days weren’t just about dodging collisions—they taught him about grit, resilience, and leadership skills that he’s been flexing for 15 years as a school leader. Whether he’s coaching leaders as part of The Ruckus Maker Mastermind™ team or dodging freight trains in the fast-paced world of roller derby, Dan is always willing to lean into the next challenge.
– Head Coach
Jason P. Dropik (Babaamii-Bines / Eagle Clan) is the School Administrator for the Indian Community School (ics-edu.org), in Franklin, WI, which serves Native students in the metro Milwaukee area. A member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians (BadRiver-nsn.gov), Jason is committed to supporting students, families, staff, school/community leaders, and the community both near and far.
Having recently completed a two-year term as President of the National Indian Education Association (NIEA.org), he advocated for and spoke on the importance of tribal sovereignty, policy, appropriations, and student support across the country. As a Board Member of NIEA, Jason continues with that work, championing training and providing information for schools and community organizations, while creating visibility and understanding of Indigenous perspectives.
His greatest passion is creating welcoming spaces for students to develop their identity, take pride in their language and culture, and to celebrate the rich legacy and the promising future of Indigenous communities.
– Head Coach
First and foremost, I’m a husband, father and son. I’m someone who is driven by my faith. I’m the Principal of A. Russell Knight Elementary in Cherry Hill, NJ. The Parks are animal lovers. We have 3 dogs and 2 cats. Some things that I’m loving at the moment is playing Pickleball and cooking for my friends and family. I also have the privilege and joy of serving as a BLBS Mastermind coach.
– Head Coach
Back in high school, Jesse used to painstakingly unthread the logos from his clothing and hats so that he wouldn’t be seen as part of the status quo.
He didn’t know it then, but that was the start of his journey as someone who finds unique ways of communicating ideas.
Then when he discovered his connection to youth with disabilities, he realized that he was among experts who’ve been finding ways to do things differently all their lives.
Leaning into these connections has brought him to become the Innovation Lead for a statewide project called I’m Determined – developing and producing animated videos and feature-length movies, facilitating events and building tools and resources for youth, families, and educators – all as ways to help students ink their journeys for the world to see.
As a leadership coach, Jesse is someone whose consistent presence is there to listen and add value and belonging.
– Head Coach
Leadership skills were evident as early as first grade for Paige Kinnaird when the teacher pointed out that “Paige is an eager beaver who completes her own work and then monitors what everyone else is doing.”
This taught Paige the importance of servant leadership. To never expect work from others that she is not fully committed to also putting forth the effort to accomplish.
Paige has used this as the central driving force of her work ever since… a willingness to be part of the work, not just driving the work.
– Head Coach
Karine Veldhoen, M.Ed., is the founder of Learn Forward™ and a creative force in education. While her name may be difficult to pronounce, her mission is simple, to champion extraordinary potential. As an educational leader (15 years) she created the first model Learn Forward™ school while simultaneously founding and serving as Executive Director of Niteo Africa. She’s taught Teacher Candidates at both UBC-O and UNBC and serves as a coach for Better Leaders Better Schools.
In all of her roles, she considers herself a modern-day pilgrim who stands for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.
Now, she dedicates her professional practice to championing EdLeaders to design thriving schools. When Karine is not carving new paths for education, you’ll find her with her husband and three children, her heart-song.