10x Leadership: Dr. Mike Lubelfeld’s Guide to Empowering Superintendents
The Ruckus Report
Quick take: A veteran superintendent reveals how shifting from a mastery mindset to an unfinished mindset can transform school leadership and create environments where innovation thrives, student voice matters, and continuous growth is celebrated.
Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker
Dr. Michael Lubelfeld serves as Superintendent of North Shore District 112 in suburban Chicago, leading 9 elementary schools with 4,000 students. A passionate educator since 1992, Mike was awarded the 2021 Administrator and Supervision Distinguished Alumni Award from Loyola University Chicago. He’s co-authored four books, including his latest “The Unfinished Teacher: Becoming the Next Version of Yourself.”
In this episode, Dr. Lubelfeld challenges traditional education paradigms:
Key Insight #1: The Power of Coaching Fundamentals
- What’s broken: Complex leadership initiatives that overlook basic human connection
- The shift: Regular, structured coaching conversations focused on growth and support
- Impact: Principals create better conditions for teacher growth, leading to improved student outcomes
Key Insight #2: Embracing the Unfinished Mindset
- What’s broken: The pressure to achieve mastery and have everything figured out
- The shift: Viewing leadership as a continuous journey of growth and evolution
- Impact: Creates a culture where innovation thrives and continuous improvement is celebrated
Key Insight #3: Leveraging Student Voice
- What’s broken: Top-down decision making that excludes student perspectives
- The shift: Actively incorporating student input in strategic planning and facility design
- Impact: More engaged students and better-designed learning environments that meet real needs
Quotable Ruckus
“I’m never going to be done doing it. I’m going to learn more from the next principal than she or he learned from me because I’m learning from them and we’re growing together.”
– Dr. Mike Lubelfeld
Your Do School Different Challenge
Ready to implement these ideas? Start here:
- Tomorrow: Schedule a one-on-one coaching conversation with a teacher or principal focused on their aspirations and goals
- This Month: Create a student advisory panel to provide input on one major school initiative
- This Semester: Develop a structured feedback system that celebrates growth and learning
Get the full episode transcript: here
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