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Latest Blog Posts
Communicating in challenging times
Most of the podcasts I’ve recorded have been done virtually, first on Skype, now on Zoom. About 5 of the 250 have been done face-to-face. My first in-person interview was with Jennifer Abrams. She was passing through my hometown of Chicago for a workshop and agreed to...
Rick Mohrein: Will you choose School or your Family?
Rick earned a bachelor’s degree in adolescent education/social studies from Fredonia State University in New York. He has a master’s degree in adolescent education from Oneonta State College, also in New York. He earned a certificate of advanced studies in educational...
Building resilient leaders
Resilient leaders bounce back from setbacks. They make mistakes, but their mistakes don't define them. These kinds of leaders use powerful mirror moments. Epictetus notes in his book, Discourses: Let sleep not descend on your weary eyesBefore having reviewed every...
Your strengths
Some people say you should ignore your weaknesses and develop your strengths. As a leader, that makes sense. Know where your weaknesses exist and then hire people that can do what you can’t. Maybe you are a dreamer, but forget about the details. Maybe you drive...
3:1 Ratio
Years ago we read The Happiness Advantage in the mastermind. (Nick if you're reading I know that was your favorite book ?) The author shares that the magic ratio for positive-to-negative interactions is 3:1. Meaning, a leader needs to have three positive interactions...
Helpful templates
Loads of pigeons congregate near my flat in Glasgow. If I were to run toward them they would take flight, each in a different direction. Their goal is simple – survival. When a crisis hits people respond in different ways and that can be a problem. Emotions are high...
Robyn Jackson: Leading on the Edge and Finding your Purpose
Robyn Jackson is a former high school teacher and middle school administrator. She is the founder and president of Mindsteps Inc., a professional development firm for teachers and administrators that provides workshops and materials designed to help any teacher reach...
The next big thing for school principals as we recover from COVID-19’s school closures
Effective leaders are proactive. I admire how quickly leaders around the world got remote learning up and running. Now they need to operate with one foot in the present and another foot in the future preparing for what is to come. In the mastermind, we...
A gift for your staff
Many educators are raising their hands because they are drowning and putting in much longer hours than usual. That might be due to learning the new tools of school in a remote space, but it also might be because of a lack of priorities. Batching tasks (or...
