Mental Models Archives - Better Leaders Better Schools™

The Ultimate First Year Principal Checklist: How to Make a Legendary School

by Lizzy Neiger | Aug 15, 2023 | Leadership, Mental Models

Congrats on landing your first principalship. Now the real work begins … (and if you haven’t signed your contract just yet, read this blog post). The start of a school year is like a rocket launch. You’ve put in tons of effort and planning. The...

Adapt or die

by Daniel Bauer | Jun 11, 2020 | Mental Models

Evolution isn’t just for biologists. It is a useful mental model for Ruckus Makers to make sense of life and leadership. The idea is quite simple: adapt or die. “Organisms in nature have survived and thrived for billions of years because they have one powerful...

You’re slowing down your organization

by Daniel Bauer | May 22, 2020 | Mental Models, Leadership, Productivity

Have you ever stepped on some gum while walking in the street? It’s annoying because it’s difficult to get off the sole of your shoe and with each step you are slowed down ever so slightly. This is an example of friction — when a force must be...

How to make better decisions

by Daniel Bauer | Apr 14, 2020 | Mental Models, Leadership

A few reasons we make poor decisions: We let our emotions get in the way of our logic.We surround ourselves with “yes men” or we don’t expose ourselves to a diversity of thought (e.g. the echo chamber).We have blind spots and do not work to eradicate them with...