Let me introduce you to Fran McGreevy, one of the top Ruckus Makers I have the privilege to serve in the mastermind.
Recently I got to meet Fran at his home in western NY.
This was a special moment for me because Fran has been working with me since the beginning …
We’ve known each other (virtually) since 2015 and have become friends over the years.
Now that I live in New York myself, I visited him the other weekend and we enjoyed a Sunday brunch together.
It was an incredible day for me. I got to learn from one of the best in the business.
In reality, Fran should be the leader of the mastermind.
He served faithfully as a principal for 40 years and is now retired.
Fran came to the mastermind near the end of his service as a principal.
I asked him why he joined and he told me:
“Danny, I have these kids … all of them are high achievers. One is even a life coach, you know him … and they are all over me!
They say, ‘Pa … what’s next for you? You’re not done yet! What impact do you still plan to have?’
And so I joined the mastermind you started.
I am familiar with the concept since my kids have been a part of masterminds in business.
And nothing like this existed in education until you started masterminds at Better Leaders Better Schools, Danny.”
He has much more knowledge, experience, and wisdom than I have.
Each week in the ‘Free Spirits’ cohort, all of our members (including me), get treated to Fran’s EPIC stories.
His stories draw us in. They are filled with emotion and vulnerability.
They lead to MAJOR epiphanies and BREAKTHROUGHS in our members’ leadership journeys.
When Fran speaks. We listen.
At brunch a week ago, I asked Fran the secret to his success.
Here is what he said:
“You know Danny, toward the end of my career I really started to figure it out. I stopped worrying about what everyone else was doing. I stopped micromanaging and checking up on things that don’t really matter … all the compliance stuff, test scores, and all the bureaucracy …
I have this idea. That every individual has a LONGING in their soul. Something they want to DO, someone they want to BECOME.
I tuned into those longings and made it my mission to help my people achieve their dreams.
I used to tell my staff, ‘I walk among gods and goddesses.’
Our profession is a calling. Educators are special people.
Everyone on my staff knew that I held them in high regard and LOVED them very much.
When I focused there … everything in our school changed for the better.”
Fran is an AMAZING Ruckus Maker — A special kind of leader who has so much wisdom to share.
Even as a retired principal he still comes to the mastermind meetings!
Fran sticks around because it helps him stay in touch with what’s happening in education.
Fran sticks around because he is a life-long learner!
Fran sticks around because he values the relationships he has built for years in the mastermind.
We feel his commitment to relationships and that is why we LOVE Fran!
One of the best lessons Fran has taught us:
“The success of your students and your school can be directly measured by the quality of the relationships within a school community.”
If you really want to LEVEL UP your school this year, maybe you should consider going all in on the quality of relationships that exist in your building.
That means letting go of a lot of TRADITIONAL ‘best practices’ we are told drive student success.
Relationships are less talked about.
They can be messy.
But if you are willing to go there and commit to upgrading the quality of relationships that exist in your school …
I PROMISE you will create something not only that you will be proud of …
But you will also have created something that taps into the L-word.
LEGACY.
Thank you Fran for your service!
And thank you for making me and all your mastermind colleagues a better leader.
After all, that’s what being a Ruckus Maker is all about.
Ready to Level Up?
I’ve designed a five-day challenge called the “Culture Boot Camp” and it’s absolutely free to join.
Learn how to create a world-class culture, just like Fran.
I will teach you how to improve your culture and take your school from WORST to FIRST or from GOOD to GREAT.
