The Ruckus Report
Quick take: : If you’re leading from an empty tank, you’re not leading at all. Joël McLean learned the hard way that transformational leadership starts within — and he built a roadmap any school leader can follow.
🤝 Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker
Joël McLean is a former principal turned certified leadership coach, committed to helping leaders at every level develop skills and confidence to thrive. With 27+ years in education and founder of Inspire Leadership Coaching, he’s on a mission to spark transformation from the inside out.
Breaking Down the Old Rules
In this episode, Joël McLean challenges traditional education paradigms:
🧠 Key Insight #1: Self-Leadership Over More Initiatives
- What’s broken: More hours, more meetings, and more pressure are seen as the solution to underperformance.
- The shift: Joël argues that success starts with self-leadership and intentional reflection.
- Impact: Leaders who focus inward show up with clarity, energy, and stronger school-wide influence.
🧠 Key Insight #2: : Leadership Is Human, Not Just Measurable
- What’s broken: Leadership is treated as purely results-driven, often ignoring the personal development of the leader.
- The shift: Joël reframes leadership as a human-centered, values-based journey.
- Impact: Schools thrive when principals build themselves first, then build others.
🧠 Key Insight #3: Cross-Discipline Growth Builds Better Leaders
- What’s broken: Rigid leadership paths discourage creative growth and perspective-taking outside education.
- The shift: Joël models how borrowing from business, coaching, and mindfulness unlocks new leadership capacity.
- Impact: Innovative thinking and intentional design create empowered, future-ready campuses.
Quotable Ruckus
Your Do School Different Challenge
Ready to implement these ideas? Start here:
- Tomorrow: Block 15 minutes for uninterrupted reflection. Ask yourself: “Who do I want to be as a leader this week?”
- This Month: Write your own Leader’s Code. Define your values, vision, and what success looks like for you.
- This Semester: Begin building systems to support adult learning and staff development aligned with your leadership code.
Connect & Continue
Get the full episode transcript: here
Follow Joël McLean: Website
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Ruckus Makers Don't Just Listen — They Act
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Ruckus Makers Don’t Just Listen — They Act
Today’s RUCKUScast in Partnership with:
ODP Business Solutions®
Looking to create the kind of campus experience students never forget? ODP Business Solutions® transforms ordinary spaces into extraordinary learning environments.
🔍 Learn more odpbusiness.com/education and let’s Do School Different.
IXL
IXL takes the guesswork out of lesson planning for teachers. IXL’s ready-made lesson plans are aligned to your textbooks and state standards, so teachers can turn to IXL for the exact content they need to help their students.
🔍 Get started today at ixl.com/leaders
PLAY PIPER
This episode of Better Leaders Better Schools is sponsored by Play Piper. Every student starts with curiosity – Piper keeps it alive. Our hands-on STEM kits turn gaming passion into real engineering skills.
🔍 Spark confidence in your students at playpiper.com/ruckus
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