PMP467: Being a Ruckus Maker with Danny Bauer

A quick note to listeners: 

Before this week’s interview, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker take a few minutes to discuss the following question:

What is missing that keeps every school from moving forward at high levels all the time? 

Listen in to hear their response!

Meet Danny Bauer:

Daniel Bauer is the founder of Better Leaders Better Schools and host of its top-ranked podcast, where he has inspired thousands of school leaders around the world. A former teacher and principal, Daniel now coaches education leaders to challenge the status quo, take bold action, and build school cultures that put people first. Through his mastermind groups, books, and speaking engagements, he equips leaders with the tools to create lasting impact. His mission: to help school leaders level up so they can lead with purpose, authenticity, and results. Learn more at betterleadersbetterschools.com. 

Being a Ruckus Maker:

Ruckus Makers is the term coined by Daniel Bauer that describes school leaders who dream for a new, different, and better way of doing education. Daniel loves to help Ruckus Makers reimagine education so that they can create an environment they want to be in, making work enjoyable. He says that he coaches Ruckus Makers to create the rules in which they can always win; if they can’t answer what the rules are, then they’re playing someone else’s game. To clarify, Danny states that he is not saying that the current way of doing school is bad, just that we need to find new, different, and creative ways to reach students. In order to do so, he tells leaders that they need to see school through the eyes of kids. 

Lessons from Category Design:

Recently, Daniel has been learning about category design, and those lessons have influenced his work. Category design is a business practice, used to sell products. When schools do this, they use category design as a way to sell their schools to potential employees. One example of how leaders can apply category design to their work is through the way they create job postings. Danny says that typically, job postings for school positions are generic and boring, and don’t move people to action. Instead, schools should lead with what makes their campus unique, or how they do school differently. Danny says that when school leaders take his advice, they tend to get so many applications they don’t know what to do. How you sell your school is what helps people know that it is the right fit for them. 

Creating Principal Entry Plans: 

In 2023, Daniel Bauer published the book, Build Leadership Momentum: How to Create the Perfect Principal Entry Plan. He outlines for Principal Matters listeners some ideas from that book to keep in mind as they step into a new school year. First, he reminds listeners that they are playing a game that they are the author of. Next, he lays out the framework for creating your 90 day entry plan. Then, he tells listeners to always start with you, for you are not going to have a great school year if you are not doing great. Finally, he states that creating and implementing a 90 day plan can help eliminate the stress of the start of the school year. 

Final Comments and Staying Connected: 

At the end of the interview, Danny shares some advice for listeners who are supporting educators through content creation. He tells listeners that they should not be afraid of being different. The most success he has found is when he is staying true to himself and bringing things that are unique to the table. He also says not to give up; a lot of people give up right before they are about to be successful. 

You can stay connected to Daniel Bauer by visiting his website and subscribing to his newsletter.  

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