Leader Chat With Jeff Rose

If one is truly a ‘student of the game’ when it comes to studying and developing their own leadership skills, they likely have read John C. Maxwell’s work. If not, they should. John C. Maxwell is known as the #1 leadership author in the world. In this inspirational Leader Chat, he shares his wisdom, passion, and empathy with us. He is in our corner, and we are thrilled to be working with and learning from him. We can’t wait for him to join us in person during our Leadership Circle Summit in October!

Universal Design for Learning, (UDL) can sometimes be misunderstood or potentially overwhelm teachers and leaders. Not if they listen to or read the work of Katie Novak. She is a teacher at heart and has rich leadership experience. She makes UDL pragmatic and accessible. This Leader Chat episode is incredible!

There are very few topics in education as relevant today as Social and Emotional Health, for students and adults. There is also not any organization as knowledgeable on this topic as the Collaborative for Social and Emotional Learning. The CEO of CASEL, Dr. Aaliyah Samuel, joined us in this Leader Chat. It was a phenomenal and enlightening discussion.

As educational leaders, we all want and need to find peace and satisfaction within the context of the challenging times and work we are experiencing. It’s easier said than done. Kim Strobel provides some insightful and pragmatic advice to us, helping us to keep our head up and moving forward.

In this episode, Jeff engages with Dr. Roger Cleveland about the importance and challenge of embracing cultural proficiency as educators. It’s a political topic, but as you listen, maybe they uncover why it does not have to be. If we have strategies to meet the needs of students, with the awareness that kids come from different backgrounds, experiences, and skill sets and it’s our job to love and teach them all.

Educators Anthony Muhammad and Luis Cruz share insights on collaborative systems, personal backgrounds, leadership in education, and building trust for change initiatives. They emphasize ethical and courageous changes in education systems post-COVID-19.

This is the second part of a two-part series. This week, Pamela Swanson had her board president, Ken Ciancio, join us. Jeff was so excited to compare and contrast what Pam had to say in episode one with what Ken might bring to light in our second chat. Bottom line, Ken and Pam are two peas in a pod- they are a team and their mutual respect for each other and their roles shines through. If only all superintendent and board relationships were this strong.

Everyone who pays any attention to schools or politics knows, the dynamics of a school board can have positive or negative effects on the schools and communities they serve. We have had other Leader Chats on this topic, but Pamela Swanson, superintendent of Westminster Schools in Colorado, ‘schooled us’ in this Leader Chat. Her humility and compassion are obvious. Clearly, she understands quality governance, but she also describes the art of working with her board as united front. This Leader Chat is awesome!

Why would a K-12 educational leader listen to a Harvard Business School Professor who specializes in sales and marketing? Well, as Jeff often points out, smart leaders learn from others who are in different lanes and industries. When you listen to Frank Cespedes, you will see the leadership correlation between business and sales with education. Frank’s latest book identifies several trends and solutions that translate to leading in fast changing environments. You will love it!

Educators need to hear from leaders who have spent time in education, and in the private sector. Tim Nolan is one of these people. We are thankful we had the opportunity to pick Tim's brain. His perspective is clear and extremely pragmatic. Leaders, take note and consider how Tim's perspective can impact your day-to-day work life.