In this episode of Transformative Principal, Jethro Jones engages in a profound discussion with Sean Slade, co-head of North America at BTS Spark, about reevaluating traditional perceptions of leadership, particularly around the management of emotions. Sean challenges the archetype of the stoic, emotionless leader, suggesting that vulnerability, emotion, and personal connection are crucial elements for effective leadership, especially highlighted by observations from the first year of the pandemic. The conversation delves into how leaders who embraced their humanity, admitting uncertainty and fostering relationships, tended to succeed more. Drawing on a study and the insights from the book Embracing MESSY Leadership, Sean emphasizes the critical role of emotions in building trust, cultivating teamwork, and enhancing problem-solving capacities. He argues for a shift from controlling to exercising and utilizing emotions as strategic tools in leadership. The podcast also touches on the practical aspects of having difficult conversations and the importance of authenticity, emotional intelligence, and self-awareness in leadership roles. Sean concludes by underscoring the evolving understanding of leadership as beyond a series of tasks, advocating for emotional adeptness as a key leadership skill.

• Maybe the emotionless leader is not quite correct.
• MESSY Leadership came out of the pandemic
• The leaders who were able to make personal connections, build relationships and show vulnerability did quite well.
• Exercise your emotion rather than controlling your emotions.
• Admit uncertainty
• Pose questions back to team
• High level of self-awareness and self-confidence
• Everyone wants to feel like they matter and they want to belong.
• You are part of this community.
• Don’t we want to be authentic ourselves?
• Get communication cards.
• Leadership as a series of tasks and duties.
• Making people feel happy on a surface level.
• What’s putting you in the box? And how do you get out of it?
• Leadership is not a series of checklists.

Links:

• Sean Slade's website: https://www.seanslade.com/
• MESSY Leadership
• Jethro’s Communication Cards: https://www.jethrojones.com/communication-cards

About Sean Slade

Sean is the Co-Head of North America at BTS Spark. He is an education leader, speaker and author, with nearly three decades of experience in education, both in the US and globally. With a strong background in education reform and wellbeing, he has driven policy change, implemented initiatives, and developed educational leaders, to enhance the social impact of education. As Senior Director of Global Outreach at ASCD, Sean launched and grew the ASCD Whole Child Network to 1,800 members, 350 school districts and 56 countries. He is a Social & Emotional Learning expert for NBC Today, advisory member for OECD’s Future of Education & Skills 2030, a founding member of the UNESCO Chair on Global Health & Education. He has written for the Washington Post, Huffington Post, EdWeek, and is a frequent keynote speaker.

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL and MyFlexLearning.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you simplify and streamline technology, reliably meet Tier 1 standards, improve assessment performance, and more. Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

MyFlexLearning is the scheduling platform that helps middle and high schools meet the individual needs of all students. Create and manage time for flex blocks, WIN time, activity periods, RTI, counselor and teacher appointments and much more. And with a built-in accountability tool and reporting features, solve your challenges around getting kids where they need to be and understanding how flex time is spent. Make your flex time work for you. Visit myflexlearning.com/BE to learn more and receive $500 off the first year.

In this episode, Jethro is joined by Danny Bauer and Glenn Robbins, author of the book Calm In The Chaos: Ancient Stoic Wisdom for Successful School Leadership. We talk about how to be stoic as a leader in schools and apply that wisdom to your daily. Plus, you won’t believe the sign we saw in a school!

• How to get people on the same page when you’re not physically on an island.
• Community had come together before when they’ve been through something together.
• Starting from negative emotions doesn’t help you find success.
• When you come from a place of gratitude, it’s great.
• This is my roadmap for connecting with people.
• You’re still a human being, but you still have to rise up and be your best.
• Your pride sometimes takes away your willingness to share what you’re going through.
• We often don’t have models showing us how we do things different.
• Key piece is mentoring, models, and psychologically safe spaces where you can admit that you’re struggling.
• Expect people to be wrong, evil, tortuous, dishonest.
• Vulnerability can be perceived in many different ways
• Stoicism is constancy.
• Be the rock, that is immovable.
• A lot of the expectation is expecting the sea to not rage, but that is not realistic.
• Mastering what is in your control.
• How we help people see they can choose what they control.
• How to be a transformative principal? Own your mistakes - Danny
• Psychological safety

About Danny Bauer

Danny Bauer helps Ruckus Makers Do School Different™ which means shifting from old, traditional, and often broken ways of educating to new, different, and innovative ways of educating.

He’s written multiple bestselling books and hosts the Better Leaders Better Schools podcast which is the most downloaded show in school leadership and ranks in the TOP 0.5% of all shows worldwide.

About Glenn Robbins

Glenn Robbins is the proud Superintendent of the Brigantine Public School District in Brigantine, New Jersey. His passion is harnessing a district culture that thrives on positive psychology, design thinking, futurism, innovative digital spaces, technology integration, esports, cybersecurity, Social Emotional Learning Zen Dens, and Maker cultures. In addition, Glenn encourages all students to have a voice, not only in building a school culture, but also in designing student led entrepreneur opportunities.

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL and MyFlexLearning.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you simplify and streamline technology, reliably meet Tier 1 standards, improve assessment performance, and more. Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

MyFlexLearning is the scheduling platform that helps middle and high schools meet the individual needs of all students. Create and manage time for flex blocks, WIN time, activity periods, RTI, counselor and teacher appointments and much more. And with a built-in accountability tool and reporting features, solve your challenges around getting kids where they need to be and understanding how flex time is spent. Make your flex time work for you. Visit myflexlearning.com/BE to learn more and receive $500 off the first year.

• Aspirational Model
• Shifting Mindset
• Emotional Connection - Research in MESSY started at the beginning of the pandemic.
• There will always be the next crisis.
• Expectation of leaders - what’s important? Professional veneer - leave our personal outside our workplace.
• Establishing themselves as larger than life.
• Authenticity - personal and professional are more blurred.
• Heart, Head, and Hands - Dr. Marvin Berkowitz
• Presence triangle - think about the other person and how you’re delivering your message. Self-other-outside
• Taking a deep breath, thinking about the relationship, moving to the perspective of the other individual.
• You matter, you’re not alone. Schools need you.
• Coaching creates a confidential space.
• Challenges: courage, empowering and coaching others, taken servant leadership too far, influence others to change their practice, lack of confidence, slowing down and not reacting all the time.
• Pleaser and Martyr
• De-implementation
• Leaders get things done through influence.
• This is a Choose Your Own Adventure style of book.
• Two voices in our heads - Judge and Pessimist
• How to be a transformative principal? Carve out time to reflect.

• Meaning Making: Create a shared vision and engage others by collaborating more effectively.

• Emotional Connection: Build deeper, more trusting relationships to give feedback and hold difficult conversations.

• Sensing the Future: Think creatively and tackle entrenched school improvement problems through experimentation and innovation.

• Seizing Momentum: Be proactive, gain control of how you prioritize your time, and embrace new ways of working.

• Your Presence: Build confidence by identifying the barriers that hold you back and learning how to overcome them.

About Alyssa Gallagher

Alyssa Gallagher is the author of the book Embracing MESSY Leadership: How the Experience of 20,000 School Leaders Can Transform You and Your School. She is also the Co-Head of BTS Spark, North America, for BTS Spark, a not-for profit practice focused on bringing executive level coaching to every school leader. She has extensive experience leading schools and districts to revolutionize learning for students. Under Alyssa’s guidance Los Altos School District became a nationally recognized leader in education innovation with her work featured in Forbes, Wired, The Economist magazine and on CNN and CBS’ 60 Minutes. After two decades working within k12 education, Alyssa led the global leadership practice for The Wiseman Group, co-designing executive development strategies to enable leaders to become better ‘multipliers’ of their people’s talent. Alyssa has worked with a wide spectrum of leaders, ranging from early career professionals in her local school district to seasoned executives in Fortune 500 Companies. Alyssa enjoys working with leaders to design strategies that leverage the capability, creativity and intelligence of everyone on their team.

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL and MyFlexLearning.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you simplify and streamline technology, reliably meet Tier 1 standards, improve assessment performance, and more. Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

MyFlexLearning is the scheduling platform that helps middle and high schools meet the individual needs of all students. Create and manage time for flex blocks, WIN time, activity periods, RTI, counselor and teacher appointments and much more. And with a built-in accountability tool and reporting features, solve your challenges around getting kids where they need to be and understanding how flex time is spent. Make your flex time work for you. Visit myflexlearning.com/BE to learn more and receive $500 off the first year.