As a child, I lived in Canada for five years during the early 1970s. Back then, the National Hockey League (NHL) was almost entirely Canadian, with 90.2%1 of the players hailing from Canada in 1974. Fast forward to today, and that number has dropped to 42.2%2. Naturally, this must mean there’s a crisis in Canadian hockey, eh? After all, hockey is a cornerstone of Canadian culture, and the drastic drop in Canadian representation in the NHL must signal the collapse of their system—at least, that’s what the numbers seem to imply. I have often shared this story throughout my career to …

As superintendents, we often grapple with the challenge of steering projects towards success without stifling our employees’ autonomy. Our passion for achieving a specific vision can inadvertently lead to micromanagement, undermining employee trust and creativity. How can we foster employee excellence while avoiding this pitfall? Let us explore a few strategies which you might consider. 1. Clarify the Vision Early: Effective project outcomes start with a clearly defined vision. We need to invest ample time upfront to articulate the desired goals, outcomes, and expectations. When your employees understand the target, they can align their efforts and decisions accordingly, reducing the …

The school year is either over for you, or soon will be depending upon where you are located. As superintendents, after the celebrations and graduations are complete, our minds shift to getting some time off while thinking about the school year to come. Today, I would like to provide a few thoughts as this transition in your work year occurs. Below, I offer a guide for how one might divide their time and attention over the next couple of months, which will go quickly. First, you need to get away, even if for a long weekend, during the month of …

One way that I engage in professional development is to listen to podcasts. Typically, this comes when I walk in the evening and is a way to simultaneously stimulate my brain as I exercise. Recently I listened to a podcast segment by Adam Grant, the well-known organizational psychologist and Wharton School professor. I have listened to Adam previously and often find the information he provides compelling for us as individuals and leaders. Today I would like to share with you three bits of wisdom which Adam discusses. The topics don’t necessarily relate to each other but are powerful as standalone …

One unique way to create a positive culture in your school district (which we know influences retention) is to focus on the performance of your operational departments, especially maintenance & operations, HR, and the business office. Although we don’t often think about the role these departments play in establishing a positive culture, they can be the source of great frustration for staff members if not functioning effectively. In today’s post I would like to talk about quality work and how it impacts the district’s culture. I want to unpack what it looks like, and how we can train our operational …

We all know the budget adjustment process is hard. Most of us have seen the process fail, but less often where it was a success. Each context is different, thus how the process is set up can dramatically impact the outcome. As ESSER funds wane and districts face various scenarios from declining enrollment to cuts in state or local funding, many will need to make budget adjustments this spring. Today, let’s discuss a process which can increase your district’s chances for success when implementing budget adjustments. In my experience, making budget adjustments (notice that I don’t say budget reductions or …

I have been reflecting on the challenges many superintendents experienced over the past year and how one might achieve resilience on the job in 2024. Every context is different, but I believe there are some foundational approaches individuals can take which will make a difference. Today, I want to outline the concept of a “life evaluation”, and identify five components which came out of a recent Gallup Survey to assist individuals in completing the process. The Gallup Survey found 40% of U.S. workers identified their job has having a negative impact on their health & well-being, and education employees were …

Recently, I had a conversation with a superintendent who serves in one of the toughest situations I have ever observed. He is amazing to me. I always find him calm and resilient, beyond what anyone would expect. My question for him was how he does it? How does he seem steady and able to manage with grace the ongoing adversity that he faces, month after month? His answer was compelling and was confirmed through a recent post I read by Sean Covey (Stephen Covey’s son). The superintendent indicated his secret was that he operates from the middle. In essence, regardless …

It has been a while (last March to be exact) since I have written a blog post and I was asked the other day when I might start contributing again. Life has been extremely busy but sitting outside in the cool 70-degree air on my back patio this morning I was motivated to write about maintaining perspective and calm in the superintendency. The position of superintendent has never been more challenging than it is today. A polarized political environment is leading to situations that are more extreme, which means superintendents have less time to spend on academic issues. Today, I …

Serving as a superintendent has always involved a unique skill set, which combines content knowledge, leadership skill, emotional and political intelligence. Today, these skills require enhanced focus along with tremendous wisdom, discernment, and thoughtful decision-making. We are all aware of the assault superintendents are facing presently as a result of culture wars, board members pursuing politically divisive positions, and state legislatures which are seeking to unravel public education as we have known it. Today, I would like to provide a few thoughts on the current state of the superintendency and offer a couple of solutions which I believe might be …