Episodes
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Today is Christmas and I am spending time with my family but I didn't want to leave you hanging. So here's one of my favorite episodes from last year. Do you feel like you’ve only got this ONE school year to make a difference? If so, you're probably chasing the quick wins, putting an enormous amount of pressure on yourself and your teachers, and staying on the school improvement hamster wheel. Builders don’t operate under that kind of pressure. Instead, Builders play the long game. They think in 3-year time horizons and as a result, accomplish more with significantly less stress. It’s time to get off the hamster wheel. Discover how you too can play the long game #LikeABuilder
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This week, we’re wrapping up our series on Questions Worth Asking with the hardest one yet: Do you REALLY believe in your 100% vision? It seems like a simple question on the surface. You might even be thinking “of course I do!” but let me ask you this: If you truly believed in your vision, would you be doing what you’re doing in your school right now? You see, it’s one thing to believe that your 100% vision is admirable or even desirable. It’s another thing to be convicted that your vision is possible for you. And without that conviction, you may be acting in ways that subtly undermine your vision. So this week’s podcast is a real gut check, one that I had to go through myself. But, I believe it’s one of the most important questions you can ask yourself if you’re going to reach your vision #LikeABuilder.
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Episodes manquant?
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Do you know your 80/20? In other words, do you know what work you do that is primarily responsible for the success you’ve gained? And more important, are you investing most of your time and energy in the 20% or are you wasting time on work that is giving you little in return. That’s the question we’re examining as we continue our series on Questions that are worth asking. If you want to see more results for your efforts, it’s critical that you understand your 80/20. So tune in to today’s podcast so that you can discover your 80/20 #LikeABuilder.
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Do you know the impact that every position in your school has on your ability to achieve your 100% vision? It’s a question most administrators never ask themselves even though your ability to achieve your vision relies on the answer to this question. In today’s episode, I’ll talk about why this question is so important and walk you through some examples to help you answer this question for yourself #LikeABuilder.
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What rules are you following that no longer apply? That’s the question we’re considering this week and it’s important because too many of us are being held hostage by rules that no longer apply. But, because Builders question everything, you don’t have to stay trapped by outdated rules. Tune into today’s episode to discover how you can free yourself of the weight of old rules #LikeABuilder.
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Have you ever felt trapped, like your options are limited and you really don’t like any of the options available? Usually, we feel like our only recourse is to hold our noses and choose the least offensive option. But, that’s not what Builders do. You see, if you are a Builder and you don’t like your options, instead of settling for what’s in front of you, you change the game by asking different questions. That’s why this week, we’re starting a brand new series about a few questions that help you change the game and give yourself more and better options. If you’re feeling like you don’t have a lot of options right now and you don’t like the options you do have, tune into this week’s podcast to discover how you can build new options for yourself #LikeABuilder.
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So many leaders complain that they feel constantly overwhelmed. But, when you become a Builder, you realize that it doesn’t have to be that way. You don’t have to live in a state of overwhelm. On today’s episode, I’m sharing how Builders escape feeling overwhelmed. Once you know and live this secret, you’ll know how to eliminate overwhelm from your work. And the more you practice it, the less you’ll be able to remember or relate to the feeling of overwhelm so many administrators experience because you know how to eliminate overwhelm #LikeABuilder.
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Have you ever thought about your job and wondered, “Is this really all there is?”If so, then today’s episode is for you. You see, the reason we can sometimes feel that way has to do with a myth we were all taught to believe about leadership. Today, I’m going to expose that myth and show you how Builders find deep fulfillment in their work. Even if you are completely happy in your role, this episode will protect you from falling into the trap of excellence and help you remain happy and fulfilled in your work. So whether you are currently fulfilled or if you secretly wonder whether this is all there is, today’s episode will help you anchor in the heart of the work #LikeABuilder.
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One of the more misguided pieces of leadership advice out there is that you need to set boundaries with people. I understand the thinking behind the advice, but in practice, boundaries are more designed to keep people out than invite them to partner with you towards a common goal. Plus, the requirement that you “enforce” your boundaries puts all the onus on you. Builders are less concerned about boundaries and more focused on creating shared agreements. That way, both parties are responsible and both parties work together to achieve the desired goals. On today’s episode, I’m breaking down how you can build powerful agreements #LikeABuilder.
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There are a lot of principals who say they want 100%, but in reality, they have gotten pretty comfortable where they are. They’re not the worst school in the district they reason, and they are at least making some tiny incremental gains. So although they would LOVE to do better, things could be worse. Frankly, the system is set up to make us comfortable with “good enough.” But it’s all a trap. On today’s episode, I want to challenge this idea of good enough and shake us all out of our comfort zone. And, if you’ve gotten a little too comfortable lately, my goal is to give you the boost you need to stick to your goals #LikeABuilder.
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There are few things in our jobs more frustrating than having a teacher completely ignore our feedback, especially when we know that things need to improve in their classrooms. The problem isn’t you, it’s the way we were trained. In fact, there are 3 things we were trained to do when giving teachers feedback that actually make our feedback EASY to ignore. On today’s podcast, I’m breaking down those 3 things and show you how to fix them so that you can give teachers feedback that they will embrace and implement #LikeABuilder.
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This is part 2 of a 2-part series on how to build true accountability with teachers. In this episode, discover the 3-step process Builders use to handle it when someone breaks an agreement. Find out how to quickly repair the break and get back on track, how to handle a pattern of agreement breaking without destroying your school culture, and how to use even a tough situation to keep building #LikeABuilder.
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This is part 1 of a 2-part series on how to build true accountability with teachers where you’ll discover the powerful tool Builders use to build true accountability with their staff. Find out the specific 6 steps you need to take to create an accountable agreement and learn why we were trained to “hold teachers accountable” is a trap. By the time you’re done, you’ll know exactly how to set teachers up to do the right work the right way even when you’re not looking #LikeABuilder.
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If you’re looking for a solution to a BIG problem or challenge in your school, discover the simple question I use time and time again to help me solve my most persistent student, teacher, and school issues Then find out how you can use this same question to stopIt working so hard trying to tweak your way to your goals and and instead find the ONE thing that creates tangible and dramatic growth for your school #LikeABuilder.
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Most of us were trained that our job as administrators is to be a problem solver. So we dutifully go into work and spend all our time trying to solve problems. Except, that means… We spend all our time trying to get teachers to implement our solutions “with fidelity.” Everyone comes to us to solve their problems and no one is taking ownership. We feel pressure to always have the answers. The work seems never-ending. Builders know that being a problem solver is a trap. That’s why Builders don’t worry about solving problems. Instead, Builders focus on finding the right problems to solve and then work with our staff and students to help them solve their own problems. So check out today’s podcast where you’ll discover how to get out of the problem-solving trap and empower others to solve their own problems #LikeABuilder.
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We hear a lot about how principals should take time for self care, but in this week’s episode, we explore what true self care looks like. While spa appointments, massages, and lattes are great, they don’t solve the issues of an overcrowded schedule, intense pressure, and demands on your time -- they merely medicate them. So, on today’s episode, we’re breaking down 2 secrets Builders use to ensure that no matter how packed their schedules are, they don’t end the day depleted. In fact, if you do these 2 things, you can ensure that you end every day feeling accomplished. Then, when you go to the spa or engage in some other form of self care, you can truly enjoy your experience because you aren’t stressed all the way out. So, if you feel like you need a little self care, today’s episode will show you how to truly care for yourself and protect your energy #LikeABuilder.
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The school year has just begun and already, principals are worried about staff morale. Sure, everyone was excited by the first days of school hype, but now that things have died down a little, the complaints are already starting. On today’s podcast, we’ll look at why every year it seems people are getting more and more burned out, and more importantly, the ONE thing you can do that can turn things around immediately.Instead of going through the same cycle of excitement, reality setting in, complaints, burn out again this year, this episode will show you how you can sustain momentum and generate lasting excitement about the work #LikeABuilder.
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Now that most of us are back in school, we're all pretty busy with all the tasks that inevitably demand our attention at the beginning of the year. And while those tasks are often important, there are 4 things you may not realize you should be doing in the next month in order to create momentum for the year.
In this episode, we'll dive into what those 4 things are, why they're important, and the specific impact they will have on your effectiveness throughout the year. Do these 4 things now to set yourself up for an amazing school year #LikeABuilder. -
I don’t know anyone who LOVES a meeting. That’s because most meetings feel like a waste of time. On today’s episode, you’ll discover 5 meetings that should be on every principal’s calendar each week and NONE of these meetings will waste your time. In fact, these meetings will make you more productive, make your team more accountable, and create real momentum in your work so much so, that you really can’t afford NOT to have these meetings. So tune in today to find out how you can use 5 simple meetings to remove overwhelm, increase your own productivity, and ultimately move your vision forward consistently #LikeABuilder.
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We’ve all heard the advice that we need to “inspect what we expect.” But, the way that our training has weaponized this advice in schools is pretty awful. We see the word “inspect” and are told it means that if we want good instruction to happen in our schools, we need to show up with a clipboard and a walkthrough instrument in at least 3 classrooms per day or our entire instructional program will collapse. Builders do walkthrough feedback differently. Discover how to give walkthrough feedback that teachers will welcome and implement #LikeABuilder.
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