Leaning into Leadership

This month, we’ve been focused on one thing: building plans that don’t just sound good—but actually work. In this episode, Darrin is joined by Kathleen Beckham, Molly Dexter, and Brandon Mawhorter from digiCOACH for a real, unscripted conversation about what it takes to build—and execute—a plan that improves classroom instruction. This isn’t about theory. It’s about what actually moves the needle. Drawing from their experiences as educators, coaches, and system-level partners, Kathy, Molly, and Brandon share practical insights on focus, feedback, data, and the role of leadership presence in driving meaningful change. Key Takeaways You can’t focus on everythingClarity beats generalitiesTeacher voice mattersPresence is non-negotiableData must lead to actionYou don’t have to do it alone Final Thought The best plans aren’t built on ambition alone. They’re built on: focus, intentional action, and consistent follow-through And most importantly… They’re built with people—not just for them. Learn more about DigiCoach here Sponsor Spotlight This episode is sponsored by HeyTutor. If improving student outcomes is part of your plan for next year, don’t wait until the fall to build your support systems. HeyTutor provides high-dosage tutoring in Math and ELA—both in-person and online—while handling recruitment, training, and management of tutors. Learn more at HeyTutor.com Let’s Connect If you’re working to turn your plan into real, actionable steps between now and August, Darrin can help. Through coaching, leadership retreats, and team development, he supports leaders in building clarity, alignment, and momentum.

In this mid-week episode, Darrin steps away from long-range planning to focus on something just as powerful—small, intentional actions leaders can take right now. With only weeks left in the school year, it’s easy to feel stuck in the daily grind. But meaningful leadership doesn’t require a new initiative or a perfect plan. It comes from clear priorities, consistent actions, and intentional choices. In this episode, Darrin shares 10 practical leadership moves you can implement immediately to: These aren’t big strategies—they’re simple shifts that create real impact. In this episode, you’ll learn: Cycle of CHAOS Key Takeaway: Leadership doesn’t change because of one big initiative. It changes through small, consistent, intentional actions. Sponsor Spotlight This episode is sponsored by HeyTutor. If improving student outcomes is part of your plan for next year, don’t wait until the fall to build your support systems. HeyTutor provides high-dosage tutoring in Math and ELA—both in-person and online—while handling recruitment, training, and management of tutors. Learn more at HeyTutor.com Let’s Connect If you’re working to turn your plan into real, actionable steps between now and August, Darrin can help. Through coaching, leadership retreats, and team development, he supports leaders in building clarity, alignment, and momentum.

What Has to Be True by August? In Part 2 of this 3-part series on planning for the upcoming school year, Darrin shifts the focus from planning to preparation. You already know what you want to accomplish next year—but what are you doing right now to make that success possible? This episode challenges leaders to stop waiting for August and instead take intentional steps today that set the foundation for a strong start. Key Takeaways Preparation > Planning Planning identifies the goal. Preparation makes success possible. Ask yourself: What has to be true by August for this to work? Start the Work Now Don’t wait for a full rollout in the fall. Begin building: Take Inventory Before August Use a protocol like Start, Stop, Continue, Consider to: When people feel heard, they’re far more likely to commit. Unpack the Backpack Give your team the opportunity to: Leading Through Turnover Not every team is fully in place right now—and that’s okay. Progress doesn’t stop just because people change. You can still: Don’t wait for the perfect team—create clarity that any team member can step into. The Bottom Line Between now and August, your job is not to create more. It’s to: So when the year begins, you’re not starting from scratch—you’re building on momentum. Sponsor Spotlight This episode is sponsored by HeyTutor. If improving student outcomes is part of your plan for next year, don’t wait until the fall to build your support systems. HeyTutor provides high-dosage tutoring in Math and ELA—both in-person and online—while handling recruitment, training, and management of tutors. Learn more at HeyTutor.com Let’s Connect If you’re working to turn your plan into real, actionable steps between now and August, Darrin can help. Through coaching, leadership retreats, and team development, he supports leaders in building clarity, alignment, and momentum.

This week kicks off a three-part solo series focused on one critical question: How do we actually plan for success in the coming school year? April is a time when leaders are deep in planning—budgets, staffing, schedules, and resources are all coming together. But too often, we focus on what we’re going to do without fully thinking through how we set our teams up for success. In this episode, Darrin challenges a common leadership assumption—that the work starts in August—and introduces a different way of thinking. Because August isn’t the starting line. It’s the reveal. In This Episode “What must be true by August?” Key Takeaway Great leaders don’t wait for August to get started. They use the time leading up to the school year to build clarity, align their teams, and create momentum—so when the year begins, they’re ready. Try This Pick one initiative or priority for next year and ask yourself: What are three things that must be true by August for this to succeed? Your answers will reveal exactly where your focus should be right now. What’s Coming Next Next week, we tackle a real challenge many leaders face: What do you do when your team is in transition and August really is when everyone comes together? Even in times of change, there are steps you can take now to set yourself up for success. Sponsor Spotlight: HeyTutor Strong leadership requires focus—and that’s hard to maintain when leaders are pulled into operational work that can be handled by the right partners. That’s why Darrin highlights the work of HeyTutor, a sponsor of the Leaning Into Leadership podcast. HeyTutor provides: Their support helps leadership teams stay focused on what matters most—leading people and improving outcomes. Learn more: heytutor.com

In this episode of the Leaning Into Leadership podcast, Dr. Darrin Peppard takes on a challenge that quietly impacts even the strongest leadership teams: misalignment. You can have talented, committed leaders who care deeply about their work—and still feel like something is off. Conversations feel unclear. Decisions take longer than they should. Initiatives pile up without traction. That’s misalignment. And while it may not be loud or obvious, it comes at a cost. In this episode, Darrin breaks down: Darrin also shares a practical tool you can use immediately with your team: Start. Stop. Continue. Consider. This simple protocol helps leadership teams: Whether used in a leadership retreat or a focused team session, this process creates the clarity and shared direction teams need to move forward together. Key takeaway: Your team doesn’t need to work harder. They need to work together—on the right things, in the right way. 🔗 Resources & Links Start, Stop, Continue, Consider Protocoldarrin@roadtoawesome.netleadership retreats and team development Thank you to our Amazing Sponsors This episode is sponored by DigiCoach, helping leaders capture real-time instructional data, provide meaningful feedback, and build clarity through strong systems. Go to digicoach.com and tell them you heard about them here on the Leaning into Leadership podcast for special partner pricing. This episode is also brought to you by HeyTutor, delivering high-impact, research-based tutoring that supports students while reducing leadership overwhelm. Connect with them at HeyTutor.com

In this episode, Darrin sits down with Brooke Dukes to explore a challenge that many leaders face—but often don’t recognize: Becoming the bottleneck. We talk about how this happens unintentionally, why it’s so common among high-performing leaders, and how it ultimately limits both team growth and organizational success. Brooke brings a powerful perspective to this conversation. As the founder of Success by Design Club and creator of OZ, an AI-powered leadership coach, she has spent over two decades working with leaders at the highest levels—including Fortune 500 organizations—helping them break free from burnout and lead with clarity and confidence. Together, we dig into the dangers of “superhero leadership,” the hidden cost of control, and why stepping in to help can actually hold your team back. Most importantly, we explore what it really takes to shift—from being the center of every decision to building systems and structures that allow your team to step up and thrive. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, stretched thin, or like everything depends on you… this conversation is for you. Key Takeaways About Brooke Dukes Brooke M. Dukes is the founder of the Success by Design Club and creator of OZ, an AI-powered leadership coach designed to help leaders grow without burning out. With over 20 years of experience in executive leadership, sales, and consulting—including work as a Fortune 500 executive and global strategist—Brooke helps CEOs, founders, and visionaries build businesses that actually work for them. Her work blends behavioral science, Human Design, and real-world strategy to restore clarity, confidence, and calm in leadership. She is also the creator of the GRACe™ Communication Framework and Culture Compass™ Diagnostic, a #1 best-selling author, host of the Burn On, Not Out podcast, and a sought-after speaker known for her honest and heart-forward approach. 🔗 Connect with Brooke brookmdukes.comBurn On, Not Out Get Darrin's weekly blog here Thank you to our Amazing Sponsors This episode is sponored by DigiCoach, helping leaders capture real-time instructional data, provide meaningful feedback, and build clarity through strong systems. Go to digicoach.com and tell them you heard about them here on the Leaning into Leadership podcast for special partner pricing. This episode is also brought to you by HeyTutor, delivering high-impact, research-based tutoring that supports students while reducing leadership overwhelm. Connect with them at HeyTutor.com

One of the most rewarding parts of hosting Leaning Into Leadership is hearing from listeners who are doing the work every day. In this episode, Darrin responds to a question from a first-year principal in upstate New York who asked a challenge many school leaders face: How do you stay responsive to parents while still leading the school effectively? Parent emails, phone calls, and concerns can quickly fill a leader’s day. Without systems in place, communication can pull leaders into a reactive cycle that leaves little time for the work that matters most. Drawing from his own experience as a principal and from insights shared on the podcast, Darrin explores how leaders can break free from the Cycle of CHAOS and build systems that protect their time while strengthening communication with their school community. Along the way, he shares practical strategies that help leaders communicate clearly, set expectations, and stay focused on their highest priorities. This episode also highlights an idea shared by Rae Hughart in Episode 199 and connects to leadership lessons from Darrin’s book Road to Awesome: The Journey of a Leader. At the heart of the conversation is a powerful reminder for every leader: "Stop sacrificing the important on the altar of the urgent." Resources Mentioned: Road to Awesome: The Journey of a Leader School Leader Weekly Planner Episode 199 – Rae Hughart Thank you to our Amazing Sponsors This episode is brought to you by HeyTutor, delivering high-impact, research-based tutoring that supports students while reducing leadership overwhelm. Connect with them at HeyTutor.com This episode is also sponored by DigiCoach, helping leaders capture real-time instructional data, provide meaningful feedback, and build clarity through strong systems. Go to digicoach.com and tell them you heard about them here on the Leaning into Leadership podcast for special partner pricing.

Leadership today often feels like navigating constant change. Volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity are realities many leaders face daily. But resilience is not about simply pushing through the chaos — it’s about learning how to lead yourself and others through it. In this episode, Darrin sits down with Russell Harvey, The Resilience Coach, to explore how leaders can build resilience in themselves and their teams while navigating the modern leadership landscape. Russell shares powerful frameworks and practical strategies that help leaders move from overwhelm to clarity, from control to command, and from reactive leadership to intentional leadership. This conversation offers practical insights for leaders who want to strengthen their mindset, support their teams more effectively, and build sustainable leadership habits. In this episode, you’ll learn: being in controlbeing in commandVUCA frameworkdelegating brilliantly and removing obstacles for their teamsstrengths and skills grid exercise Key leadership insight from Russell: A resilient leader focuses on three core responsibilities: Delegate brilliantlyBuild and nurture a resilient team cultureDevelop your own personal resilience When leaders invest in these three areas, they create the conditions for trust, clarity, and stronger team performance. About Russell Harvey Russell Harvey, known as The Resilience Coach, is a leadership coach, facilitator, speaker, and resilience expert with more than 20 years of experience in leadership and organizational development. His work focuses on helping leaders and organizations build resilience in the face of constant change and uncertainty. Russell works with leaders and organizations to develop practical strategies that improve leadership effectiveness, strengthen team relationships, and help individuals rediscover their energy and purpose. Connect with Russell Harvey Website: https://www.theresiliencecoach.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/russelltheresiliencecoach/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theresiliencecoach/ Connect with Darrin If this episode resonated with you and you're looking for support in developing stronger leadership teams, clearer systems, and healthier school cultures, connect with Darrin. Website: https://darrinpeppard.com/ Thank you to our Amazing Sponsors This episode is sponored by DigiCoach, helping leaders capture real-time instructional data, provide meaningful feedback, and build clarity through strong systems. Go to digicoach.com and tell them you heard about them here on the Leaning into Leadership podcast for special partner pricing. This episode is also brought to you by HeyTutor, delivering high-impact, research-based tutoring that supports students while reducing leadership overwhelm. Connect with them at HeyTutor.com

One of the most common mistakes schools make is confusing a resource with a curriculum. A textbook gets adopted. A program is purchased. A shiny new initiative is rolled out. And suddenly everyone says, “Great… we have a curriculum.” But that’s not curriculum. In this episode, Darrin sits down with Emily Makelky from the Curriculum Leadership Institute (CLI) to unpack what curriculum actually means and why empowering teachers to lead curriculum development can transform how schools serve students. Drawing on years of classroom experience and consulting with districts across the country, Emily shares how leaders can move beyond resource adoption and build sustainable curriculum systems that reflect their community, their teachers, and their students. The conversation also explores how leadership teams can prioritize curriculum work, avoid overwhelming teachers, and create structures that support long-term improvement. If you’ve ever wrestled with questions like “What should we really be teaching?” or “How do we align instruction across classrooms?” this episode offers practical insight for school and district leaders. In This Episode textbook is not a curriculumresources and true curriculum alignmentlocal curriculum that reflects their communityteacher voice and teacher leadershipsystems and routinesslow to go fastlong-range plan About Emily Makelky Just like when she was in the classroom, Emily loves it when the “lightbulb” comes on for teachers. Combining her teaching experience with a foundation in business management, Emily now works as a consultant with the Curriculum Leadership Institute, helping schools and districts take a systematic approach to curriculum development and alignment. Emily’s work focuses on helping educators clarify what should be taught, align instruction and assessment, and empower teachers to lead meaningful curriculum work within their schools. Resources Mentioned in the Episode Curriculum Leadership Institute https://www.cliweb.org Free tools and resources (including the Long Range Plan template) https://www.cliweb.org/toolsandinspiration Free Long Range Planning Session https://calendly.com/d/3sk-z55-pg2/develop-your-long-range-plan Connect with Darrin If this episode resonated with you and you're looking for support in developing stronger leadership teams, clearer systems, and healthier school cultures, connect with Darrin. Website: https://darrinpeppard.com/ Thank you to our Amazing Sponsors This episode is sponored by DigiCoach, helping leaders capture real-time instructional data, provide meaningful feedback, and build clarity through strong systems. Go to digicoach.com and tell them you heard about them here on the Leaning into Leadership podcast for special partner pricing. This episode is also brought to you by HeyTutor, delivering high-impact, research-based tutoring that supports students while reducing leadership overwhelm. Connect with them at HeyTutor.com

This is Part 3 of a three-part series on leadership presence. In Episode 262, we explored the hidden cost of distraction and how trust and psychological safety erode when leaders aren’t fully present. In Episode 263, we discussed how to engineer margin through calendar integrity, decision discipline, and clarity around your top priorities. Now we bring it home. Because presence isn’t performance. Presence is connection. In this episode, Darrin dives into the relational and interpersonal work that makes leadership presence genuine — not polished, not performative, but real. You’ll learn: Darrin also shares a story from his superintendent experience that highlights the difference between listening to correct and listening to comprehend. Reflection Question: Where do you need to replace fixing with listening? Thank you to our Amazing Sponsors This episode is brought to you by HeyTutor, delivering high-impact, research-based tutoring that supports students while reducing leadership overwhelm. Connect with them at HeyTutor.com This episode is also sponored by DigiCoach, helping leaders capture real-time instructional data, provide meaningful feedback, and build clarity through strong systems. Go to digicoach.com and tell them you heard about them here on the Leaning into Leadership podcast for special partner pricing.

In Episode 262, we explored the hidden cost of distraction and how trust, psychological safety, and connection erode when leaders aren’t fully present. This is Part 2 of our three-part series on leadership presence. In this episode, Darrin focuses on why distraction keeps happening — and how to intentionally break through the cycle of overwhelm. Chaos isn’t loud. It’s cumulative. It’s the stacking of interruptions, back-to-back meetings, unresolved conversations, decision fatigue, and carrying problems that aren’t yours to carry. When leaders operate in survival mode, presence becomes nearly impossible. In this episode, you’ll learn: calendar integritydecision disciplineTop Three priorities15-Minute Weekly Presence Audit Plus, Darrin shares a free resource: 📥 The School Leaders Weekly Planner — a tool designed to help you schedule your priorities, build margin, and protect your presence. Download the free planner using the link here. Reflection Question: What on your calendar right now is stealing margin from the moments that matter most? Find one thing. Change one thing. Break the chaos. Build the margin. Protect the moments. Next up in Episode 264: The interpersonal work that makes leadership presence genuine and authentic. Thank you to our Amazing Sponsors This episode is sponored by DigiCoach, helping leaders capture real-time instructional data, provide meaningful feedback, and build clarity through strong systems. Go to digicoach.com and tell them you heard about them here on the Leaning into Leadership podcast for special partner pricing. This episode is also brought to you by HeyTutor, delivering high-impact, research-based tutoring that supports students while reducing leadership overwhelm. Connect with them at HeyTutor.com

This episode kicks off a powerful three-part series on leadership presence. In Part 1, Darrin explores the hidden cost of distraction and how leaders unintentionally erode trust, psychological safety, and emotional connection when they are not fully present. Through personal stories from his time as a high school principal, Darrin shares moments of realization when distraction cost him relational depth — and what those experiences taught him about culture and leadership. In this episode, you’ll learn: 60-Second Reset Reflection Question: Where this week does someone need the fully present version of you? This episode sets the foundation for Part 2, where we’ll explore how to intentionally create margin and break the patterns that keep leaders stuck in distraction. Thank you to our Amazing Sponsors This episode is brought to you by HeyTutor, delivering high-impact, research-based tutoring that supports students while reducing leadership overwhelm. Connect with them at HeyTutor.com This episode is also sponored by DigiCoach, helping leaders capture real-time instructional data, provide meaningful feedback, and build clarity through strong systems. Go to https://www.digicoach.com/ and tell them you heard about them here on the Leaning into Leadership podcast for special partner pricing.

In Episode 261, I’m coming to you on location from Edmond, Oklahoma, where I had the opportunity to sit down with my friend Joe Beckman at the OASSP conference. Joe has spent more than 20 years traveling the world with one simple mission: reclaim human connection. And if we’re honest, that mission has never been more urgent. Loneliness is at an all-time high. Belonging and self-worth feel fragile. Technology is louder than conversation. So what does that mean for school leaders? In this conversation, Joe challenges us to rethink where connection lives on our priority list. It’s not one more thing on the plate. It is the plate. We talk about: Joe also shares how he is personally leaning into leadership right now by stepping into uncomfortable spaces and using his voice where it matters most. If you care about culture…If you care about your people… If you care about leading well in a distracted world… This episode is for you. Connect with Joe: www.joebeckman.com Thank you to our Amazing Sponsors This episode is sponored by DigiCoach, helping leaders capture real-time instructional data, provide meaningful feedback, and build clarity through strong systems. Go to https://www.digicoach.com/ and tell them you heard about them here on the Leaning into Leadership podcast for special partner pricing. This episode is also brought to you by HeyTutor, delivering high-impact, research-based tutoring that supports students while reducing leadership overwhelm. Connect with them at HeyTutor.com

In this episode of Leaning Into Leadership, I’m joined by George Couros, one of the most influential voices in education around innovation, culture, and human-centered leadership. George and I dig into his leadership journey — not from a place of “having it all figured out,” but from a place of learning out loud. We talk about how blogging helped him find his voice, not just share it, and why writing, reflection, and vulnerability matter more than ever for leaders. We also explore the ideas behind George’s newest book, Forward Together: Moving Schools from Conflict to Community in Contentious Times, including: somebody hates you We close with a powerful reflection on leadership and self-care, as George shares how prioritizing his health has changed not only how he leads — but how he models leadership for his own kids. This is an honest, thoughtful, and deeply human conversation about what leadership really looks like right now. You can learn more about George at his website Grab his new book on Amazon Here is the link to the blogpost I referenced in the show Thank you to our Amazing Sponsors This episode is brought to you by HeyTutor, delivering high-impact, research-based tutoring that supports students while reducing leadership overwhelm. Connect with them at HeyTutor.com This episode is also sponored by DigiCoach, helping leaders capture real-time instructional data, provide meaningful feedback, and build clarity through strong systems. Go to https://www.digicoach.com/ and tell them you heard about them here on the Leaning into Leadership podcast for special partner pricing.

Ever left a leadership team meeting feeling like it was so productive—then realized a week later nothing really changed? In this solo episode, Darrin unpacks why that gap between effort and impact is rarely about commitment—and almost always about clarity. Building on his “Cycle of Chaos” episode, he shares the ALIGN Framework, a practical system for strengthening team dynamics and keeping teams focused on what matters most. In this episode, you’ll learn: ALIGN FrameworkA — Agree on the Vision and Goals:L — Language and Communication:I — Intentional Role Clarity:G — Growth Through Cross-Training:N — Navigate with Intention: Reflection questions to take back to your team: Support for leaders and teams If you’re thinking, “This sounds like my team, but we’re struggling to get there,” Darrin invites you to reach out for coaching, team support, or a leadership team alignment retreat designed to reset vision, roles, and priorities. Connect with Darrin: darrinpeppard.com | roadtoawesome.net | @darrinmpeppard Thank you to our Amazing Sponsors This episode is brought to you by HeyTutor, delivering high-impact, research-based tutoring that supports students while reducing leadership overwhelm. Connect with them at HeyTutor.com This episode is also sponored by DigiCoach, helping leaders capture real-time instructional data, provide meaningful feedback, and build clarity through strong systems. Go to https://www.digicoach.com/ and tell them you heard about them here on the Leaning into Leadership podcast for special partner pricing.

Weston Kieschnick has been in the work for a long time—as a classroom teacher, coach, author, and speaker—and this conversation feels like two colleagues reconnecting around what actually drives performance. We dig into Weston’s newest work and the idea that the gap between high performers and underachievers usually isn’t talent. It’s behavior—especially in the moments when adversity hits. In this episode, we explore: four performance pitfallsBlameExcusesSelf-deceptionGiving upOwnershipSolutionsTruthGritBarbara Corcoranfeedback is the raw material for performance Key takeaway When life gets hard, your default matters. You don’t rise to the level of your goals—you fall to the level of your patterns. This episode is a gut-check and a playbook. Connect with Weston Find Weston at WestonKieschnick.com and connect with him on social media to follow his work (and his “10-second truth” videos). Thank you to our Amazing Sponsors This episode is brought to you by HeyTutor, delivering high-impact, research-based tutoring that supports students while reducing leadership overwhelm. Connect with them at: https://heytutor.com/?utm_source=RTA&utm_medium=RTA&utm_campaign=RTA This episode is also sponored by DigiCoach, helping leaders capture real-time instructional data, provide meaningful feedback, and build clarity through strong systems. Go to https://www.digicoach.com/ and tell them you heard about them here on the Leaning into Leadership podcast for special partner pricing.

Leadership doesn’t fall apart overnight. More often, it slowly drifts into a pattern that feels overwhelming, exhausting, and reactive. In this solo episode, Darrin introduces The Cycle of Chaos—a framework that helps leaders name what they’re experiencing and begin interrupting the patterns that keep them stuck in survival mode. Rather than offering quick fixes or productivity hacks, this episode invites reflection, clarity, and intentional leadership. In this episode, you’ll hear about: This conversation is a reminder that leaders don’t need to work harder—they need to lead clearer. Sponsors This episode is brought to you by HeyTutor, delivering high-impact, research-based tutoring that supports students while reducing leadership overwhelm. Additional support comes from DigiCoach, helping leaders capture real-time instructional data, provide meaningful feedback, and build clarity through strong systems.

School leaders everywhere are wrestling with the same challenge: How do we support students who are behind — without overwhelming teachers or relying on systems that don’t deliver results? In this episode of Leaning Into Leadership, Darrin Peppard sits down with Jennifer Sheffield, CEO of HeyTutor, for a grounded, practical conversation about what effective tutoring and intervention really look like in today’s schools. Jennifer brings a unique leadership lens — blending her background in law, governance, and education — to help leaders rethink how tutoring fits into MTSS, Tier 2 and Tier 3 supports, and daily school operations. In this episode, you’ll hear about: high-impact tutoringhuman capital challengemiddle and high schoolspipeline for future educators Jennifer also shares a powerful personal story that shapes her leadership philosophy — reminding us that great leadership is ultimately about people, belief, and opportunity. Learn more: https://www.heytutor.comjennifer@heytutor.com If you’re a school or district leader searching for intervention strategies that actually move the needle — this conversation will help you think differently. Episode Sponsors: This episode is sponsored by digiCOACH — an easy-to-use mobile platform that empowers school leaders to provide teachers with positive, actionable feedback tied to research-based instructional practices, with real-time data to support fidelity and instructional decision-making. Learn more at digicoach.com (mention the show for special partner pricing) This episode is also brought to you by HeyTutor - HeyTutor delivers customized, evidence-based, high-dosage Math and ELA tutoring to K–12 school districts nationwide. Their focus is on in-person tutoring, while also offering flexible online options — all tailored to meet diverse student needs and aligned with state standards. Head over to HeyTutor.com to learn more - tell them you heard about them on the Leaning into Leadership podcast.

In this special shared episode, Darrin Peppard and Dr. Frederick Buskey—host of The Assistant Principal Podcast—tackle a challenge leaders are facing more and more often: angry, escalated parent interactions. This conversation was sparked by a real question from the field—a leader Frederick supports reached out looking for guidance on how to handle parents when emotions are high. Together, Darrin and Frederick unpack a practical, grounded framework for what to do before, during, and after conflict shows up at your door. In this episode, you’ll hear: before anything goes wrongproactive, positive contactseparate the student from the behaviorstudent-written statementslisteningfeeling disrespectedIt’s not about you—and remembering that makes it easier to listen Key takeaway When conflict rises, your job isn’t to “win” the conversation—it’s to protect dignity, stay calm, listen deeply, and build partnership forward. Episode Sponsors: This episode is brought to you by HeyTutor - HeyTutor delivers customized, evidence-based, high-dosage Math and ELA tutoring to K–12 school districts nationwide. Their focus is on in-person tutoring, while also offering flexible online options — all tailored to meet diverse student needs and aligned with state standards. Head over to HeyTutor.com to learn more - tell them you heard about them on the Leaning into Leadership podcast. This episode is also sponsored by digiCOACH — an easy-to-use mobile platform that empowers school leaders to provide teachers with positive, actionable feedback tied to research-based instructional practices, with real-time data to support fidelity and instructional decision-making. Learn more at digicoach.com (mention the show for special partner pricing)

What does it mean to be a dealer in hope — not as the source of hope, but as someone who helps others discover it for themselves? In this first episode of 2026, Darrin sits down with longtime friend and colleague Dr. Mark Brown for a powerful conversation about leadership, hope, and intentional presence. Mark shares the story behind his “Hope Dealer” philosophy, why hope is for everyone (not just those in crisis), and how leaders can create cultures where people feel seen, supported, and empowered. As a first-year high school principal, Mark also reflects on the transition from assistant principal to principal, the importance of asking for help, and how modeling leadership behaviors matters more than any directive. The conversation closes with a reminder many leaders need to hear: taking care of yourself is not selfish — it’s essential. In this episode, you’ll hear about: Connect with Dr. Mark Brown: www.markbrownedu.comHope Dealer: Leaning In to Lift Others This episode is sponsored by digiCOACH — an easy-to-use mobile platform that empowers school leaders to provide teachers with positive, actionable feedback tied to research-based instructional practices, with real-time data to support fidelity and instructional decision-making. Learn more at digicoach.com (mention the show for partner pricing) This episode is also brought to you by HeyTutor - HeyTutor delivers customized, evidence-based, high-dosage Math and ELA tutoring to K–12 school districts nationwide. Their focus is on in-person tutoring, while also offering flexible online options — all tailored to meet diverse student needs and aligned with state standards. Head over to HeyTutor.com to learn more - tell them you heard about them on the Leaning into Leadership podcast.