While you might be seeing this in July, I’m writing it in June, a few weeks before schools end for the summer in New York. It’s been a great year all around, and I’m looking forward to the time to reflect and learn this summer in preparation for the year to come. While I’ve learned quite a bit this year, four big lessons stand out as I continue to reflect on my development as a leader. Here they are, in no particular order.
We rise to the level of the expectations we set
It’s very easy to believe we can’t achieve something. Whether it be because of anxiety, fear, imposter syndrome, or anything else, all of these speak to possibilities, and not probabilities. In fact, there are very few things we can’t do. Instead, it is more about what we give ourselves the chance to do that makes all the difference.
New York State is in the midst of a major shift in our high school graduation model. This shift has the potential to empower all students across the state. And with a shift this big, much work is needed to get schools, districts, and overall systems to where they need to be so these modifications can both feel and truly become doable.
One of the biggest concerns for everyone is how both students and staff will be able to make this change. Given the large-scale redesign, there is a belief that some members of our school communities won’t be able to make it work. As I’ve engaged in planning with educators throughout this past year, I recognize it is a fair concern. And I also recognize that if we set both high and positive expectations for this shift, our students and staff will rise to meet them. I acknowledge that this statement only makes sense if the expectations are, in fact, realistic, and the outcomes are achievable. Happily, within this graduation model shift, they are. That said, significant work and support will be needed to shift effectively. The takeaway here is that so long as we have support we can rely on, then we can meet the goals of any change that comes our way; humans are adaptable and malleable!
A culture is defined by the worst behavior a leader is willing to tolerate
I can’t take credit for the wording in this lesson. That credit goes directly to Steve Gruenert and Todd Whittaker in “School Culture Rewired.” It’s an important lesson to learn, and often to relearn, to avoid getting stuck in a toxic culture. Ultimately, there is a balance between giving space and freedom to express ideas and opinions and reminding ourselves that positivity and toxicity are contagious. Only we can control which of these we show on any given day.
Our team has spent a good portion of this year understaffed for the work we are engaged in. This has led to frustration, as we have worked incredibly hard to continue providing exemplary service to the districts we work closely with. While we have given ourselves a lot of grace and space to share these frustrations, we have also had conversations with each other about the importance of recognizing that we can control our happiness, and that there is a fine line between welcoming truth and allowing a toxic culture to persist. We all have different levels of negativity that we are willing to withstand. It’s important to remember and recognize where those limits exist.
Give the right change enough time, and people can learn to love it
We all know that change is hard. And, while some of us may be more comfortable with change than others, we rarely seek out change with enthusiasm. A key lesson I learned this year was that if we give the right change enough time, then we can learn to love it. The “right” part is important because some changes we can never really come to love (changes we just have to deal with). And, it’s also important that the right change be given enough time. Even good change isn’t loved immediately, so before we know whether a change is really good, we have to be willing to let it happen. This year we have undergone a number of important changes, including everything from reworking the process for one of the programs we support to redesigning staff roles. Both are important, and each has a different “change maturity” timeline. The test for us as leaders is to be willing to let things be a bit messy as we move through the process. We can’t be willing to give up too soon. Otherwise, people just end up hating the process overall, even if they might have learned to love it!
It’s better to focus on what is within our control than what is not
Control is a funny thing. We all believe that we know well enough to be decision-makers. However, we are rarely the containers of all necessary information, so ultimately, our decision-making as individuals is always a weaker process than when we incorporate other perspectives. So, it stands to reason that there are many cases where not being in control is not only realistic but also the best option.
Despite that, we struggle with collaborative control and generally find it hard to give true collaboration the resources it needs to succeed. This year, a number of challenges came up that required me to re-examine my need for control. Family and professional matters occurred in ways and at times when I had to be okay with being the boat moved by the ocean of life, rather than trying to row in countless directions in the hope of arriving somewhere. It is a freeing feeling to relinquish perceived control in areas where we never really had it to begin with. Doing so allows us to focus more on aspects of life within our locus of control, which, in turn, helps us make better decisions overall.
I’ve learned a lot this year. And I anticipate encountering these lessons again and again throughout my lifetime. Sometimes, lessons have to be relearned for us to really apply them in the ways that make the most sense and do the most good. I’m grateful for all that I have experienced in 2025 – 2026 and can’t wait to see what the new school year brings. Enjoy the summer!