Breaking the Rules: A Ruckus Maker's Guide to Leadership with Danny Bauer

INTRO: In this episode of An Imperfect Leader, we have a very special guest. The Chief Ruckus Maker of Better Leaders Better Schools, Danny Bauer, is here.

You might be asking yourself what makes a Ruckus Maker. I assure you, I ask Danny that in the episode. Let me set the stage a little bit about why today is exciting. Danny describes himself as:

• An UNORTHODOX leadership coach and who loves to ask “Why follow the rules when you can make them up?”
• He hosts a podcast that ranks in the TOP 0.5% of all shows worldwide with over 2 million downloads.
• And he is a best-selling author of Mastermind: Unlocking Talent Within Every School Leader.
• And Build Leadership Momentum: How to Create the Perfect Principal Entry Plan is now available!
• He has mentored thousands of school leaders through his Better Leaders Better Schools blog, books, podcasts, and powerful coaching experiences.

And he believes with all his might: "When YOU get better, Everyone wins."

BIO (from LinkedIN):

IMAGINE the QUALITY of a school where the Principal and AP does NOT have access to high quality coaching and mentorship on a weekly basis …

If you’re anything like me, you don’t have to imagine because that was or is your current reality.
Which is why I started the BLBS podcast in 2015.
My lived experience as an admin went something like this …
District “leadership” meetings didn’t build my capacity.
Once a month, principals were gathered so we could be read announcements.

If we were lucky, we might discuss the THREE PILLARS in education …
💯 Improve student achievement (yup, that’s important)
🚌 Increase attendance (of course … it’s good to have kids attend school)
🥊 Decrease discipline (safety is important)

But that didn’t work for me.
These pillars of education were NOT the reason I became an educator and they certainly weren't the issues I was interested in as a leader.

I had different questions like …
🤔 How do you craft a meaningful vision that actually guides the work of a school?
🗣 (I personally HATE hard conversations, so...) How does a leader learn to handle crucial conversations effectively?
❓And what could I do to create a more equitable experience for ALL students — especially black and brown ones?

So I started exploring those topics on my podcast with the goal of making myself better.

Little did I know, that the message would resonate with so many other “Ruckus Makers” in education.

What started as a project to improve my leadership skills ... has now turned into a mission to connect, grow, and mentor every school leader who wants to level up.

Maybe that’s YOU or a colleague in your district or network.

If that's true, I have good news for you because ...

I believe that Everyone wins when YOU get better.

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An Imperfect Leader is sponsored by Yondr. 

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At the end of every interview we have for teacher candidates, we say, “What questions do you have for us?” And they always ask, “What kind of support can I expect?” And we always say, “Don't worry, we'll give you a mentor.”

But it's not real mentorship. I mean, it's support with the difficult kid, or the field trip form, or the grade card. But it isn't coaching. 

That's where partners like EdConnective step in. Because they provide real coaching, observations and feedback with practice. EdConnective ensures that every student thrives by facilitating exceptional educator growth. If you're looking for support for your people, for your leaders, for science of reading efforts, for recruitment and retention initiatives, check out EdConnective.com.

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Imperfect Leaders! Are you facing challenges filling open Speech-Language Pathologist positions within your district? Empat Speech understands the critical need for qualified professionals in your schools. The recognize that communication lies at the heart of academic success. Don't let open positions hinder your students' progress. Partner with Empat Speech today and ensure every child in your district has access ot the speech therapy they deserve.

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An Imperfect Leader: Leadership in (After) Action is supported by ILAA, LLC, a firm dedicated to supporting aspiring, new, and established leaders. For more information, please find them at www.human-centeredleaders.com.

Music for An Imperfect Leader was written and arranged by Ian Varley.

Sam Falbo created our artwork, a wood-print inspired daruma doll butterfly.