Imperfect by Design: What Michael Lubelfeld and Nick Polyak Learned from Crisis and Innovation
An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast
Release Date: 07/01/2025
Imperfect by Design: What Michael Lubelfeld and Nick Polyak Learned from Crisis and Innovation
An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast
📢 New Episode Alert! 🎧 We're thrilled to share a powerful new episode of An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast! This week, we sit down with two incredible Illinois Superintendents: and . This conversation is packed with wisdom, vulnerability, and practical insights for anyone in leadership! Here are three key themes you won't want to miss: ✨ "Leading for Tomorrow's Schools Today" & The C.H.A.N.G.E. Leadership Framework: Nick and Mike, co-authors of the upcoming book Leading for Tomorrow's Schools Today, dive deep into their...
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Authentic Leadership in Action: Marlon Styles Brags About What’s Right in Public Education
An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast
🎙️Join us on An Imperfect Leader with trailblazing Marlon Styles!🎙️ This week on An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast, we get to feature Marlon Styles, former Superintendent of Middletown City School District (OH) and current Partner at the Learner Center Collaborative. 🏫💼 🏆 Named K12 Dive’s Superintendent of the Year in 2020, Marlon is a fierce advocate for educational equity and a visionary leader in learner-centered education. In this powerful conversation, Marlon shares lessons on leadership, innovation, and community...
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Crisis to Clarity: Essential Lessons for Superintendents from Communications Expert Veronica Sopher
An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast
This week, we had an incredibly conversation with , an award-winning media-trained public information officer and founder of Veronica Sopher K12 Communications Consulting. With 25+ years of experience counseling school leaders, Veronica shared invaluable wisdom on navigating the complexities of educational leadership. 🏫💡 We delved into how superintendents can build trust and shape compelling narratives, especially during high-stakes moments and crises. Veronica's approach starts with a fundamental question: What problem are we trying to solve? We explored the...
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What 30+ Years in the Superintendency Taught Dr. Dennis Peterson About Leadership Today
An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast
In this week’s episode of An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast, we sit down with veteran superintendent to explore the shifting landscape of school leadership over the decades. 👇 💡 Key Insights: 🔄 Leadership Has Evolved: From autocratic to inclusive, with school boards now at the center of decision-making. 🧭 Courageous, Inclusive Leadership Matters: Superintendents must proactively build trust with boards, unions, and the broader community. 🏫 Strategic Open Enrollment: Dennis shares how Minnetonka used open enrollment to grow enrollment,...
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The Power of Wholehearted Leadership with Dr. Kathryn Fishman-Weaver
An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast
🌟 The Power of Wholehearted Leadership: 4 Key Insights from Dr. Kathryn Fishman-Weaver 🌟 In this episode of An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast, we have an incredible conversation with , the Executive Director of Mizzou Academy. Some key takeaways from our conversation include: 📖 1. Stories Are the Shortest Distance Between People "Stories are the connective tissue that holds us all together. The space to share who we are - being fully human - doesn't happen by accident." 🤝 2. Wisdom Is Everywhere - Embrace Shared Leadership "The most important ideas for...
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Dr. Laura Chávez-Moreno and How Schools Make Race: What They Miss by Staying in "Sesame Street"
An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast
This week on An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast, we talk with UCLA's , author of "". Dr. Chavez Moreno's work challenges us to think beyond superficial approaches to racial identity in schools. Here are three key themes and insights from our conversation: Schools implicitly make race through practices and policies. Beyond explicit lessons on race, schools reinforce racial ideas through their structures. As Dr. Chávez Moreno explains, "Schools make race through implicit ways also... through the policies and the practices that they engage in". This includes...
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Beyond the Checklist: Jill Molli and Leading School Culture with a Conscious Bullseye
An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast
🚀 New episode alert! 🎧 Tune into the latest episode of An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast featuring . We had a truly insightful conversation about how conscious leadership can drive significant culture shifts in education! Here are a few key takeaways from our discussion: 🎯 Transforming Culture: Shifting culture isn't about checklists and compliance. Jill suggests leaders "shift from your checklist in your brain and move to a bullseye." This means focusing on building internal skills at the core of the system. 🧘♀️ Leading with Self-Regulation:...
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Restorative Practices for School Leaders to Embed Systems & Shift Adult Culture with Nicholas Bradford
An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast
In this episode of : The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast, sits down with , Founder and Executive Director of the . Nicholas is also the co-author of . He shares how building authentic relationships and embedding restorative systems, rather than isolated programs, is critical for cultivating trust, accountability, and resilience in schools. Nicholas Bradford discusses how restorative practices are proactive efforts to build culture and reduce burnout among school leaders. He explains how schools can move beyond punitive models and create environments that empower students, staff, and...
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How This Principal Fixed a Failing School Culture to Hit the Top 5% - Amy Galloway
An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast
In this episode of : The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast, Peter Stiepleman sits down with , former principal, state education leader, and co-founder of . As a school leader, Amy led one of Tennessee’s most dramatic school turnarounds, moving a in Nashville from the bottom 5% to the top 5% in just four years. She later served at the , where she supported principals, assistant principals, and supervisors across the state. Dr. Amy Galloway reflects on the challenges leaders face in times of transition, from navigating isolation and accountability to rebuilding school culture with...
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Speaking the Same Language: Communication Strategies for Bridging Divides with Lori Weigel and Jonathan Voss
An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast
In this episode of : The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast, I sit down with , Principal at , and , Former-Partner at and Founder of . Two leaders from opposite ends of the political spectrum who are united by a common mission: to help educational leaders communicate more effectively in deeply divided times. Lori Weigel and Jonathan Voss discuss how superintendents can use shared values and thoughtful language to build consensus, especially when facing complex issues like equity, trust in public schools, and community engagement. Drawing on decades of public opinion research, they...
info_outline📢 New Episode Alert! 🎧 We're thrilled to share a powerful new episode of An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast! This week, we sit down with two incredible Illinois Superintendents: Dr. Nick Polyak and Dr. Michael Lubelfeld.
This conversation is packed with wisdom, vulnerability, and practical insights for anyone in leadership! Here are three key themes you won't want to miss:
✨ "Leading for Tomorrow's Schools Today" & The C.H.A.N.G.E. Leadership Framework: Nick and Mike, co-authors of the upcoming book Leading for Tomorrow's Schools Today, dive deep into their innovative C.H.A.N.G.E. framework. Learn how to Challenge the status quo, Have open conversations, Adapt and be flexible, Navigate obstacles, Generate a shared vision, and Enjoy the journey – even when it's tough!
💡 Embracing Imperfection & Learning from After-Action Reviews: The imperfect leader concept truly shines as Mike shares his candid "after-action review" of leading through the COVID-19 pandemic. He reveals the profound lesson that "perfect is the enemy of good" and reflects on the challenges of widespread e-learning, concluding it "didn't work on scale" despite his deep passion for ed tech.
✨ Navigating Resistance & Championing Innovation: Discover how these leaders tackled the inherent challenges of change, especially when "the system will work aggressively to return to that status quo." Nick shares an inspiring example from his school district, where educators completely reinvented freshman year into an interdisciplinary, project-based model. They discuss battling criticisms, fending off labels, and the critical role of support and celebration in embedding lasting change within a system.
This episode is a must-listen for anyone committed to growth, innovation, and resilient leadership in education!
Follow Host Peter Stiepleman on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-stiepleman-76004819a/
Website: https://imperfectleader.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/animperfectleader/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@animperfectleader
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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 https://imperfectleader.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.
