Change Starts Here

Episode Description: Are you truly sharing leadership—or just delegating responsibility? In part one of this two-part Change Starts Here: Research Conversations series, hosts Kim Yaris and Dr. Eve Miller challenge common assumptions about distributed leadership. Drawing on research into trust, teacher motivation, and student achievement, they explore why well-intentioned efforts to maintain contro...

On this episode of Change Starts Here, our host Dustin Odham sits down with Maria Fleming and Betsy Wierda, co-authors of the newest edition of The 4 Disciplines of Execution for Educators . While school leaders rarely struggle to write comprehensive improvement plans, turning those high-minded goals into day-to-day results amid the daily "whirlwind" remains a persistent challenge. Maria a...

In this Change Starts Here research conversation, Kim Yaris and Dr. Eve Miller pick up where their last episode on hope left off: you've named the goal and the obstacle in your way, so what do you actually do when that obstacle shows up? They dig into why following through has less to do with willpower than most of us were taught, starting with a study on distractible kindergartners and a conf...

In education, there’s always more to do. Competing priorities, urgent requests, new initiatives, and everyday demands can keep us constantly moving—but being busy and making progress aren’t the same thing. When everything feels important, how do we decide what deserves our focus? In this episode, Change Starts Here host Dustin Odham explores how educators can move beyond activity and create meanin...

What does it take to keep improving when nothing is technically broken? In this episode of Change Starts Here , Dustin Odham sits down with Dr. Monica Schroeder, Superintendent of North Shore School District 112, to explore how a high-performing district creates urgency, focus, and shared ownership around continuous improvement. Monica shares how years of intentional work around culture, leadershi...

On this episode of Change Starts Here: Research Conversations , hosts Kim Yaris and Dr. Eve Miller dive into a two-part research series on why setting big goals and visualizing success often falls short. Dr. Miller breaks down C.R. Snyder’s science-backed definition of hope, which hinges on having both actionable pathways and a sense of personal agency, and explains why relying solely on positive...

In this episode, Dustin sits down with Adam Welcome, a former teacher, principal, and district leader who has spent his career challenging educators to rethink what kids are actually capable of. Adam has worked with over 500 school districts in 49 states, and he brings that same high energy into a conversation about the gap between the world schools are preparing kids for and the world they're...

In this episode of Change Starts Here, Kim Yaris and Dr. Eve Miller dig into what happens in the first few weeks of school, when attention quietly starts to slide toward the schedule, the mandate, or the situation you have no say over. They unpack Stephen Covey's Circle of Influence and revisit decades of research on learned helplessness, including newer work from psychologists Steven Maier an...

Culture isn't built in a kickoff meeting or a mission statement, it's built in what leaders repeat when nobody's watching. In this solo episode, host Dustin Odham explores how the small behaviors leaders notice, encourage, or allow each day ultimately shape the culture their people experience. Drawing on the story of a broken thread on a 19th-century weaving loom, Dustin explores why e...

Today’s teens are growing up in a world that looks dramatically different than it did even a decade ago—but have the principles they need to thrive really changed? In this episode of Change Starts Here , Dustin sits down with Sean Covey, President of FranklinCovey Education and bestselling author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens , for a candid conversation about what today’s young people...

In the season seven premiere of Change Starts Here, Dustin Odham asks a critical question: "What is the greatest threat to our leadership?" While it’s easy to point to external factors like budgets, teacher shortages, or politics, Dustin argues that the real danger lies within the internal conversations leaders have with themselves. Drawing on his own experiences, including a moment of dee...

In the season 6 finale of Change Starts Here , Dustin Odham invites educators and leaders to rethink their summer break. While taking time off is crucial for physical recovery, Dustin challenges listeners to aim for true renewal and clarity. By applying Dr. Covey's 7th Habit, "Sharpen the Saw," leaders can intentionally renew themselves mentally, physically, emotionally, and spirituall...

In this episode of Change Starts Here, Kim Yaris and Dr. Eve Miller explore how educators and leaders can effectively transition out of a demanding school year. Drawing on a Yale study, they discuss how a leader's ability to manage their own emotions directly impacts the well-being of their staff. Because of "emotion contagion theory," the emotional residue leaders carry out of the spr...

In this episode of Change Starts Here, Dustin Odham sits down with global leadership expert and executive coach Victoria Roos Olsson to discuss the importance of pausing at the end of a busy school year. While exhausted leaders often want to rush to the finish line or immediately tackle the next challenge, Victoria explains why using the end of a season for reflection is vital for sustainable succ...

In this episode of Change Starts Here, Kim Yaris and Dr. Eve Miller discuss the final weeks of the school year, a time typically filled with tying up loose ends, cleaning up, and the temptation to just pop in a movie. However, research shows that how a year ends disproportionately shapes how students will remember the entire experience. Drawing on Daniel Kahneman's famous "peak-end rule&#3...

In this episode of Change Starts Here, Dustin Odham challenges the "spring fever" mentality that sweeps through schools during the final stretch of the year. Rather than just counting down the days and winding down expectations, Dustin urges leaders and educators to finish with intention. Sharing a powerful story about "legacy projects" at Mechanics Grove Elementary, he illustrates...

In this episode of Change Starts Here, Kim Yaris and Dr. Eve Miller tackle a topic that leaves many educators feeling overwhelmed: Artificial Intelligence in schools. Looking past the sensational headlines, they dive deep into recent survey data from organizations like RAND, Pew, and Brookings to uncover the reality of how AI is actually showing up in classrooms. The research reveals a startling t...

In this episode of Change Starts Here, Dustin Odham sits down with Todd Nesloney, Director of Culture and Strategic Leadership for the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association (TEPSA). Todd shares his insights on what a thriving school culture actually looks and feels like, going beyond test scores and bulletin boards to the fundamental human experiences of feeling seen, heard, and...

In this episode of Change Starts Here, Kim Yaris and Dr. Eve Miller dive into the critical topic of student well-being, especially relevant as climate survey data rolls in for the end of the year. While most schools measure happiness and meaningfulness, Dr. Miller highlights groundbreaking research by Erin Westgate and Shigehiro Oishi that introduces a third, often overlooked dimension: "psych...

In this episode of Change Starts Here, Dustin Odham addresses the unique challenge of the final stretch of the school year. When testing season arrives and the finish line is in sight, there's a natural temptation for educators to coast. But Dustin explains why the most critical moments for leadership, culture, and student impact happen right now, when everyone is tired. Drawing inspiration fr...

In this episode, Dr. Duzy breaks down her powerful "SEEDS" philosophy—Serve, Empower, Embrace, Develop, Steer—and explains why securing "buy-in" is no longer enough. She shares the messy but rewarding reality of shifting your team toward true ownership, how to establish the right conditions for new initiatives to thrive, and the importance of aligning district-wide systems like eva...

In this episode of Change Starts Here, Kim Yaris and Dr. Eve Miller challenge the way we view joy and play in education, especially during the heavy, high-stress stretch of testing season. Too often, joy is treated as a "garnish" in schools—a funny video at a staff meeting or a smoothie bar during Teacher Appreciation Week—and categorized as a mood rather than a vital capacity. However, Dr...

In this episode of Change Starts Here, Dustin Odham sits down with New York Times bestselling author Jon Acuff to explore the profound impact of mindset on both students and educators. Jon unpacks his concept of "broken soundtracks"—the negative, repetitive thoughts that hold us back—and explains why issues like procrastination, perfectionism, and imposter syndrome are not physical hurdles...

In this episode of Change Starts Here, Kim Yaris explores a pressing question in education: are students and adults less curious than they used to be? In a fast-paced world, the space for wondering is often crowded out by the demand for immediate answers. Yet, workforce research continuously identifies curiosity as a critical, durable skill essential for problem-solving, adaptability, and long-ter...

In this episode of Change Starts Here, Dustin Odham addresses the subtle burnout that often creeps into schools during the spring semester. He explains that burnout often stems not from the workload itself, but from the negative stories and expectations we attach to that workload. Through a personal story of a chaotic morning, Dustin illustrates how shifting our internal question to "What does...