The 100 Percent Principal Podcast

If you've ever felt like you're working incredibly hard but not actually building toward anything meaningful, you're not crazy, and you're not alone. You might be operating with a borrowed vision without even realizing it. In this episode, I'm going to walk you through the four types of borrowed visions: vision by compliance, vision by comparison, vision by inheritance, and vision by avoidance. By...

Last week I shared my big lesson going into 2025—be boring, stop chasing shiny objects, double down on what works—and this week I'm back with the honest truth: I failed. Or did I? The year I hoped would be calm and predictable turned into a scramble to survive as the world shifted under our feet. But something unexpected happened along the way. I'd just misunderstood what boring actually means. If...

As we close out 2025, I'm pressing rewind and revisiting the episode where I named the single biggest lesson I wanted to carry into the new year. Consider this a time capsule from the end of 2024—a look at what I believed mattered most and the mindset I was determined to adopt. This week, you'll hear that original episode. Next week, I'll return with a frank reflection on how it played out, what s...

During winter break, most principals fall into one of two camps: total disconnection or total overdrive. Either they collapse and avoid thinking about school until January, or they turn the break into a frantic catch-up sprint to "earn" a fresh start. But there is a third option and in this episode you'll discover why both panic-planning and panic-resting feel productive in the moment, but ultimat...

Most principals hit this point in December with the same uneasy mix of exhaustion and pressure. What makes it even worse is that everywhere you're being told that 2026 is being built right now, that you should be planning your best year yet, and that winter break is a chance to catch up. This episode challenges that narrative and explains why you don't need a new plan or a fresh start. Tune in to...

Most leadership team meetings are stuck in a loop—polite updates, recycled problems, and a slow drain of energy that leaves everyone wondering why nothing ever truly moves. In this episode, I unpack why that pain exists, why the usual fixes never fix it, and what becomes possible when you redesign your meetings around purpose instead of compliance. In this episode, I unpack the deeper reason why t...

Ask yourself a question: Are you playing defense or are you playing offense? Is most of your day spent reacting to things that come up, or are you spending the majority of your time proactively pursuing your vision? Most of the training we've received has taught us to focus on defense and so we create policies, systems, and routines that focus on solving existing challenges rather than preventing...

The most effective principals don't start meetings with data, problems, or updates. They start with a simple two-minute ritual that immediately reshapes the entire conversation. It cuts through the usual tension, sharpens the team's focus, and turns even the most routine meeting into a place where people think more clearly and collaborate with more purpose. In this episode, you'll learn why this t...

Tier 1 may be the hot topic right now, but here's the twist: Tier 1 isn't actually the problem—or the goal. In this episode, discover the one shift Builders make that instantly changes how Tier 1 feels, functions, and flows in their schools. We'll peel back the layers on why Tier 1 becomes overwhelming, why strategies alone never fix it, and how reconnecting instruction to your 100% Vision transfo...

If you've ever felt like you're playing academic whack-a-mole—chasing one struggling student after another—you're not alone. Most teachers are trying hard, but their support is reactive. In this episode, we're talking about how to flip that script with a Student SUCCESS Plan that helps you spot problems early, act fast, and keep Tier 1 running smoothly. I'll walk you through the simple process we...

I've spent years watching principals pour time, energy, and training into Tier 1 instruction—only to walk into classrooms and see the same inconsistencies. In this episode, I'm unpacking why that happens. Teachers understand Tier 1 in theory, but they struggle to translate it into their own classrooms, anticipate where students will stumble, and respond to the real-time data happening right in fro...

What if your school's "feedback problem" isn't really about feedback at all? In this special episode, you'll listen in on a real coaching conversation from inside the 100% Collective with member Bill Weitman. Bill came to the session looking for help giving teachers better feedback, but as we talked, we uncovered a deeper root cause that was quietly shaping his entire approach. You'll hear how to...

You've built the systems. You've set the routines. You've done everything "right." So why aren't you seeing results? In this episode, we unpack the surprising reason why so many principals work hard, stay organized, and still feel like their schools aren't moving forward. Predictability and consistency sound like the markers of success—but when your systems aren't grounded in your vision, mission,...

In an age where every message is a text, email, or Slack ping, we've mistaken constant communication for real connection. This week's episode explores what our profession seems to have forgotten—the value of sitting down face-to-face. Years ago, we hid in our offices and rarely engaged. Now, we're visible, available, and endlessly talking, but not always listening. We've seem to have forgotten tha...

This isn't a typical episode about frameworks or strategies. Instead, I'm stepping back to talk honestly about what I see happening in our profession right now—and why it has me concerned. There are quiet forces at work, shaping how we think, how we create, and even what we believe is possible. In this episode, I share the patterns I've been noticing, why they matter, and what we can do to resist...

Every school drifts, but drift isn't random—it's a hidden pattern that quietly reroutes your plans, scatters your staff's energy, and erodes your influence if you don't catch it in time. In this episode, I break down the Drift Pattern and show you how to spot it before it takes over, so you can reset your clarity, realign your team, and reclaim the year you meant to build. The difference between r...

If you're like most school administrators, this is the time of year that we, without even realizing it, are already starting to drift ever so slightly from the resolutions and plans we made at the beginning of the school year. We're not off track exactly, but things have started to slip a little. And, we're not too worried yet, because after all, it's only October.  Which is exactly why October is...

What if your school has been giving you feedback all along and you just haven't been listening in the right way? In this episode, we'll look beyond surveys and suggestion boxes and explore the real feedback loops at play: what people say, what they do, and the results they produce. You'll learn how to read these signals like a Builder, diagnose where your systems are breaking down, and turn every...

We've all been handed the same tired feedback advice: "Start with a compliment." "Ask a reflective question." "Get into 10 classrooms a week." It sounds good on paper, but in practice, it's leaving school leaders frustrated and teachers unchanged. In this episode, I'm calling out the most common feedback myths we've been told, unpacking why they don't work, and showing you how to break free from t...

You give teachers feedback because it's your job, but deep down, you're not sure it's making a difference. Maybe they nod politely. Maybe they push back. Or maybe they just… do nothing. In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on why some teachers ignore your feedback even when you're right . We'll unpack the three hidden reasons your feedback doesn't land, why it's not your fault, and what h...

This week, I'm tackling one of the biggest challenges principals face at the start of the school year: how to align a fractured staff. Whether you're dealing with a wave of new hires, lingering resistance, or a team that just doesn't feel cohesive yet, I'll show you how to quickly get everyone moving in the same direction—not through team-building gimmicks or compliance measures, but by anchoring...

Every August, we make "school year resolutions"—we're going to give better feedback, protect our time, stop doing so much. But most of those resolutions fall apart by September, not because we're undisciplined, but because we made them in a vacuum. In this episode, discover why even good principals find themselves slipping back into old habits, and how one shift makes resolutions unnecessary. If y...

The secret to a successful school year is to F.O.C.U.S. - Follow One Course Until Successful. And while that may ring true, HOW do you determine which course to follow? And, how can you stay the course in the midst of so many demands on your time, energy, and attention. We'll tackle these questions today on this episode and I'll share a really simple ONE plan you can use to identify the right thin...

If you've been doing everything they told you to do—giving feedback, supporting teachers, holding people accountable, working on culture—and still not seeing real change in your school, I made this episode for you. I'm breaking down why it feels like you're doing all the right things and nothing's moving and showing you the hidden trap that's keeping you stuck. So, if you've been feeling tired, di...

In this episode, I'm talking about the double isolation that so many principals silently carry: First, the weight of being the only one in their building who can't show weakness, who's expected to solve everything, and who rarely gets support in return. And second, the loneliness of being a Builder in a district full of status-quo thinking where no one else seems to believe that 100% student succe...