my version of transparent, collaborative leadership...with a Teamann twist

Finding Leadership Harmony in Taylor Swift’s Lyrics: Leadership Lessons from Lyrics Wrap-Up

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Well, folks, we’ve been on quite the leadership journey together, diving deep into some of my favorite Taylor Swift lyrics to unearth some golden nuggets of leadership wisdom. As we wrap up this series, here are your cliff notes of what we’ve hummed along to…

Honesty vs. Harmony

Starting with the raw emotions in “All Too Well,” looked at how honesty in leadership isn’t just about being blunt—it’s about being kind too. It’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it. True leaders know how to deliver tough messages without breaking the spirit of their team. While hard convos aren’t necessarily my strength, I stand by the “in your face” blunt style will never be something that wins others over and creates the culture that makes people want to be there.

Honesty in leadership isn’t just about speaking the truth—it’s about packaging it with kindness. #LeadershipLessons #TaylorSwiftWisdom

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Self-awareness is Your Best Friend

In  “AntiHero,” we reexamined the importance of self-awareness. Acknowledging our own mistakes isn’t just brave, it’s essential. It sets the stage for genuine growth and learning, and hey, it shows everyone we’re human too. I had a chandelier hanging in my principal’s office. I’m not scary…come talk to me!

Embrace your inner AntiHero in leadership—acknowledging your flaws is the first step to greatness. #SelfAwareness #GrowthMindset

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You Do You

“You’re on Your Own, Kid” gave us a reason to toe tap to sing about embracing our individual journeys. Leadership can feel like a solo act, but every challenge we face tunes our skills and sharpens our resolve. It’s about owning your story and rocking it, even when the going gets tough. Realizing that everyone has struggles, hits rough waters, or questions their decisions isn’t a bad thing… it’s the actual thing we are doing…leading.

You’re on your own, kid, but that’s exactly where you need to be. Every challenge tunes your leadership skills. #Resilience #EducationLeaders

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Criticism? Shake It Off

Finally, “Ours” reminded us that criticism comes with the territory.

Like T-Swift, we’ve got to shake off the haters and focus on what matters—our people.

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Protecting your team from the noise and focusing on the kids is what leadership looks like in action.

 

This ends my series. Although, with the #TTPD release, I sure could keep going! (I can do it with a broken heart?? Enneagram three’s everywhere are bopping along to that one!!)  Whether you’re facing the thunderous applause of success or the eerie quiet of challenges, remember that your leadership style is your signature—unique, impactful, and wonderfully yours.

Leadership is like songwriting—it’s not just about hitting the right notes, it’s also about touching hearts. #LeadWithAppreciation

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Thank you for tuning in, sharing your thoughts, and dancing along through this with me. It’s been fun!

Shaking a sequin Swift skirt &

 

Leadership Lessons from Lyrics: You’re on Your Own, Kid…no, really. You totally are.

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In the series “Leadership Lessons from Lyrics,” this is week three comparing Tswift lyrics and the ever-shifting world of educational leadership…or at least, in the ways I’ve experienced it.

Today’s lyric resonates personally, painfully, but also highlights the rewards of leading. These lyrics suggest a journey of self-discovery and resilience that are more relatable than you might think. The gem of greatness that is “You’re on Your Own, Kid” ends with the following:

‘Cause there were pages turned with the bridges burnedEverything you lose is a step you takeSo make the friendship braceletsTake the moment and taste itYou’ve got no reason to be afraid
You’re on your own, kidYeah, you can face thisYou’re on your own, kidYou always have been

Change is hard, even good change.

Pages turned, with bridges burned. I often marvel (spiral?) at how I spent almost 6 years with 75+ staff members…and almost all of them are people I will never talk to or see again. Isn’t that a crazy thought? When making a change, especially as dramatic of one as I did when I left in 2020, relationships naturally evolve. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, the regular interactions we once held so tightly can trickle down to a stop, leading paths to diverge. This isn’t a reflection of failure or a reason for regret but a part of the natural ebb and flow of professional relationships. (Amber, reread that sentence as often as you need to.) As we grow and change, so do our connections with others. Recognizing and accepting these changes with grace is essential for personal growth but also allows us to cherish the times of close relationships and learn from each phase of our relationships. Those relationships are the pages turned.

Everything you lose is a step you take.

Every loss or shift away from the familiar is a step forward in our professional growth. From classroom to coach to assistant principal or whatever the next rung up the ladder might be…relationships change. I often say that as principal my jokes were always funny and my outfits were always cute. Your position, once you’ve started to advance, will always precede your person.

Sacrificing the ability to be off the cuff or to speak without thinking is one of the things you lose as you take those steps “up”. One of my favorite Todd Whitaker conversations was about transparent leadership, and how even if people think they want to know everything, there’s a reason they don’t.

The easy answers were answered before the questions made their way to your desk.

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So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it.

Enjoy where you are, because someday you’ll look back and think…man, that went by fast. Leaders embrace building and nurturing relationships. Through the decades we do this, the bonds we create, the memories we make, with our campuses, our students, and their families, are the bright and shiny friendship bracelets we hold onto. Whether it be from a Facebook memory, or a framed picture that hangs on your wall, those “beads” serve as the memories of the special moments you’d had together. These connections are not just professional necessities but are the actual reason this hard work is so worth it. Reminders of the path we’ve taken to get there. Each time I reshare or click “Love” in appreciation of a memory shared, I mentally have to shake off the “Gosh, can’t she just move on?” guilt I mentally assign the action…but that’s just me, taking the moment.

You’ve got no reason to be afraid, you’re on your own, kid.

While educational leaders work closely with others, there are moments when even the most collaborative can feel isolated and alone. I wonder, though, if our lived experiences shape our perspectives in such a way that, fundamentally, we are always on our own as individuals. A coworker and I had this conversation this week about athletes and records being “broken”, and the caveat of the “yeah, but back in my day…” that usually follows that celebration.

We may all be doing the same jobs, but nobody else has done it just the way you’re doing it.

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I can’t relate to principals now, I haven’t led a campus dealing with the budget shortfalls or teacher shortage that’s happening right now. Every campus is different, has its history, and has its own “white fences”. Advice shared or given, ultimately, can be met with “but you don’t know my people.” Hopefully, these lyrics remind us that even when the journey feels solitary, our inner strength and capabilities are enough to meet these challenges. That’s why you are where you are…because YOU can handle it.

Leadership is not just about guiding others but also about continuously evolving as individuals. Each challenge we face, and each decision we make, shapes us into more capable and understanding leaders. Remember, every bridge burned and every page turned invites fresh opportunities to write our own stories. Be confident that while the journey may often be solo and feel even solo-er, it is uniquely yours—a tribute to your ability to adapt and thrive.

Keep moving forward friends, with courage, for in leadership like in life, we learn from the journey than we do the destination.

Humming along &

Embracing Humility: Learning from Unexpected Sources

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When I talk about this space and what I share, I am always quick to mention that it is primarily a place where I share what I got wrong and my reflections on the experience in hopes that others could learn from it.

I’ve even blogged about my lack of experience in new professional settings…especially that first year, all the things I got wrong…or this gem from 2017 (lil’baby leader Amber!)

I was reminded this past week, even in all my glorious middle ageness that I STILL have so much to learn and how open I need to be to the possibility of just being…wrong. I had the opportunity to be the opening keynote for an Opal EdTech/EduAcademic event that was held in Orlando. Orlando…where I can get a DOLE WHIP? In.

Orlando is also where one George Couros lives. George often refers to himself as my big brother in this edtech/leadership space. 13 years ago we connected and it has been years of banter, fights, and political punches. I adore his family and he has been a huge cheerleader for my beast in her early education endeavors.

George is also the person (other than MT) whose feedback I am most sensitive/resistant to. I, of course, blame him because of his directness and lack of empathy when delivering any of his hot sports opinions on what I’ve shared or written.

So when he asked if he could come to hear me speak, I immediately said no.

I was ADAMANT that any feedback he was going to give me would be hypercritical and it would make me so self-conscious…why would I want to invite that panic into my head? George speaks to massive audiences ALL the time, literally, weekly…I do it 4-5 times a year. I didn’t want to hear how…not George…+ I was. Of course, I caved, and “allowed” him to come.
Thankfully, the evening went well and I didn’t fall down. 🙂

Ya’ll. His feedback was sincere, purposeful, and beneficial. The suggestions he provided, which were about what I could have further emphasized or made more impactful, proved to be incredibly helpful. The way he recommended connecting with the audience at the end will genuinely change how I close moving forward.

All that to say…man, was I wrong…AGAIN.

(which is just so annoying! That makes George right…again.)

What is the resistance to being better? How big is my ego that I can’t accept hearing what could potentially be true and helpful, just b/c I am scared of it being critical? How often do I miss an opportunity to be better… just because?

Why do I resist having confidence not in my knowledge, but in my ability to learn? 

One of my purposes in education is to help others be more than they think they already are, and sometimes that means DIRECT FEEDBACK. And yet…am I willing? Do I come across as willing?

Such the hypocrite I can be…

George wrote a fantastic blog about the ability to soak up the greatness of those around you. Give it a read. Don’t be like me, be open to hearing how you could be better …even if it’s not delivered in a pretty complimentary package with a bow. 😉

I hope you have people in your life who challenge you, not for the sake of them being right, but for the sake of making you better. And may you always be willing to let them.

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Begrudgingly better &

Amber