Front Row Seat with Ken Coleman What Great Leaders Do When No One Is Watching (with Zac Bauermaster)
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Mar 3, 2026 Zac Bauermaster, a school principal known for people-first leadership, shares practical approaches to protect energy and build trusting school cultures. He talks about slowing down to lead better. He describes daily rhythms, preventing burnout, and ways to stay visible and compassionate with staff and students.
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Principal's Panic Attack Changed His Leadership
- Zac Bauermaster passed out during a seventh-grade team meeting from a panic attack and hid his anxiety for months.
- Telling his principal and entering community transformed his leadership and made him more empathetic toward staff and students.
Grandfather's Car Lesson About The Inside
- Zac's grandfather inspected a clean car and found an empty water bottle, teaching him to care for the inside as well as the outside.
- He applies the lesson to mental health: outward success can hide inner neglect until it breaks down.
Healthy People Matter More Than Systems
- Prioritize 'healthy people' over processes to prevent burnout and create sustainable culture.
- Zac makes faculty meetings focus on wellbeing and models care so teachers can lead better at home and at school.