The School Leadership Show

Ever since I read her book Every Patient Tells a Story, I have wanted to talk to Dr. Lisa Sanders. Dr. Sanders is a physician, author, and teacher of physicians. Her speciality is what works and what doesn't work in the process of diagnosis. We talk about everything from how the process of diagnosis is like a detective story and how the cognitive biases inherent in the process apply to decision making for school leaders. We get into health, wellness, work-life balance (spinning multiple plates), diet, exercise, burnout, and how to get comfortable with uncertainty. We even talk about Dr. Sanders's favorite and least favorite TV shows about doctors. Enjoy this interview with Dr. Lisa Sanders. Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues. If you'd like help improving your productivity skills, please contact me at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com or on twitter @doughtymike.

If you're like me, you probably get a lot of email, and it's one of the worst parts of your job. If email is the best part of your job, then you need a new job. In this episode Dr. Jeff Cimmerer and I talk about all things email - its history, how people use and misuse it, strategies for managing it, and much more. While email isn't one of those things that's likely to make your career, using email inappropriately could send you into obscurity, or worse, unemployment. You can get control of your email in a positive way and spend more time with your friends and family. It's time to stop letting this "tool" control your life. For more on mastering email consider listening to my interview with Merlin Mann. If you'd like help improving your productivity skills, please contact me at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com or on twitter @doughtymike.

In this episode I interview author, coach, triathlete, and competitive mountain bike rider Selene Yeager. Bicycling Magazine calls her the Fit Chick, and she was a lot of fun to talk to. Selene is a regular contributor to many different fitness magazines on training, nutrition, and injury prevention. I became a big fan when Selene's article Sitting is the New Smoking appeared as the cover story in Runners World in 2013. We talk about how school administrators can combat the health effects of sitting in too many meetings. We also get into strategies for getting yourself to exercise like, "because it feels good, and I enjoy it." Selene shares several of her personal productivity tips and routines as well as the projects she's currently pursuing. We may need to do a part two. To learn more about Selene and her work follow her on twitter @FitChick3 and visit her website: seleneyeager.com/. Enjoy this interview with Selene Yeager.

In this episode I sit down with friend and colleague, Dr. Jeff Cimmerer. Jeff is the Chief Information Officer for a large suburban school district in Upstate New York. He and I have a lively discussion about the horrible presentations we have seen during our time as school leaders. We share a bunch of dos and don'ts about planning, designing, and delivering effective presentations. Don't be one of those school administrators that we talk about for giving bad presentations. You can get better. For more on this topic consider listening to my interviews with Dr. Stephanie Evergreen and Dr. Nick Morgan. If you'd like help improving your presentation skills or would like one of us to come talk to your team, please contact us. You can reach me at mike@schoolleadershipshow.com and Dr. Jeff Cimmerer at drjpc21@gmail.com. Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in itunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues.

In this episode I interview political reporter, television pundit, and author Eleanor Clift. Eleanor is a regular contributor to The Daily Beast and has a long history covering national politics - every presidential election since 1976. Many people know Eleanor as a perennial panelist on the syndicated talk show, "The McLaughlin Group." I started watching "The Group" as a high school student in the early 90s, and I've been a faithful viewer ever since. Eleanor and I talk about writing, communication with new media, what makes a good leader, and the challenges facing K-12 education. She even predicts the candidates and the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. To learn more about Eleanor and her work visit http://www.eleanorclift.com/. Enjoy this interview with Eleanor Clift.

In this episode I interview writer, speaker, and broadcaster Merlin Mann. We talk about managing all of the inputs that come your way. We go into great depth on managing email and working toward what Merlin has coined "inbox zero." We also talk about strategies for managing your time and attention in order to set yourself up for doing your best, most creative work. To learn more about Merlin and his work visit http://www.merlinmann.com/. Enjoy this interview with Merlin Mann. Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in itunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues.

In this episode I interview two fantastic attorneys whom I've known for several years about special education law. Joyce Berkowitz has a practice representing parents, and Dave Oakes works for the Harris Beach Law Firm and represents school districts. Our lively discussion centers on what school administrators need to know about special education law. We get into mistakes to avoid, how to stay current on changes to special education law - if that's even possible, when to call the attorneys, what to expect when the attorneys show up, and where the focus of all this work rightfully should be - on children. Joyce and Dave also share insights about their own personal productivity and setting priorities. To reach Joyce you can Google her name (Joyce B. Berkowitz) or call her at (585) 421-9094. You can learn more about Dave and his work at Harris Beach's website (www.harrisbeach.com). Enjoy this interview with Joyce Berkowitz and Dave Oakes. Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in itunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues.

We all know how to implement, right? It's not as easy as it sounds. In this episode I interview Caryn Ward. Caryn works with the National Implementation Research Network or NIRN (http://nirn.fpg.unc.edu/). She is an expert on implementation science the research that supports it. We talk about the Five Implementation Frameworks, how they apply to education, and what they mean for school leaders, and pitfalls to avoid. Additional information and tools that Caryn mentions in the podcast can be found at The Active Implementation Hub (http://implementation.fpg.unc.edu/). Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in itunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues.

In this episode I interview Professional Office Organizing Consultant Kacy Paide. We talk about how much more productive and focused you can be when your environment is organized. It sounds so simple. Why aren't more of us there already? We get into practical tips, where to start, and mistakes to avoid. Kacy mentioned the following resources during the interview: Evernote software to organize and retrieve your stuff electronically: www.evernote.com Tim Ferriss's blog and podcasts: http://fourhourworkweek.com/ The Pomordo Technique: http://pomodorotechnique.com/ Book recommendation: Hug Your Customers by Jack Mitchell You can learn more about Kacy and her work at www.theinspiredoffice.com. She has a blog and a bunch of great instructional videos. Enjoy this interview with Kacy Paide. Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in itunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues.

In this episode I interview Jenn David-Lang. Jenn produces The Main Idea (http://www.themainidea.net/), a monthly summary of a current education book. Jenn has over 30,000 subscribers and has an incredible perspective on where we've been, where we are, and where we're headed in education. We talk about the importance of building relationships, mistakes for administrators to avoid, tips for personal productivity, and much more. Enjoy this interview with Jenn David-Lang. Send your comments, questions, and show ideas to mike@schoolleadershipshow.com. Consider rating the podcast in iTunes and leaving a comment. And please pass the show along to your colleagues.