Changemaker ED"U" Podcast

The person you have been waiting for is you. What a simple concept. And yet it becomes so complicated because we have been taught that the answers are on the outside. How many times have we been told to go find a leader to follow or to listen to what the teacher says? I am here to reassure you that there is no right or wrong way. Life just happens. But the person you have been waiting for is you. I am taking the motivational leader rhetoric much deeper. Your truth, deepest truth and source is within you. When you tap into that, it is very hard to listen to what people on the outside are telling you. It takes courage and time to trust yourself. However, act on some of the messages you are receiving. Take the risk; be the warrior. Let’s see what happens.

I have been in the education field for over 20 years wearing the hat as a teacher, principal, executive director, assistant superintendent in private, public, traditional and charter schools, but today I want to talk about the future of education as a Dad. At this time, when schools across the country and globe are closed, my children, my daughter (6) and my son (9), have helped me see what the future of education could look like. When everything shifted, my children wanted to follow the schedule -- put in place by their teachers at the school I created-- but soon a new routine began to unfold. My daughter got into baking with my wife which sparked conversations about math and science. And now, our school days include a self-created schedule --within boundaries that have been set-- where the kids get to do what is interesting to them. Let me tell you, they are fully alive! We built a system that we don’t need anymore. Our kids are creative, curious, full of love, intuitive and we need an education system that is project-based and autonomous, where kids have the ability to trust their inner guidance. To you parents, approach learning as every second of everyday, and think of how learning can be a part of every conversation. Let’s co-create this beautiful future.

We are at a monumental shift. The world has slowed down; we’re in a human rights movement and it is time to let go of the old hierarchical, linear way to lead. The world needs conscious leadership now. It is time to get to the heart of the matter, heart, not the mind of the matter. We can do this with adaptability and surrendered action. Let’s take this moment to connect, trust and act. I understand the fear, trust me, but there is no time to wait. Life takes off on the other side of fear. The world needs conscious leadership now and this is our moment. I am pumped for the people I’m attracting into my space right now and let’s act together to show up and be our best selves.

As the world comes to a pause, I keep hearing the phrase, “I can’t wait to get back to normal.” Before we wish to return to the days of outsourcing our kids for 8 hours a day, rushing from place to place, and feeling disconnected and exhausted, let’s think about how we can create a new normal moving forward. I recognize that this is a time of fear and distress but let’s transmute our fear into love and begin to serve. What are you going to create and how are you going to serve in this new world we now inhabit? I am creating Heart of the Matter, Leading a Conscious Way Forward to reform the archaic education system and to help bring forward a new wave of conscious leaders. I am grateful I have the opportunity to be me and to serve; let’s create visions out of abundance and opportunity and leave our fear behind.

We are all born with a strong intuition. But at around 7 years old, we begin to lose this and start becoming conditioned to the outside world telling us what is right or wrong, good or bad. Today, I discuss the basics of following your intuition as a leader. Launching this podcast brings me right back to being 8 years old and knowing I wanted to be some sort of host. At that time, I wanted to be a gameshow host, but as people around me said to choose something realistic, my dreams faded. I dug into my intuition and I am back, not as a gameshow host, but as a podcast host, to help leaders find their intuition. Listening to your intuition is like growing a muscle, all it takes is practice and determination. This week I ask you to think about a time you had an intuitive feeling and deconstruct what happened. Did you follow it? Why or why not? You already have intuition within you and if you slow things down, you can find the answers and the way to be.

It is time to deconstruct the leadership systems that we have all been taught. We need to dismantle hierarchical leadership models and incorporate self-management into our new systems and structures. In this episode, I explain 3 old leadership beliefs – 1. Good leadership shows no weakness. 2 Leadership must be designed as a hierarchy. 3. Profits or results are more important than people. – and discuss how to deconstruct our own beliefs to become the leaders we need for the future.

Today we are throwing the old leader stereotypes - masculine, fierce, strong - out the window and shifting our mindset to the types of leaders our world needs now- teachers, coaches, empaths, you! Right now you are the natural leader our future needs. And yes, you are a leader. We all are leaders. I have prepared a worksheet for you to fill out as you listen along. You are going to focus on your superpower, silence your inner critic and hone in on how to leverage your skill so that it is effective in all aspects of your life.