{"podcast":{"title":"Leaning into Leadership","slug":"leaning-into-leadership-4658926","podcast_index_feed_id":4658926,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/leaning-into-leadership/","website_url":"https://leaning-into-leadership.captivate.fm","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/26612668-4329-493a-9769-3d139ea604b8/oY99Rab2W7NdcuUukmAYxLbN.jpg","author":"Darrin Peppard","episode_count":302,"summary":"We all want to see successes in both our personal and professional lives. Often, that requires strong leadership. In a time when leadership can be more challenging than ever, this podcast is dedicated to cultivating leaders by elevating the voices of leaders and promoting positivity. Join Dr. Darrin Peppard, lifelong educator and best-selling author, for this mixed platform podcast (some solo, some guest interview) for inspiration and insight, and some great leadership stories from those are living it, excelling at it, and celebrating it. Together, let's lean into leadership.","last_synced_at":"2026-09-27T16:17:33.437833+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/leaning-into-leadership-4658926"},"episode":{"title":"Episode 290: Before Staff Returns","slug":"episode-290-before-staff-returns","published_at":"2026-07-26T11:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/leaning-into-leadership-4658926/episode-290-before-staff-returns","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/leaning-into-leadership-4658926","url":"https://leaning-into-leadership.captivate.fm/episode/episode-290-before-staff-returns","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/357acece-061f-42cd-9d81-4e2ca5ece459.mp3","summary":"As another school year begins, principals across the country are busy preparing classrooms, finalizing schedules, reviewing procedures, and checking countless items off their opening-week to-do lists. But what if the most important preparation has nothing to do with the building? In this solo episode, Dr. Darrin Peppard challenges school leaders to stop asking, \"Is the school ready?\" and begin asking, \"Am I ready?\" Drawing from his own experiences as a principal, superintendent, and leadership coach, Darrin shares five commitments that will help leaders prepare themselves before they prepare everyone else. Rather than offering another opening-week checklist, this conversation focuses on the mindset, habits, and intentional leadership practices that shape school culture throughout the entire year. In this episode, you'll discover: Why preparing yourself matters more than preparing the building How to identify the three priorities that should drive your leadership Why leadership team alignment creates consistency and trust How to design opening experiences that inspire teachers instead of overwhelming them Practical strategies to protect your calendar from the \"cycle of chaos\" Why your presence during difficult moments shapes culture more than your plans Three reflection questions every principal should answer before staff returns Whether you're entering your first year as a principal or your twentieth, this episode will help you begin the school year with greater clarity, intentionality, and purpose. Key Takeaway: \"You are not preparing the building. You are preparing yourself and your leadership team to lead the people who will make the building successful.\" Resources & Links • Learn more about Road to Awesome • Connect with Dr. Darrin Peppard on LinkedIn Sponsor S…","meta_description":"As another school year begins, principals across the country are busy preparing classrooms, finalizing schedules, reviewing procedures, and checking count…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2256,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/leaning-into-leadership-4658926/episodes/episode-290-before-staff-returns/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/leaning-into-leadership-4658926/episode-290-before-staff-returns.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}