Who Are You Bringing With You?

Leading in Education by Lifting Others

If you’re in educational leadership (or aspire to be), remember this: you didn’t get here alone. Someone saw your potential. Someone gave you feedback when you weren’t quite ready. Someone challenged you, mentored you, encouraged you, and showed you what was possible.

It’s your turn.

The work of leadership is not about holding power; it’s about holding space. Space for growth, for voice, for possibility. The people around you, especially those coming up behind you, are on the same path you once walked. You know the obstacles. You know the doubts. You know the breakthroughs. Why not help clear the way?

Leadership as Legacy

When leaders act with intention, humility, and generosity, they not only guide schools but also grow people. They build something that lasts beyond their own tenure.

This matters for everyone. It especially matters for women and others who have had to fight to be seen, heard, and valued. If you've made it this far, your responsibility isn’t just to lead. It’s to reach back, lift up, and pass the torch with grace and clarity.

Who Am I Growing?

Here are a few reflection questions to keep your leadership aligned with growth, for yourself and others:

• Who helped me get to this point? Have I thanked them? Am I paying it forward?

• Who am I mentoring formally or informally?

• Do I model leadership that is inclusive, approachable, and transparent?

• Am I creating space for others to lead?

• Who hasn’t been invited into the conversation yet? Whose leadership might I be overlooking?

• If I left tomorrow, who would be ready to take the work forward?

How to Identify and Coach Emerging Talent

1. Start with Observation and Intention

   1. Look for the quiet leaders, the ones who influence without titles.

   2. Notice who asks good questions, who builds community, and who steps up when no one is watching.

2. Say the Words

   1. “You have leadership potential.”

   2. For someone who’s never heard it, that simple phrase can change everything.

3. Mentor in Small Moments

   1. Share your thought process when making decisions.

   2. Let others shadow you or lead parts of meetings.

   3. Give feedback that grows others.

4. Build Pathways, Not Just Roles

   1. Offer leadership opportunities within committees, curriculum work, and PD facilitation.

   2. Encourage others to pursue certifications, advanced degrees, or stretch assignments.

5. Model Collaboration

   1. A team that grows together performs better than a group of isolated “stars.”

   2. Encourage your staff to build each other up and model that by doing it yourself.

6. Support Women and Underrepresented Voices

   1. Acknowledge the additional challenges many women face in leadership.

   2. Be the leader who says her name in rooms she’s not in. Offer her the mic. Invite her to the table.

You’ve Been There

No matter where you are in your leadership journey, someone else is walking a path you’ve already taken. Be the kind of leader who remembers the feeling of not knowing, not being sure, or not being invited in, and then do something about it.

You’re not above them. You’re just further down the road.

And the best leaders never forget to look back and wave someone forward.

True leaders don’t create followers; they create more leaders.

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