This week on An Imperfect Leader, I had the chance to sit down with Dan James, founder of Story 19 Consulting and a former U.S. Paralympic coach, for a thoughtful conversation about leadership and what he calls the “pursuit of better.”
Here are a few ideas from our conversation that stayed with me:
From Subject Matter Expert to Leader of Scale: Many of us move into leadership because we were strong practitioners. But leading at scale requires a very different skill set. As Dan put it, the craft of being a great teacher is very different from the work of leading an entire school system. .
Clarifying Your Ultimate Impact: Sustaining leadership over time requires something deeper than the job itself. Dan encourages leaders to stay grounded in their why behind the work. One question he asks leaders is simple but profound: What is your ultimate impact in this life?
Measuring the Process, Not Just the Outcome: Growth rarely looks perfect. Dan talked about the importance of accepting “skinned knees” along the way. In his coaching practice, the focus isn’t on perfection, it’s on the pursuit of better.
If you’re thinking about leadership, growth, and staying grounded in purpose, I think you’ll enjoy this one.
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Follow Host Peter Stiepleman on: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-stiepleman-76004819a/ Website: https://imperfectleader.com/
YouTube (video of conversation): https://youtu.be/VkKiXpczSEAhttps://www.youtube.com/@animperfectleaderleadershi5144/featured
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Follow Co-host Jamie Almanzán on:
Connect with APC Leadership Collaborative for support in navigating complex leadership situations: https://www.apccollab.com
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An Imperfect Leader is sponsored by IXL. Boost learning with a platform proven to deliver results. IXL gives educators a complete K–12 curriculum and personalized learning plans that adapt to every student.
Trusted by over 1 million teachers and 96 of the top 100 school districts, IXL helps schools outperform on state tests, and helps teachers focus on what matters most.
IXL: Powerful data. Personalized learning. Real progress.
Discover what IXL can do for your school at IXL.com/imperfect
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An Imperfect Leader is sponsored by Yondr.
Schools around the world are seeing the damaging effects of phones on student engagement, social development, and mental health.
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Go to overyondr.com to learn more.
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The Mosaic Project, one of our favorite organizations, has over 25 years of experience empowering students to celebrate differences, communicate assertively, and resolve conflicts peacefully at their outdoor school. Their innovative SEL curriculum is now available to An Imperfect Leader listeners at a 10% discount through their new documentary film-based Mosaic Classroom Project!
The Project’s ready-to-use lesson plans include film, original music, “gametivities”, and real conversations. We’re proud to partner with The Mosaic Project in helping educators build inclusive, peaceful learning communities! Just mention An Imperfect Leader during the onboarding process to receive the 10% discount.
Learn more about The Mosaic Classroom Project.
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Think differently. Think in systems. Reach out to The Waters Center for Systems Thinking to learn more about how systems thinking capacity building can strengthen your team and organization.
Homepage: http://www.waterscenterst.org
Thinking Tools Studio: https://thinkingtoolsstudio.waterscenterst.org
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An Imperfect Leader: Leadership in (After) Action is supported by ILAA, LLC, a firm dedicated to supporting aspiring, new, and established leaders. For more information, please find them at imperfectleader.com.
Music for An Imperfect Leader was written and arranged by Ian Varley.
Sam Falbo created our artwork, a wood-print inspired daruma doll butterfly.