What an incredible, deep-dive conversation on the An Imperfect Leader podcast! This week, I turned over the mic to Jamie Almanzan who sat down with his long-time mentor and coaching pioneer, Jim Knight, to talk about what it truly takes to lead and support educators.
If you’ve ever felt the tension between wanting to drive change and wanting to support your team with dignity, this episode is a must-listen.
Some takeaways from their conversation:
1️⃣ Partnership Over Control: Real coaching and leadership aren’t about manipulating or telling teachers what to do. When we treat educators as equal partners with dignity, autonomy, and professional expertise, we create space for meaningful, lasting growth.
2️⃣ Start with Kids, Not Strategies: Instead of picking a strategy and forcing it into the classroom, effective coaching starts by asking, “What change do we want to see in our students?”
3️⃣ Navigating the Valley of Despair: One-off workshops rarely change habits because initial attempts at new practices are almost always clunky. Real change happens when there is follow-up. Having a partner beside you to help guide you out of the “valley of despair” when things don’t go as planned.
🎧 Listen to the full episode now to explore how to lead with intention, curiosity, and grace through organizational change!
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Follow Host Peter Stiepleman on: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-stiepleman-76004819a/ Website: https://imperfectleader.com/
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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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.