Are you playing a game you never agreed to?

OFF CAMPUS

• ✏️ Student Design: Casey Wright joins me on the pod to discuss what he learned from his HS students when redesigning his campus.

• 🏈 3 games: Football is back and so is the school year. Every principal reading these words is playing one of three games: 1) the district game, 2) the comparison game, or 3) your game. Which one are you playing?

• 🏆 You Winning or Losing? This is actually one of the favorite things I’ve written in a while — The Great School Leadership Game. Give it a read and drop a comment if you resonated with the post.

• 🍿Watch this space: I give a ten minute overview of the Play Your Game program starting this week. Are you in?

• 💻 Zooming in Teachers: Here is how one district is solving for a shortage of teachers. There move is drawing criticism and praise. What do you think?

DO SCHOOL DIFFERENT

Stop Playing Someone Else's Game: The Hidden Cost of Following the Playbook

What keeps you up at night? For me, it’s this question 👇

How many brilliant school leaders are burning out because they're playing a game with rules they never agreed to?

You know the game.

The one where "good" principals follow the district playbook without question. Where innovation gets labeled as "disruption" (and not the good kind). Where your biggest wins go unnoticed, but your smallest missteps end up in emails marked "per my last message."

Sound familiar?

The Hidden Cost of Playing It Safe

Most principals I coach tell me the same story — at least at the beginning of our coaching relationship …

They got into education to transform lives, not to manage compliance spreadsheets. Yet somewhere between orientation and their third year in the role, they started playing someone else's game.

The result? 53% of students are disengaged from school (according to a Gallup poll of 5 million students). Meanwhile, their leaders are just as checked out — following procedures that produce predictable mediocrity instead of the transformational experiences they originally envisioned.

But here's what Play-It-Safe-Principals don't realize:

When you follow someone else's playbook, you're not just limiting your impact … you're teaching your students that conformity matters more than innovation.

What It Means to Play Your Own Game

Playing your own game doesn't mean being reckless or ignoring accountability.

It means becoming the author of your leadership story instead of just the implementer of someone else's vision.

Ruckus Makers who play their own game share three critical characteristics:

1. They Define Their Own Rules

Instead of defaulting to "how we've always done it," they create 3 core leadership principles that guide every decision. These become their compass when the inevitable chaos hits.

2. They Design, Don't Just Implement

Rather than waiting for the district to hand them a new initiative, they're actively reimagining what school could look like. They ask better questions: "What if students were excited to show up? What if teachers saw challenges as opportunities?"

3. They Build Systems That Fuel Energy, Not Drain It

The best Ruckus Makers understand that sustainable leadership isn't about working harder —it's about aligning your personal values with your professional practices so your work energizes you instead of exhausting you.

The August Opportunity

Here's the thing about playing your own game: You can't just decide to do it mid-chaos.

You need intentional time to step back, assess what's actually working, and design a leadership operating system that's authentically yours.

That's why we created something different. A brand new program never offered to Ruckus Makers before.

Starting August 14th, I'm piloting an exclusive 8-week leadership reset called Play Your Game. It's specifically designed for visionary school leaders who are tired of following someone else's playbook and ready to author their own.

Over eight weeks, we'll help you:

• Conduct a strategic "Lead Domino Reset" to identify where your energy creates the biggest impact.

• Define your personal leadership rules (the 3 non-negotiables that guide every decision).

• Design shifts on your campus worth rallying around.

• Build weekly rhythms that keep you aligned without adding to your already full plate.

The Real Question

The traditional education system rewards conformity. But your students don't need another administrator who colors inside the lines.

They need a leader who's brave enough to reimagine what's possible.

So here's my challenge: If you could design your leadership from scratch — no district mandates, no inherited "that's how we do things here" policies — what would it look like?

Because that vision? That's your game to play.

TIP OF THE WEEK

5 Ways to Start Playing Your Own Game Right Now

Tired of following someone else's playbook?

Here's how to start leading on your terms today:

1. Define Your 3 Leadership Rules Write down the 3 non-negotiables that guide every decision. Mine? Students first, community over compliance, innovation over comfort.

2. Audit Your Calendar What takes up most of your time? If it's not moving your vision forward, delegate it or delete it.

3. Ask Different Questions Stop asking "What does the district want?" Start asking "What do our students need to thrive?"

4. Create One Campus Signature Pick one thing that makes your school unmistakably yours. A morning ritual? Innovative learning spaces? Own it.

5. Build Your Ruckus Maker Network Surround yourself with leaders who challenge the status quo. Energy is contagious—choose wisely.

ALBA

Hit reply and caption this Alba picture. Winner will get one free on-demand course in The Ruckus Maker Club. Winner announced next week.