🫣 My supervisor used to write me up each week

For two decades I never was disciplined or written up.

Not as a teacher. Not as an AP. Not as a district AVID Coordinator.

Then I became a principal and I was written up every week.

Fun times 😜

Just kidding. It was annoying AF and a waste of time. What it did teach me is that I violated Law #1 of Robert Greene’s 48 Laws of Power.

Law #1 states: Never outshine the master.

Case in point … I was sitting in my principal’s office when my least favorite person in the world showed up (my supervisor).

I braced myself for my weekly torture session.

One of the silliest write ups was when my supervisor quoted me (from my podcast) and told me, “You are not that kind of leader.”

Ouch.

That feedback hurt.

It was also untrue, but it didn’t matter.

It taught me an important lesson …

As a “leader” I am also a “character.”

And as a character, I had stories:

• Origin story

• Pivot stories

• Stakeholder stories

• And more …

These stories inform our communities about who we are and what we believe.

But only if you tell those stories.

The risk (and challenge) is far too common.

Leaders don’t tell their stories. So the story gets told for them.

When stories are told poorly or not told at all, people hear what they want to hear and make up the rest.

That means if you are not in control of the story, the community controls you.

Have you ever thought:

• “That’s not what I meant.”

• “I’m so misunderstood here.”

• “Where did they get that from?”

• “I’m not like that at all.”

• That’s NOT what I meant …”

If you have thought these things before (or something similar), you have a story problem.

One that is easily solved.

You see, I figured out my story problem the hard way … through weekly write-ups and a supervisor who thought she knew me better than I knew myself.

I want you to avoid that.

That’s why I’m so excited to launch The Influence Engine — a brand new, 6-week program on storytelling. Part of what I’ll teach you is the 10 exact stories you need to be telling often.

The program begins this week — October 9!

If you’re ready to define who you are and craft the stories that will serve you well as a leader …

Then hit REPLY to this email and write one word — STORY — and I’ll follow up with the details so you can make a decision this week before we begin.

Keep Making a Ruckus,

Danny

PS … if you have the 10 stories every Ruckus Maker needs to tell dialed in already, this program might not be for you. But if you haven't considered, drafted, and told these stories to your community, you're leaving leadership influence on the table every single day. Join The Influence Engine this week.