Some days the school runs you. Reaction mode is familiar territory for most principals.
But reaction mode is a choice.
Selfmentorship is the reframe that changes that.
First time reading? Sign up here and join {{active_subscriber_count}} Ruckus Makers Doing Do School Different 🎉
OFF CAMPUS
🎙 Why Most Principals Stay Stuck, and how to change it
👌 The Perfect Principal Entry Plan: Build Leadership Momentum (Part 1 of 6)
🎢 The Complexity Gap, and what you can do about it
😣 Ed-leadership, or ed-followership?
A MESSAGE FROM ODP BUSINSESS SOLUTIONS®
Why SEL Fails (and How to Fix It)
Teachers believe in SEL. Students need SEL.
But time, training, and tools keep getting in the way.
ODP Business Solutions® outlines 4 actionable shifts schools can make to implement SEL with clarity — without overwhelming staff or sidelining academics. Think structure, tech, space, and leadership alignment.
DO SCHOOL DIFFERENT
From Reactive to Proactive: The Selfmentorship Shift
A recent coaching conversation surfaced something that really stuck with me.
A new Ruckus Maker described their days a little like riding a bike, only the bike is on fire, they're on fire, everything is on fire.
Sound familiar?
It’s the reality for a lot of principals, and that default is reaction mode.
But reaction mode feels crummy.
Someone walks in your office, you react.
A parent calls, you jump and pick up.
A crisis lands, you handle it.
When the day moves at warp speed, you tend to move with it.
And then you look up at 4pm and wonder what actually got done.
That's survival mode.
Selfmentorship is the reframe.
It starts with awareness and noticing that you're in reaction mode in the first place.
Most leaders skip this step entirely.
They're too busy reacting to notice they're reacting.
But awareness creates a gap.
And in that gap lies agency and an opportunity to choose your response.
Intentional leaders use the gap to build structures to keep out of the fire and doing work that directly influences student learning.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Protect your first 30 minutes. Before the building flares up, do one thing that moves your most important work forward. Guard that time like it's sacred — because it is. In the Mastermind, we call that One Big Thing.
Create a not-now list. Instead of saying yes reflexively, put it in the parking lot. Most urgent requests can wait. A not-now list lets you honour the ask without derailing your day.
End with a reset. A five-minute end-of-day review of what happened and what's next keeps tomorrow from starting in the weeds.
Name your reactive triggers. Know what pulls you off course. The walk-in that can't wait. The email you answer immediately. Awareness of your patterns is the first step to changing them.
Leaders who Do School Different are building a legacy, one solid system at a time.
This is where a tool like Digital Danny comes in.
Think of it as a thought partner available any time you need to process, plan, and get back in the driver's seat without waiting for your next coaching call.
Proactive leadership is a practise.
And selfmentorship is how you build it — one intentional choice at a time.
Ready to stop riding the burning bike?
TIP OF THE WEEK
Digital Danny on Tour
I recently had the good fortune to do instructional rounds at some schools in Hong Kong. During a break for lunch I pulled out my phone to ask Chat GPT for a recommendation, and got the following response:
Right. Hong Kong. Got it.
ChatGPT tapped out.
I jumped over to Google Maps and went on with my day.
I opened Digital Danny later in the day to riff on my 90 day framework and got an instant response.
Digital Danny didn't even flinch.
Turns out your pocket coach even works in China!
Whether you're in a staff meeting in Milwaukee or on a hiking trail in Hong Kong, Digital Danny is ready to think leadership with you.
Want a mentor in your pocket that actually shows up?
SUNDAY VIBES
CLASS DISMISSED
Whenever you are ready, here are 3 ways we can help you on your Selfmentorship journey:
If your campus runs you instead of you running it, meet Digital Danny — your 24/7 Ruckus Maker coach. Start here.
Experience weekly coaching and peer mentorship. Surround yourself with other Ruckus Makers in the mastermind. Apply here.
Keep Making a Ruckus,
PS … 26 things I’d tell my younger self
How did you like today's newsletter?
