She snapped at the custodian (and then told her staff) ...

Maria spent Tuesday defending her dress code decision to an angry parent.

By lunch, she was in a budget meeting justifying her plan to update classroom technology.

At 2:47pm, she snapped at Miguel, her head custodian, for leaving a cart in the hallway.

Miguel just nodded and moved the cart.

But Maria couldn't stop thinking about it.

On her drive home, she realized: She'd spent all day protecting her image. Proving she was right. Defending every decision.

Her ego was running the building.

The next morning, she found Miguel. Apologized. And asked what he needed to do his job better.

Then at the next staff meeting, Maria told the exact story of her leadership failure.

She didn't lecture about servant leadership or quote Brené Brown.

She just told the truth about snapping at Miguel.

Three teachers came up to her afterward. One cried. Another said, "I needed to hear that."

That's when Maria realized: The story did more in 90 seconds than three years of staff meeting slides ever did.

This also applies to you.

If you've ever stood in front of your staff and felt like you were talking to a wall, you don't need better data or clearer directives.

You need better stories.

Stories move people. Bullet points don't.

And the good news? There's a simple framework for crafting stories that connect emotionally and inspire action … even if you're not a "natural storyteller."

Starting on October 9, I'm teaching this framework to a small group of school leaders.

If you want to learn how you can turn moments into a stories that change your staff culture, hit REPLY and write one word: STORY

I'll send you the details.

Keep Making a Ruckus,

Danny