Stop reading leadership books (brutal truth inside)

OFF CAMPUS

• 🏆 All I do is win: This week’s pod is a conversation with Veronica Holyoke — last year’s AP of the Year in Utah. I stopped counting (but not celebrating) all the AP and Principals of the year in the mastermind. There’s so much winning in our community, I’m reminded of the 90s Bulls. Listen here.

• ⚖️ Is balance possible? Not if you don’t use the Lead Domino assessment. All our members in the mastermind will complete this tool prepping for next year. It’s now available to you as well here.

• 📚My next book: Chapters 1-6 are now available in the First in Line section of Ruckus Makers. I’m writing a leadership fable and would love to know what you think. Leave a comment after diving in.

• 🤣 Random: Use this simple prompt and see what you get. Here’s what I got lol.

DO SCHOOL DIFFERENT

Stop Reading. Start Leading.

The brutal truth about your leadership book addiction

You've got a shelf full of leadership books, a folder of saved podcast episodes, and conference notes scattered across three different notebooks.

Yet you're still fighting the same battles you were fighting years ago.

Your calendar is chaos.

Your inbox owns you.

And that "transformational initiative" you planned?

Still sitting in your someday-maybe pile.

Here's what nobody tells you: You don't have a knowledge problem. You have an execution problem.

The Learning Trap That's Killing Your Leadership

Most principals treat professional development like a Netflix binge session. Always consuming. Never applying.

The dirty secret? It feels safer to learn than to lead.

Because when you learn, you can't fail.

When you apply, you might fall flat on your face in front of your entire staff.

But here's the thing: The best Ruckus Makers aren't the ones who know the most theories. They're the ones who implement the most experiments.

The Real Reason You're Stuck

You think you need more strategies. More frameworks. More "research-based best practices."

What you actually need is one strategy implemented consistently for 90 days.

That's it.

Not seven new initiatives. Not a complete organizational overhaul. Just one focused experiment that moves the needle.

The Ruckus Maker Implementation System

Ready to stop being a professional development tourist and start being a practitioner?

Here's how:

Step 1: The Monday Momentum Check

Every Monday morning, ask yourself one question: "What's the ONE thing I can do this week that will create visible change on my campus?"

Not three things. Not five things. One thing.

Step 2: The Friday Reality Audit

Every Friday afternoon, brutal honesty time:

• Did I honor my Monday commitment?

• What got in the way?

• What will I adjust for next week?

Step 3: The 90-Day Experiment Rule

Pick ONE leadership principle from all those books you've read. Apply it for 90 days. Track the results.

Then (and only then) add something new.

From Inspiration Junkie to Impact Maker

Look, I get it.

Learning is addictive. Those "aha moments" feel incredible. The conference high is real.

But your students don't need you to be inspired. They need you to be effective.

Your teachers don't need you to quote Simon Sinek. They need you to create the conditions where they can do their best work.

Your community doesn't need you to sound smart in board meetings. They need you to build a school worth bragging about.

The Choice Every Leader Faces

You can keep collecting insights. Keep highlighting quotes. Keep feeling busy while staying stuck.

Or you can choose traction over theory.

Implementation over information.

Results over recognition.

The choice is yours. But remember: Every day you spend consuming instead of creating is another day your campus stays exactly where it is.

Your Implementation Challenge

Starting Monday:

1. Pick ONE insight from your leadership library.

2. Design ONE small experiment to test it.

3. Track ONE simple metric to measure progress.

4. Run it for ONE week before evaluating.

That's it.

No massive overhaul. No complex implementation plan. Just one small experiment that could spark the transformation your campus has been waiting for.

You didn't become a principal to maintain the status quo. You became one to make a ruckus.

Time to stop learning about leadership and start doing it.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Here's what 60 principals discovered last year when they stopped reading about leadership and started practicing it with other Ruckus Makers:

Demetrius (Principal): I used to lead alone. Now I’ve got a circle of world-class principals in my corner — and I don’t think I’d be Principal of the Year without the Ruckus Maker Mastermind.

Lynn (Principal): I used to think leadership meant having all the answers — until I joined the Ruckus Maker community. Now I lead with connection, courage, and a crew of global peers who always have my back.

Kelynn (Principal): I was stuck and searching for what’s next — now I’m stepping into my first principalship with clarity, confidence, and a global community that always has my back. Working with Danny and the Ruckus Makers helped me reconnect with my purpose and prepare for the next level of leadership.

These principals had a leadership edge

They joined The Ruckus Maker Mastermind — where visionary principals meet weekly to solve their biggest challenges with peers who actually understand the unique pressures of school leadership.

No more learning in isolation. No more implementing alone. No more hoping your next conference will finally give you the breakthrough you need. We create breakthroughs each week.

Here's exactly what happens: Every week, you bring your most pressing challenge to a group of principals who are actively transforming their schools. You leave with a concrete action plan, tested by leaders just like you, ready to implement in a day or so.

Why this works when everything else fails:

• Peer mentorship from active principals (not retired consultants reading from outdated playbooks)

• Weekly accountability that ensures you actually implement instead of just consume

• Real-time problem solving for the challenges you're facing this week, not theoretical scenarios

• Proven frameworks like our 90-Day Entry Plan and Automatic School system

• Limited availability per cohort because breakthrough conversations require trust, vulnerability, and deep relationships you can't build in auditoriums of 500.

Ready to stop going it alone?

We are accepting new members in The Ruckus Maker Mastermind right now.

We have six cohorts:

• Monday at Noon ET and 8:30 pm ET

• Tuesday at 6 and 7:30 pm ET

• Wednesday at 6 and 7:30 pm ET

Experience relevant, responsive, and results-oriented PD.

Convinced you can figure this out on your own? That's exactly what every principal thinks that is stuck or stagnant. The ones who breakthrough? They realize that isolation is the enemy of excellence.

ALBA