The 90 Days That Make or Break Your Leadership Legacy

OFF CAMPUS

• 🎧 Permission to Lead: Will Parker joined me on the pod to discuss his new book — Whose Permission Are You Waiting For? Watch or Listen here.

• 📌 Educator Essentials: This thread on Reddit is a discussion of what teachers consider “must haves” … a Ruckus Maker would read this list and consider how they might “surprise and delight” their staff with some of these items.

• 👩‍🏫 Land the job: My video “7 School Administrator Interview Tips” has over 28K views and will help you stand out when interviewing. Make sure you subscribe to the channel too — I have a lot of content planned for this school year.

• 🤖 Is Your Campus AI Ready? This short quiz will tell you. Whether you are a novice or well versed with AI, you’ll get personalized prompts and next steps.

• 📆 Start the year with better boundaries: The Boundary Setting Blueprint is a FREE email education course. Over a week you’ll get one email a day — covering the 5 most common mistakes school leaders make — when it comes to setting (and honoring) your boundaries. Essential reading for starting the year strong. Take the course here.

The Most Overlooked 90 Days in School Leadership

Most principals start strong… and still end up in survival mode.

They read the handbook. Shake all the hands. Update the mission statement. Then dive headfirst into operations like a lifeguard at a summer pool party.

And by October?

They’re exhausted. Reactive. Drowning in logistics and district demands.

Here’s the truth no one told you:

You don’t build momentum by putting out fires. You build it by igniting something deeper.

• That’s why the first 90 days aren’t about doing more. They’re about starting with the right things.

• The mistake? Most plans begin with operations. Schedules. Bells. Buses.

• The better move? Flip the script — start with you, then build outward.

The “Upside-Down” Entry Plan

The most effective leaders I work with all follow the same 5-part order:

1. Self – Your energy is your edge. Without boundaries and clarity, you burn out.

2. Communication Systems – Before you lead change, you need a signal tower.

3. Academic Focus – What are the 1–2 needle movers that really matter?

4. Culture – What will it feel like to walk into your building?

5. Operations – Once your vision is clear, the logistics align.

When you follow this order, something clicks.

Decisions get easier. Your team aligns faster. And most importantly — you build momentum that lasts beyond the honeymoon phase.

I cover this content in great depth in my bestselling book: Build Leadership Momentum: How to Create the Perfect Principal Entry Plan.

3 Moves You Can Make This Week

Want to test this approach before building your full entry plan? Try these:

1. Write Your "Day 91" Journal Entry

Imagine it’s Day 91 of the school year. What has happened that makes you feel proud, energized, and in flow?

📌 This re-centers your goals on outcomes, not busyness.

2. Create Your Personal Leadership Rules

Draft 3–5 rules to protect your time and energy. (Examples: “I don’t check email before 10 a.m.” or “My door stays closed during focus blocks.”)

📌 This activates the ‘Self’ domain of the plan and sets your tone.

3. Ask: What Signal Am I Sending?

Audit one piece of your communication (email, meeting, announcement). Is it clear? Inspiring? Worth responding to?

📌 Great communication is more than clarity — it’s alignment.

Your Challenge

Most entry plans are built like a school calendar (packed, chaotic, and reactive).

What if yours was designed like a great story instead?

Start with you, then set the stage for transformation.

👊 What would it look like to design your first 90 days to energize you rather than drain you?

Ready to Build Yours?

📘 Grab my book: Build Leadership Momentum: How to Create the Perfect Principal Entry Plan

It walks you through every phase of the upside-down framework — with tools and prompts to design your first 90 days like a pro.

🤖 Want feedback on your plan? Try the custom gpt here.

Paid members of Ruckus Makers on Substack get access to a custom-built GPT that reads your entry plan and gives smart, personalized feedback in seconds.

Make the next 90 days count. Your school deserves a plan worth following.

ALBA