The Joy Hack for Principals: It’s Called Being Yourself

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THE RUCKUS MAKER MONTHLY THEME: PLAYING YOUR GAME

The Joy Hack for Principals: It’s called being yourself

Somewhere along the way, many school leaders start cosplaying as principal.

We put on the "uniform": the business suit, the professional tone, the urgent email responses.

We hit the right notes, follow the scripts, and check the boxes.

And little by little, we lose sight of the leader we envisioned when we started out in school leadership.

The Cost of the Costume

When you're in "cosplay mode," leadership becomes performance.

You start judging yourself by test scores, following all the rules, and getting through parent meetings without any problems.

You begin disconnecting from what called you to this work in the first place:

• Joy in seeing students grow

• Connection with staff

• Pride in creating a safe, vibrant school culture

But the costume gets heavier with time.

Permission to Lead as Yourself

You can be professional AND be yourself.

Give yourself permission to:

• Lead with your personality, bringing who you really are to your job

• Measure success by how people feel they belong, trust you, and connect with each other, along with those test scores

• Laugh in meetings, smile in hallways, and greet people by name

• Choose to be brave when the rules say to play it safe

When you make this change, something powerful happens.

What We Actually Gain

Too often, leadership reflection becomes a catalog of losses: time, energy, patience.

Today, we flip that script.

When you lead from authenticity, you gain:

• Joy that fuels you

• Purpose that makes hard days worthwhile

• Trust that can't be faked or fast-tracked

• Community that holds together in tough seasons

When enough leaders make this choice, we change the entire landscape.

Redefining the Game

Rethinking school leadership is an act of hope.

You're choosing to believe that a school built on connection and courage will last longer than one run on fear and test scores.

You're daring to imagine a school where joy counts as real success — where every student, teacher, and family feels that joy every day.

The Invitation

You don't need permission to take off the costume. You already have the authority to lead as yourself.

When you do, you reclaim your leadership identity. You reclaim your energy, your joy, and your reason for saying "yes" to this work.

That's good for you.

And it's good for everyone who walks through your school doors.