Veronica Holyoke on Breaking the Myth of Solitary Leadership

Quick take

The "lone wolf" leader is a toxic myth that's burning out school administrators and failing students. Veronica Holyoke proves that transformational leadership happens in community, not isolation — and one hour a week can change everything.

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🏴‍☠️ BREAKING DOWN THE OLD RULES

In this episode, Veronica Holyoke challenges traditional education paradigms:

Key Insight #1: Imposter Syndrome Isn't Permanent

• What's broken: Leaders believing they must have all the answers and can't show vulnerability or uncertainty

• The shift: Embrace community support where every voice matters, regardless of title or experience level

• Impact: Confidence grows, authentic leadership emerges, and the toxic cycle of isolation breaks

Key Insight #2: Weekly Support Beats Yearly Burnout

• What's broken: The expectation that school leaders should figure everything out alone while pouring into everyone else

• The shift: Prioritize one hour per week for consistent community support and professional growth

• Impact: Leaders go to bed happier every Tuesday, face challenges with renewed energy, and sustain their passion for the work

Key Insight #3: Personal Growth Drives Professional Excellence

• What's broken: Separating personal wellness from professional performance, leading to unsustainable leadership practices

• The shift: Invest in whole-person support that addresses both home and work challenges

• Impact: When leaders are cared for, they can better care for staff and students — creating award-winning school cultures

✌️ YOUR DO SCHOOL DIFFERENT CHALLENGE

Ready to implement these ideas? Start here:

1. Tomorrow: Make a list of things you do weekly to "fill your bucket" — where does community support rank?

2. This Month: Find one hour per week to connect with other leaders outside your system for growth and support

3. This Semester: Build or join a community where you can be 100% authentic about your challenges and victories

✅ CONNECT AND CONTINUE

• 🎯 Get the full episode transcript: here

• 🔗 Follow Veronica Holyoke: [email protected]

• 💪 Join the Ruckus Maker Movement:  https://club.ruckusmakers.news/

🤝 TODAY’S RUCKUScast IN PARTNERSHIP WITH:

• IXL: Meet your students where they are and take them where they need to go. Join over 1 million teachers who trust IXL to drive data-informed excellence in their classrooms. 🔍 Learn more here

• Expressability K12: Your inbox isn't a task manager. Your mind isn't for storing mundane processes. It's time to break free. With Expressability K12 Ruckus Makers can prioritize student success by offloading time sucking tasks. Visit Expressability K12 to learn how here

• ODP Business Solutions:   "Our STEAM program is too complicated" = Code for "We're doing it wrong." Stop letting fear kill innovation. Some leaders are transforming STEAM with a three-part framework that's not what you think. 🔍 Get the playbook:here

Podcast created by Danny. Audio engineered by Dragan. Show notes written by Christina. Email sent by Soniya