Eighty percent response rate. Great feedback. High trust scores.
And yet, capable leaders are still waiting for permission.
Today, we’re digging into the psychological safety gap and what moves people from hesitation to action.
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OFF CAMPUS
🎧 Ditch the Worksheet Culture and build can’t-miss learning experiences
📚 Belief Beats Execution: overcome “strategy stalls” with trust and follow-through
🌐 The Digital Delusion: do more screens mean less learning?
😎 I Nearly Quit Coaching: conquer coach impostor syndrome
A MESSAGE FROM IXL
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DO SCHOOL DIFFERENT
When Psychological Safety Is There… and Confidence Still Lags
Eighty percent of the group responded to the survey.
The scores were strong.
The reflections thoughtful.
The tone generous.
And then I reread one sentence.
It came from a leader in our monthly Mastermind, a space designed for school leaders to bring their toughest challenges to a trusted group.
“I feel like this is something I need to continue to practice preparing for.”
It wasn’t a complaint.
It wasn’t hesitation about the group.
It was something more subtle.
I’ve felt that feeling before.
And it spurred me into action.
The Gap
As I sat with the feedback, a pattern emerged.
Newer or less experienced leaders trusted the room.
But they lacked confidence in themselves.
Here’s what some may be carrying:
Uncertainty about what preparation really means
Wondering whether their challenge is clear enough, thought through enough, worthy of the group’s attention.
Unspoken comparison
Measuring themselves against leaders with more years or different contexts, and assuming confidence signals readiness.
Questions about whether their issue qualifies
Treating only large or dramatic problems as shareable, while minimizing the ones that quietly drain energy.
The Cost of Waiting
Here’s the part that’s easy to miss: when leaders wait to be ready, problems don’t pause — they continue to compound.
The question you didn’t ask grows heavier in your mind.
The decision you delayed gets made for you.
The issue you minimized keeps showing up in new forms.
“I just need a little more time” becomes one of leadership’s most socially acceptable hiding places.
Who the Mastermind Is For
There’s a subtle myth that sneaks into leadership spaces, especially thoughtful, high-performing ones:
You belong here once you’re ready.
But that’s not how this Mastermind works.
It’s not for experts only.
Not for people with polished problems.
Not for leaders who have it all figured out.
It’s for anyone doing the work.
Experience doesn’t determine belonging.
Willingness does.
What a Hot Seat Really Is (And Isn’t)
Let’s pull back the curtain.
A hot seat is not:
A performance
A test of leadership maturity
A moment to prove you deserve the space
A hot seat is:
A place to borrow perspective
A chance to slow your thinking down
A way to surface blind spots without shame
The goal isn’t a perfect answer.
The goal is a better next question.
How to Prepare (Without Overthinking It)
Each week, our agenda includes a hot seat prep template. It’s an invitation to notice.
You don’t need to answer every question.
You don’t need to be certain.
You don’t need to sound impressive.
You only need to pay attention to which question tugs at you.
Some of the prompts include:
What professional challenge is keeping me up at night?
What feels unfinished, uncomfortable, or unclear right now?
What am I procrastinating on?
Where do I know I need accountability?
What have I been hiding that I haven’t asked for help with yet?
If it matters to you, it’s hot-seat-worthy.
That’s the bar.
The Real Work of Psychological Safety
Psychological safety requires kindness, support, and a clear message that unfinished thinking is welcome here.
That means:
Naming experience gaps without shame
Making expectations visible
Reducing guesswork
Inviting people in before they feel ready
The problem is that too many capable leaders are waiting for permission.
A Permission Slip You Don’t Have to Earn
If you’ve ever thought:
“I don’t know if my issue is big enough.”
“I should probably have this figured out by now.”
“I don’t want to take up space.”
This is exactly what the Mastermind is for.
Psychological safety can be present, and people can still hesitate.
The work is in creating safe rooms and making the invitation unmistakable.
You don't need to be ready, have the perfect question, or anyone's permission.
You just need to stop waiting and show up.
If that resonates, I'd love to see you in the room.
TIP OF THE WEEK
The Five-Minute Rule
Try the "Five-Minute Rule" for stuck decisions.
When you notice yourself postponing a conversation, delaying feedback, or waiting for more clarity on a decision, set a timer for five minutes and write down:
What I know right now
What I'm waiting to know
What I can do with what I already have
Often, the act of writing reveals that you're more ready than you thought, or clarifies exactly what small step would move you forward.
Most of the time, you're not missing information. You're missing permission to act on what you already know.
SUNDAY VIBES
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