Go Beyond the Summer Checklist

Summer offers school leaders a rare gift: a (brief) window of clarity. The urgent demands pause. The inbox quiets. As a result, there’s space to think, breathe, and reset before the next school year begins.

Then again . . . many school leaders describe summer quite differently — more like a sprint. It’s a scramble to close out the year just ended, kick-start plans for the year ahead, and — somewhere in between — squeeze in a few pages of professional reading and maybe a vacation.

Sound familiar? You’re not alone.

But what if summer could be more than a checklist of transactions? What if it could be a catalyst for transformation? With intentionality, summer can be more than a series of transactions. It’s a strategic opportunity to shift from transactional to transformational.

Make This Summer a Strategic Shift, Not a To-Do List

Before jumping into a conference, course, workshop, retreat, or leadership book — each of which could become just one more transaction on your summer to-do list — pause. Step back. Reflect with intention:

  • – Vision: Is your school’s vision still clear, compelling, and shared across your team?
  • – Culture: What’s the tone of your staff culture right now? What’s thriving — and what quietly needs repair?
  • – Instruction: Are you leading instruction or mostly managing operations? How visible is your instructional leadership?
  • – Access: Who is well-served in your system — and who remains on the margins?
  • – People: Are you building leadership capacity in others, or carrying too much alone?
  • – Self: How are you managing your energy? What are you modeling about balance, boundaries, and sustainability?

Start Here: Six Frames to Guide a Transformational Summer

Transformation doesn’t happen by accident — it begins with clarity, choice, and courage.

If you’re ready to move beyond the transactional and lead with deeper impact, start with reflection. Download this tool to explore each key area: vision, culture, instruction, access, people, and self. Let your insights shape the summer ahead.

Choose one shift to focus on. Identify one resource to deepen your thinking. Plan one conversation to expand your perspective.

This summer isn’t just a pause. It’s a pivot. And what you do with it can change everything.

I’m Here For You!

Contact me for a free consultation to discuss your school’s needs and your transformational leadership learning goals.

Join me this summer for my “Transformational Tuesday” virtual workshops (10:00–1:00 ET.) Registration fee includes an additional hour of one-on-one support.

Gather your colleagues and engage in a Book Study about the Ten Mindset Shifts for Leadership from my book, Students Taking Charge Implementation Guide for Leaders: Inside the Learner-Active, Technology-Infused Classroom.