Leaning into Leadership – Details, episodes & analysis

In this solo episode, Dr. Darrin Peppard shares the framework and mindset behind truly effective leadership teams. Drawing on his work from coast to coast, including a recent workshop at the Innovative Schools Summit in Nashville, Darrin explains why high-performing leadership teams don’t happen by accident—they’re built with clarity, trust, and purpose.

Through powerful stories and practical takeaways, Darrin walks you through his AWESOME framework, a leadership model that has helped schools and districts across the country move from dysfunction to alignment. Whether you're leading a building or a district, this episode offers actionable insights to help your team become more aligned, accountable, and impactful.

• What separates great leadership teams from the ones that just get by
• The most common traits of ineffective teams (misalignment, lack of trust, unclear roles)
• How to implement the AWESOME Teams Framework:
• Accept the challenge
• Welcome feedback and support
• Examine your priorities
• Stand on your values
• Operate intentionally
• Model what you expect
• Engage in reflection
• Why team norms and trust are essential for collaboration
• How to align your leadership team around shared instructional goals
• The value of team retreats and neutral-facilitated reflection

• RoadToAwesome.net – Website
• The Principal Academy – Online leadership course
• Blog: Road to Awesome – Weekly leadership insights
• Book: Road to Awesome: The Journey of a Leader
• Book: Culture First Classrooms

• Instagram/Facebook: Darrin M Peppard
• TikTok/X: @DarrinMPeppard
• LinkedIn: Darrin Peppard
• Leadership Retreats: Contact via Road to Awesome

• Share this episode with your leadership team and start a conversation about how you work together.
• Reflect: What is one step your team will take this week to become more aligned and intentional?
• Looking for a leadership retreat or customized support for your team? Reach out to Darrin to schedule your session.

In Episode 224, Dr. Chris Fuzie joins Darrin for a fascinating conversation on behavior-based leadership and the concept of “liminal space”—the space where individuals lead and follow simultaneously. Drawing from his 28 years in law enforcement and extensive leadership consulting experience, Chris breaks down how leadership is not a position but a behavior, and how great leaders also embrace the role of the follower. This episode explores what gets in the way of effective leadership, why behavior matters more than titles, and how reshaping the leadership-followership dynamic is the next evolution in the field.

Guest Bio: Dr. Chris Fuzie is the owner of CMF Leadership Consulting and currently serves as the Business/HR Manager for a District Attorney’s office in California. A Leaderologist II and President of the National Leaderology Association, Chris holds a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), M.A., and B.A. in Organizational Leadership, with graduate certificates in Human Resources and Criminal Justice Education.

Since 2010, he has developed and delivered leadership training for public, private, profit, and non-profit organizations. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and a former national instructor for the International Association of Chiefs of Police and California P.O.S.T. Courses. Chris is the author of Because Why... Understanding Behavior in Exigencies, S.C.O.R.E. Performance Counseling: Save the Relationship, Change the Behavior, and his latest book, Liminal Space: Reshaping Leadership and Followership.

Chris is honorably retired from the Modesto Police Department after 28 years of service, having led teams including the Homicide Team, Hostage Negotiations Team, Street-Level Drug Team, School Police Officer Team, and the Traffic Motor Unit.

Dr. Fuzie on Social Media: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-chris-fuzie-ed-d-m-a-ol-vl2-37587934/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090255232861

https://www.facebook.com/chris.fuzie/

https://x.com/CMFLeadership

WEBSITE:

https://www.cmfleadership.com/

https://www.scoreperformancecounseling.com/

In this powerful kickoff to our NASSP Principal of the Year finalist series, Dr. Damon Lewis of Ponus Ridge STEAM Academy in Norwalk, CT shares his incredible leadership journey—from paraeducator to transformational middle school principal. Under his leadership, chronic absenteeism dropped from 31% to 8%, equity-driven initiatives expanded access to gifted and accelerated programs, and eighth-grade PSAT scores outpaced national, state, and district averages.

Dr. Lewis discusses the culture shift at his school, his “so what, now what” mindset, and why proper preparation, intentional systems, and relentless focus on every student have made the difference. He also opens up about how his personal story fuels his mission—and how being a national finalist is a platform for advocacy, equity, and excellence in public education.

Key Topics:

• Vision-driven leadership and systems thinking
• Accelerating achievement while addressing inequity
• Listening as a leadership superpower
• The impact of culturally responsive leadership
• Why excuses build bridges to nowhere

Learn more about NASSP's Principal of the Year program at https://www.nassp.org/news/nassp-announces-national-principal-of-the-year-finalists/

Claire Chandler, President and founder of Talent Boost, deeply believes that leaders shape cultures, and stronger cultures drive greater success. Leveraging 30 years of experience in people leadership, human resources, and business ownership, Claire helps organizations expand their business without losing their best talent using her proven “Growth on Purpose” methodology.

Claire holds a certificate in strategic HR leadership from Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, a master’s degree from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and a bachelor’s degree from Fairfield University. She has appeared as a guest on more than 150 podcasts, is the author of several books on leadership and business strategy, and is a contributing writer for Forbes.

Get Claire's free ebook, The Culture Effect, here

Connect with Claire:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairechandlersphr/

https://www.clairechandler.net

https://www.talentboost.net

Book Darrin to speak at your school or conference contact us here

Grab your copy of Darrin's FREE e-book Walk in Your Purpose

Check out Darrin's blog for great leadership tips and ideas

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Have a book idea you'd like to submit to Road to Awesome? Click here

Dr. Kristina V. Mattis advises statewide educational technology efforts for the California Department of Education, specifically addressing the Closing the Digital Divide Initiative to achieve digital equity. Kristina’s 20+ years in education spans roles from classroom teaching to executive director, and from strategic plan development to leading change and project management across public and private instructional institutions. She is an ESL multilingual speaker and published author. Kristina’s expansive experience and expertise in educational initiatives allow for her collaborative and holistic systems-thinking approach to examine the needs for high-quality equitable access to necessary technologies that propel instructional opportunities and operational effectiveness so that “we prepare students to live, work, and thrive in a multicultural, multilingual, and highly connected world” as per the CA DOE mission.

Order your copy of Dr. Mattis' book: Guiding Transformational Change in Education

Connect with Dr. Mattis:

Website: www.consulteddevelopment.org 

Twitter: @kristinamattis

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinamattis/

Book Darrin to speak at your school or conference contact us here

Grab your copy of Darrin's FREE e-book Walk in Your Purpose

Check out Darrin's blog for great leadership tips and ideas

Sign up for the Road to Awesome email list and newsletter

Have a book idea you'd like to submit to Road to Awesome? Click here

Got a question for us? Submit it here or hit us up on social media

Episode 123 is a special mid-week collaboration with elementary principal Dominic Armano and high school principal Todd Bloomer. Continuing our special series, Dom, Todd, and I sit down and share our insights on the Super Bowl (complete with our picks) and answer a viewer/listener question about creating a culture where staff will discuss the undiscussable issues.

The article from which this topic came can be found here

Book Darrin to speak at your school or conference contact us here

Grab your copy of Darrin's FREE e-book Walk in Your Purpose

Check out Darrin's blog for great leadership tips and ideas

Sign up for the Road to Awesome email list and newsletter

Have a book idea you'd like to submit to Road to Awesome? Click here

John R. Miles is a leading authority on intentional behavior change, personal growth, and mattering. He is a keynote speaker, author, top-rated show host, and the founder and CEO of Passion Struck®. His award-winning podcast, Passion Struck with John R. Miles, consistently ranks among the world’s top 100 shows and the #1 Alternative Health podcast. Recognized as one of the top thinkers in personal mastery and a Premier 100 Leader, his influence extends far and wide. With over two decades of corporate and military leadership experience, he’s the trusted advisor sought after by some of the world’s most prominent companies and visionary entrepreneurs. Yet, beneath these remarkable achievements, John’s true passion lies in guiding individuals to live a passion-struck life in every facet. His story, like his podcast, is an inspiring journey toward significance.

Get your copy of Passion Struck here

Check out all things Passion Struck: https://passionstruck.com/ & https://johnrmiles.com/

Connect with John on Social Media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/john_r_miles/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/milesjohn/

Medium: https://medium.com/@JohnRMiles 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/John_RMiles

Book Darrin to speak at your school or conference contact us here

Grab your copy of Darrin's FREE e-book Walk in Your Purpose

Check out Darrin's blog for great leadership tips and ideas

Sign up for the Road to Awesome email list and newsletter

Have a book idea you'd like to submit to Road to Awesome? Click here

Erik M. Francis, M.Ed., M.S., is an international author, educator, presenter, and professional development provider with over 25 years of experience in education. He is the author of the book Deconstructing Depth of Knowledge: A Method and Model for Deeper Teaching and Learning published by Solution Tree. His book Inquiring Minds Want to Learn: Posing Good Questions to Promote Student Inquiry will be published by Solution Tree in Spring 2024. He is also the author of Now That’s a Good Question! How to Promote Cognitive Rigor Through Classroom Questioning published by ASCD.

Erik is the owner of Maverik Education, providing professional development, guidance, and support on how to plan and provide teaching and learning experiences that are standards based, socially and emotionally supportive, and student responsive. He is also consistently ranked as one of the World’s Top 30 Education Professionals by the international research organization Global Gurus and the Top 25 Thought Leaders.

Connect with Erik: Twitter / X: @maverikedu12

Book Darrin to speak at your school or conference contact us here

Grab your copy of Darrin's FREE e-book Walk in Your Purpose

Check out Darrin's blog for great leadership tips and ideas

Sign up for the Road to Awesome email list and newsletter

Have a book idea you'd like to submit to Road to Awesome? Click here

Lisa Parry is a veteran writing teacher and school leader who provides a variety of services to professionals including custom communication, conflict mediation, keynotes, and professional development. She especially loves to help others create scripts for the tough talks we all have to have at home and at work.

Lisa is proud to lead a 2021 National Blue Ribbon Elementary School and a 2020 ESEA Distinguished Elementary School, and she was honored to be named 2022 South Dakota Region 1 High School Principal of the Year.

One of her most gratifying experiences is being asked to co-develop & facilitate the South Dakota Department of Education's Good to Great Teacher Mentoring Program.

In addition to working with South Dakota educators, Lisa enjoys connecting with other professions around the United States. Her expertise transcends the K-12 space and includes a focus on, among other topics, People-Pleasing, Master Mindsets, Meaningful Messaging, and Likable Leadership.

She has presented at the National Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence Conference and the Making Schools Work Conference, both in Orlando, Florida; she leads professional development in South Dakota; and she has shared leadership lessons with individuals in industries ranging from telecommunications to photo organizing.

Lisa earned her M.S.Ed. in Educational Leadership from South Dakota State University and a B.S.Ed. in English Education from the University of South Dakota.

Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn

Contact Lisa:

www.principalparry.com

lisa@principalparry.com

Book Darrin to speak at your school or conference contact us here

Grab your copy of Darrin's FREE e-book Walk in Your Purpose

Check out Darrin's blog for great leadership tips and ideas

Sign up for the Road to Awesome email list and newsletter

Have a book idea you'd like to submit to Road to Awesome? Click here

Mosongo Moukwa is a seasoned executive and consultant who has dedicated his career to helping companies thrive by commercializing new technologies, diversifying their product offerings, and entering new markets. Across thirty-plus years in leadership, Mosongo has applied his unique talent for identifying leadership gaps and developing the talent and culture necessary for success. He helps solve important innovation challenges that hold organizations back by unleashing the collective creativity of their people.

As a thought leader in leadership development and organizational change, Mosongo has shared his insights such as leadership demystified with Human Capital, and panel discussions on neuroscience, project management, and business moderated by Wanda Curlee of American Public University. His articles have appeared in Business Today, The Journal of Creative Behavior, Crain’s Cleveland Business, R&D Innovator, and he is a regular contributor to Business Standard.

Mosongo serves as the President at Hathaway Advanced Materials and has held leadership positions in R & D and operations at some of the world’s most respected brands, including vice president, global technology at SC Johnson; vice president, global technology at Reichhold; vice president, technology at Asian Paints; director of technology at Avient (formerly PolyOne); and chief, global R & D at PCBL (formerly Phillips Carbon Black Ltd.).

Book Darrin to speak at your school or conference contact us here

Grab your copy of Darrin's FREE e-book Walk in Your Purpose

Check out Darrin's blog for great leadership tips and ideas

Sign up for the Road to Awesome email list and newsletter

Have a book idea you'd like to submit to Road to Awesome? Click here