What if the secret to effective leadership isn't projecting strength and certainty, but embracing vulnerability and curiosity instead?

In this episode, Elizabeth Dampf—whose leadership journey spans from classroom teacher to principal to district leadership—challenges the conventional notion of "strong leadership." Drawing on Brene Brown's concept of "rumbling with vulnerability," she reframes what effective leadership looks like in today's uncertain educational landscape. Elizabeth explores how leaders can move from performing confidence to practicing authentic reflection, how middle managers can navigate directives they didn't create, and why professional learning happens more in daily coaching conversations than in workshop sessions.

Key Insights

• Courageously Vulnerable Over Strong: Why strength-based language sets leaders up to fail and how vulnerability builds credibility instead
• The Struggling Salesman Strategy: How middle managers can navigate implementing decisions they didn't make by calibrating answers with peers and maintaining neutral affect
• Professional Learning Is a State of Mind: Why true PD happens in reflective conversations and coaching observations—not in didactic workshops
• Give Principals Space to Calibrate: Why principal-only PLCs help leaders align perspectives before bringing unified priorities to district conversations
• Three-Part Impact Framework: Measuring professional learning through teacher perspective, observable implementation (not compliance), and student outcomes
• 1% Better Today: Why leaders need one practical thing they can do differently right now, not magic philosophies or long leadership books

Listen now: