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Are you feeling swamped by the demands of being a principal? From juggling emails, calls, and decisions to boosting test scores and wading through endless paperwork, the pressure is real.
But imagine a scenario where you no longer feel this overwhelming stress. Picture yourself as a more resilient leader, concentrating on enhancing your school rather than merely coping with the daily tasks that currently consume your time.
I‘m Barb Flowers. Drawing upon my eight-year experience as an elementary principal, with a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and certification as a life coach, Along the way, I've mentored and coached school leaders, guiding them to change their mindset, set boundaries and focus on their own well-being while navigating their roles.
Each episode offers practical insights on time management, communication, overcoming overwhelm, boosting confidence, and fostering a positive mindset. We'll also discuss topics like working with stakeholders, implementing new initiatives, and managing discipline. Let's set boundaries, focus on well-being, and reignite your passion for being a principal. Welcome to "The Principal's Handbook."
I firmly believe that to be an impactful educator, you must first become a confident and well-rounded individual. Join us in this journey to empower and enhance your confidence as a school leader.
# The Secret to Better Leadership Isn’t Doing More
Today, we’re talking about the secret to better leadership—and it’s not doing more. It’s actually about doing less.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot as I head into my 10th year as an administrator and prepare to lead the third building of my career. Every time you take over a new building, you learn something new. Looking back, I made tremendous growth as a leader during my previous transitions, and I’m excited for this next one because I know I’ll learn from new colleagues, new teachers, and new systems.
When I became a principal, I was eager to do everything at once. I read every book I could find on PLCs, PBIS, RTI, and school improvement. I wanted to fix every system in the building immediately—or at least make it better. I wanted model PLCs, a model RTI system, and perfect implementation from day one.
What I learned is that meaningful change takes time.
When you try to do too much too quickly, you burn yourself out. During my first year, I launched multiple initiatives, experimented with new programs, and introduced too many changes. The pushback created unnecessary frustration and contributed to a negative culture that could have been avoided.
Now, when I enter a new building, I’m much more selective about what I prioritize.
I also believe it’s important to honor the work that has already been done. In one of my previous schools, teachers had experienced constant leadership turnover. Every new administrator arrived with new initiatives, and staff experienced initiative fatigue. They felt like nothing was ever fully implemented before something new replaced it.
That’s why today’s message isn’t about doing less because you’re lazy. It’s about doing less so you can accomplish more. It’s about increasing your focus, creating clarity, and making bigger gains over the long term.
PLCs are a great example. Early in my career, I thought we could read one book, complete a study, and have highly functioning PLCs immediately. In reality, after six years of implementation, we were still refining the process. Improvement is a long game.
When I took over my most recent building, they weren’t using PLCs. Even though I knew their value, I intentionally chose not to make them the priority. Instead, we focused on behavior systems, strengthening Tier 1 instruction, and implementing interventions.
Years ago, I would have insisted that PLCs had to happen immediately because they were “best practice.” But experience taught me that the building wasn’t ready. We had more pressing priorities that needed our full attention.
Because we stayed focused, we made tremendous growth in reading. Teachers worked incredibly hard, felt aligned around shared goals, and concentrated on improving Tier 1 instruction and intervention systems.
That experience reinforced an important lesson: fewer priorities create more momentum.
As you think about your own leadership, ask yourself: How can you narrow your focus? Which initiatives truly deserve your attention? When you spread yourself too thin, progress slows. When you focus, progress accelerates.
One of the biggest challenges principals face is balancing competing priorities. You have your own vision for the building, teachers have ideas, central office has expectations, and state requirements add another layer. The question becomes: How do you align everything and focus on what will make the greatest impact?
Sometimes the answer is simply recognizing that if you focus on one thing this year, you can tackle another next year.
In my coaching, I’ve found that principals usually struggle in one of four key areas:
* **Time:** Reactive schedules, constant interruptions, competing commitments, and limited resources can prevent you from leading strategically.
* **Behavior:** Student discipline can consume your day and prevent both administrators and teachers from focusing on instruction.
* **Staff and Culture:** Conflict, inconsistency, and difficult conversations can drain energy and undermine improvement efforts.
* **Instructional Leadership:** Without protected time, classroom visits, coaching conversations, and instructional improvement often take a back seat.
At the center of all four areas is confidence.
Confidence gives you the courage to say no so you can stay focused. When principals lack confidence, they often chase every new idea they hear on a podcast or see another school implementing. Confident leaders know when to stay the course.
So how do you decide what deserves your focus?
My Leadership by Subtraction framework asks three simple questions:
1. **What creates the most stress?**
Is it staff conflict? Inconsistent implementation? Lack of Tier 1 practices? Something else?
2. **What steals the most time?**
Is it student discipline? Coaching teachers? Managing conflict? Constant interruptions?
3. **What would create the biggest ripple effect if you solved it?**
Strong behavior systems improve instruction because teachers can actually teach. Effective Tier 1 instruction reduces the need for intervention. Solve the right problem, and many other problems become easier.
Don’t choose the smallest problem. Choose the one that creates the greatest impact.
Remember: if you have too many priorities, you have no priorities.
As you prepare for the new school year, think about what you can subtract.
* What tasks no longer serve your building?
* Which meetings could be shorter or less frequent?
* Which committees could meet quarterly instead of monthly?
* Which initiatives could wait another year?
* What responsibilities could be delegated?
* Which priority deserves your complete attention?
Leadership by subtraction is about intentionally removing distractions so you can lead what matters most.
As always, remember: you have the power to choose your mindset. Leadership begins with the thoughts you choose to believe.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, I’d appreciate it if you left a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps more principals discover the show.
Have a great week, and I’ll see you back here next time.