In this episode of the Lebra Podcast, host Nate Lichte sits down with Dr. Barbara Mullen, Superintendent of Rush-Henrietta Central School District, to explore healing-centered leadership, organizational transformation, and what it truly means to lead schools through care, trust, and community voice.
Drawing on a career that spans special education, communications, public relations, and district leadership across multiple major systems, Barbara reflects on the question that has guided her entire career: who gets to decide what high-quality learning experiences look like for children? She shares how that question ultimately shaped her leadership philosophy and led her to the superintendency.
Barbara and Nate dive deeply into the inspiration behind Barbara’s upcoming book on healing-centered leadership in schools. She explains how experiences with organizational harm, power dynamics, and leadership trauma reshaped her thinking about school transformation, moving away from “turnaround” language and toward frameworks rooted in healing, restoration, and community agency.
The conversation also explores Rush-Henrietta’s ambitious Vision 2037 strategic plan, which Barbara developed to ensure the district’s long-term direction would remain grounded in community values rather than shifting political pressures. She shares how transparency, authentic relationship-building, leadership pipelines, and professional learning communities are helping the district strengthen instructional leadership while creating systems that support both adults and students.
Throughout the episode, Barbara offers thoughtful reflections on leadership sustainability, professional wellness, vulnerability, and why superintendents must learn to care for themselves if they hope to lead others effectively. They close with a powerful reminder that the superintendency is ultimately about loving and supporting the adults who dedicate their lives to children.
Timestamps
03:10 About Rush-Henrietta Central School District
06:45 Healing-centered leadership explained
09:48 Organizational harm and leadership trauma
13:58 The Rooted Leadership Framework
15:47 Personal healing and self-awareness
17:54 Leadership wellness and sustainability
19:47 Mentoring and leadership pipelines
22:03 Leadership Learning Lab overview
24:34 Vision 2037 strategic planning
27:03 Leading beyond political noise
29:02 Building community trust
30:22 Aligning school and district goals
Why You’ll Love This Episode
If you care about authentic leadership, organizational culture, or building school systems rooted in healing and trust, this episode offers powerful insights from a superintendent rethinking how educational leadership can support both adults and students. Barbara brings honesty, vulnerability, and practical wisdom to conversations around leadership sustainability, community engagement, and system transformation.
Connect with Barbara Mullen
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-a-mullen-ph-d-91bb4116 Website:
https://www.rhnet.org/ Follow Us
Nate Lichte LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nate-lichte/ Lebra Website:
https://www.lebrahq.com/ Lebra LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/lebrahq About Lebra Podcast
The Lebra Podcast is where host Nate Lichte speaks with education leaders and innovators about the future of schools, uncovering stories and strategies that create meaningful impact.
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