Superintendent
Long Prairie-Grey Eagle Public Schools
Leadership is a complicated and multifaceted endeavor. Many have tried to distill it into quotable truths, and while those can be useful, they often miss the nuance. The kind of leadership that’s called for in any given situation—especially in a superintendent’s role—must shift, evolve, and adapt.
We often adopt labels like servant leader, transformational leader, manager, or distributed leadership to describe our approach. These models help us identify our strengths, but none of them offers a complete picture. Leadership, like the people we serve, is never one-size-fits-all.
In my own journey, I’ve frequently identified with distributed leadership. I strive to build leadership capacity in those around me. But that identity alone doesn’t hold up in every situation. For example, when dealing with a threat or crisis, collaboration must sometimes yield to decisiveness.
In moments of urgency, people need clarity, not consensus. You have to make tough calls quickly—without waiting to consult every stakeholder. At other times, leadership means holding tightly to your values while also holding space for others’ emotions and perspectives.
Some situations call for a strategic, long-term mindset—one that sees how small decisions accumulate over time. Other times, leadership demands bold disruption: the courage to challenge broken systems and name the absurdities we’ve come to accept as normal.
I’ve written building plans knowing they might need to change tomorrow. The act of planning creates focus and reveals potential missteps—but being too rigidly attached to a plan can make us brittle in the face of change.
I recall one situation where I had worked on a building plan over the course of a year and a half. Just as we approached what felt like the finish line, it seemed the entire plan might be discarded. But because I had been deeply engaged in the planning process, I was able to identify several grant opportunities that aligned with our goals. By pivoting and taking a longer-range approach, we ultimately brought the renovation to life.
Being too fixed on the “correct” solution can present its own barriers. I remember meeting with a team to problem-solve a student case where we felt like we had tried everything. Nothing was working—until someone suggested we change how the student started their day and simply offer breakfast. To our amazement, that basic act of care changed everything. The student became more engaged, was less disruptive, and experienced real success.
Staying locked into any one leadership mode eventually creates blind spots. That’s why we need diverse teams—and self-awareness. The contradictions of leadership aren’t flaws. They’re the reality of working with people, and this complexity becomes an ecosystem of experiences and needs in the context of the systems we operate.
I still remember the day I dismissed school early while the sun was shining and the birds were chirping. People thought I had lost my mind. But I had been tracking a storm system all day. When the snow curtain finally hit, those same voices expressed gratitude. That experience reminded me that leadership is often about making the right call before others can see why it’s necessary.
Whatever model we align with, we must evolve through experience. It’s often in the toughest moments—when handling staff concerns, managing public perception, or working with the nuances of a school board—that we uncover our greatest growth as leaders.
My first administrative job was in a small rural district. That role required me to work across departments—HR, facilities, 504 plans, Title IX. At the time, I didn’t realize how much I was learning. Later, when I faced a legally complex situation involving multiple systems, union contracts, and staff, that early experience became essential.
Leadership can’t be captured in a single style or strategy. It is dynamic, responsive, and often paradoxical. It requires introspection, humility, and the ability to hold multiple truths at once. The more we can lean into that complexity, the more prepared we are—not just to lead, but to grow alongside the communities we serve.
Perhaps the goal isn’t to find the perfect way to lead. Maybe it never has been. Maybe the real goal is to honor the complexity and contradiction within ourselves—because that’s what allows us to meet the leadership challenges that shape our journey.
