We all have moments in our lives that live at the forefront of our memories. Often, it’s hard to recognize these defining moments as they unfold. In their book The Power of Moments, Chip Heath and Dan Heath write, “Defining moments shape our lives, but we don’t have to wait for them to happen. We can be the authors of them” (p. 5).

Have you ever experienced a moment, only to look back later and realize the profound impact it had on your life’s trajectory?

In my book, The Leader Inside, I shared how it took some special people to recognize the gifts that were stirring within me. It took their insight to help me understand the kind of person and leader I am still becoming. As I wrote, “Gifts live within exceptional educators, waiting to be unwrapped at the right place, at the right time, with the right people.”

As I step into my fourth year as an administrator and third year as a district leader, I don’t take for granted that I’m finding my way as I navigate a sea of people and personalities. I’m learning to understand who they are, what they value, and the gifts they bring to our educational community.

With that in mind, I spent a good amount of time before the school year began envisioning how our first department meetings would unfold. As Elena Aguilar shares in her book Arise, “Students cannot thrive unless the adults who spend all day with them are thriving; teachers cannot thrive unless the coaches and administrators who support them are also thriving” (p. 2). I carefully considered the moments I wanted to create with this very talented team of educators so that they, in turn, could create those defining moments for our kids.

Let me be clear—there is never enough time in a day or in a meeting to convey everything that needs to be shared. Our work is too important, and our priorities always revolve around keeping the best instructional approaches at the forefront as we prepare our students for a world that is constantly evolving.

Then, I remembered an article my friend Sean Gaillard shared with me over the summer titled, The Most Impressive Thing Katie Ledecky Did at the Olympics Didn’t Happen in the Pool. It’s a Lesson for Every Leader . The simple act of sharing that article created a defining moment that changed the way I would open the school year. The subtitle of the article read, “Your job as a leader is to lift everyone to your level.”

So, we read the article as a department. The gist of the article is as follows: Katie Ledecky solidified her legendary status by winning her fourth consecutive Olympic gold in the 800-meter freestyle, becoming the first woman ever to achieve this feat. Despite her individual triumphs, the defining moment came when she invited her teammate Paige Madden, who had just won her first individual Olympic medal, to share the podium with her, demonstrating true leadership and respect for her peers.

After reading the article, I asked the following reflective question:

In what ways can you foster a classroom or school culture that values collaboration and mutual respect over individual accolades?

To put this reflection into action, I asked the teachers to write a postcard to themselves with the following prompt:

Write a message of inspiration to yourself that will help you lead at the top of the podium with kids and colleagues.

I told them that I would mail it to them when they least expect it. The next prompt was:

Write a message of inspiration to someone who has brought you to the podium with them.

Imagine the defining moment created for a person who receives a message affirming that they are valued.

This week, as I checked in with and coached new teachers, I realized that defining moments were being created, even if they weren’t recognized until after they had passed. I asked the same three questions during each check-in:

1. What’s going well?
2. What are you most proud of this week?
3. What barriers are getting in the way, and what can I do to remove them?

One teacher’s response stood out: I decided to use my prep periods to connect with colleagues. I knew that I had a lot of grading and planning, but I thought it was important to stand at the podium with my colleagues—to ask them what they feel their best instructional practice is and how they connect with kids.

As I reflected on this, I wondered: Could the experience I created at our opening department meeting have sparked a defining moment for the future? My heart filled with gratitude as I realized that seasoned and veteran teachers took time out of their busy days to bring a new colleague to the podium, becoming the leaders who lifted her to their level.

And now, I want to ask you: How can you create your own defining moments? Remember, moments shape your life—you don’t have to wait for them to happen. Create them. Be the leader who lifts everyone to your level. That’s the moment.