“It’s easy for people to be critics or cheerleaders. It’s harder to get them to be coaches. A critic sees your weaknesses and attacks your worst self. A cheerleader sees your strengths and celebrates your best self. A coach sees your potential and helps you become a better version of yourself.”
– Adam Grant, Hidden Potential

As we move through another school year and into the summer, every year brings celebrations, opportunities for growth, and an even deeper sense of purpose. And still, we love this work—education, people, and the possibilities that live within both.

With the rapid pace of change in learning, teaching, research, and the evolution of technology, it can become more difficult to stay ahead and more important than ever to stay grounded. Educators everywhere are carrying more, not less. And still, they show up.

Throughout this year, I found myself returning again and again to a phrase that anchored me:
Leading with belief.

Meaningful work takes time. And while the pace can feel urgent, lasting change happens through steady, intentional steps. It’s the small moves that create the greatest impact—the choice to lead with empathy, to ask thoughtful questions, and to keep going with purpose, even when the work is complex.

We kept showing up. We kept leading. We kept choosing belief.

And if you’re reading this… you did too. Didn’t you?

We showed up through collaborative planning and spontaneous hallway conversations. We modeled lessons, analyzed data, listened deeply, and adjusted with purpose. I leaned into George Couros’ Innovator’s Mindset and used the eight characteristics to frame not just how we responded to challenges, but how we could grow through them. We practiced empathy by listening without judgment. We remained observant, noticing the subtle shifts in classrooms and in conversations. We encouraged risk-taking, knowing that innovation is built on trying, reflecting, and refining. We pushed for creativity, not as a buzzword, but as a mindset, asking what could be different, what could be better, and how we might reimagine the familiar. We reminded ourselves to be resilient, understanding that iteration is not failure but part of learning. Most importantly, we stayed curious. Curiosity allowed us to question, explore, and learn together, even when the answers weren’t clear.

These characteristics did not just seem important in theory. They became habits of mind, practical tools that shaped our actions, our conversations, and our decisions. They did more than help us get through the moment. They gave us the mindset to lead with belief and move forward with purpose.

And still, I returned to the phrase:

Leading with belief.

Ryan Holiday writes in The Obstacle is the Way, “We spend a lot of time thinking about how things are supposed to be or what the rules say we should do. Trying to get it all perfect. We’ll tell ourselves that we’ll get started once the conditions are right or once we are sure we can trust this or that. When really it would be better to focus on making do with what we’ve got. Focusing on results instead of pretty methods.”

That sentiment sat with me this year. There is no perfect plan or perfect moment. There is only the opportunity to lead from where we are, with all that we have as we keep learning and growing.

This year reminded me that courage is not something we wait for, it’s something we practice. And if we want momentum, we have to create it. We do that by showing up. Again and again.

Jay Shetty recently shared the following sentiment on Mel Robbin’s podcast, “Passion is what brings you life and joy. It’s what makes you feel like you are doing something exciting. It’s exhilarating. It’s thrilling. Your purpose is when you use your passion in the service of others. If your passion doesn’t have a service element to improve other people’s lives, it’s not a purpose.”

I carry that with me. This work is my passion, but more importantly, it is my purpose. It is how I hope to serve others…by helping teachers grow, by creating spaces where students can thrive, and by leading with belief.

And I will keep leading this way.

Coaching through change means asking better questions, seeing people for their potential, and helping them grow into it. It means showing up not just when things are calm, but especially when the waters are rough. It means building a culture rooted in trust, clarity, and shared responsibility.

As I wrote in my book The Leader Inside, “Leadership is not a title, but an opportunity to recognize the greatness that lives inside others.” That is the heart of this work.

Because at the end of the day, it is easy to be a critic. It is easy to be a cheerleader. But the real work, the work that changes people and systems, is leading with belief.

That is the work I believe in.
That is the work I will continue to choose.
And if you are reading this, maybe it is the work you are already doing too.
Maybe it is the work we are all being called to do.

Let’s keep showing up.
Let’s keep leading with belief. We need you in this work. We do.

If you are wondering where to begin, here are three leading with belief moves you can implement tomorrow:

1. Lead with a question, not a directive.
Instead of offering immediate solutions, try asking, “What do you think is the next right step?” or “What might this look like in your classroom?” Coaching starts with listening and guiding, not fixing.

2. Celebrate risk-taking, not just results.
Make it a habit to acknowledge when someone steps out of their comfort zone. Say, “Thank you for trying something new” or “I noticed your shift—tell me what you learned.” This builds a culture where growth is valued over perfection.

3. Schedule five intentional minutes.
Choose one person to check in with each day. Ask what they need, what is going well, or what is feeling heavy. A simple, purposeful conversation can foster trust and open doors for deeper collaboration.

Leading with belief begins with presence, humility, and small moves. Start there and keep going!