As I write this post after what felt like a long and busy week, I had many ideas. I thought about giving you another instructional strategy or another protocol to use with leaders and educators. But this time, I want to focus on something more essential to the work we do as leaders—and something we desperately try to keep at the center of our busy days: people.

For us in New York, we have just finished our first week with students. If you are reading this and are in education, the first week is about recalibrating to our environments, getting to know our students, reconnecting with staff, and collaborating with others to create systems and structures that set up the year and allow the great work to happen. And with that, it takes communication and often a few iterations to find our rhythm.

And then, in the rush of busy days, when our calendars are already packed and our to-do lists keep growing, we don’t really forget what matters most, we can just get lost in everything else if we let it. What matters most is people.

We can easily get lost in the minutia of our roles. I’ll never forget what one of my former superintendents said to me in the hallway after I had just stepped into my first leadership role as an instructional coach. He stopped to chat and reminded me, “Lauren, don’t get lost in the minutia of the work. Be with people. Learn from them. Walk the buildings. See what’s going well and what is needed.”

He lived those words—always present, always visible in buildings. And I see the same in my own superintendent today. That consistency of presence is inspiring, and it reminds me that leadership is about showing up where it matters most.

That lesson was on my mind just the other day. As I was sitting in a long meeting, I noticed a teacher’s email appear in my inbox asking for book suggestions for her class. On the surface, it seemed simple enough. I could have sent back a list of titles and checked it off my list. And truthfully, it’s easy to go down the rabbit hole of responding to questions in emails all day long. Sometimes, that’s exactly what’s needed—a quick reply to keep things moving.

But this time, I remembered that advice. Instead of typing an answer, I wrote: I’d love to learn more about your students, their goals and interests, while discussing how they can best work toward mastering their grade-level standards. Let’s chat in person.

I’ve always known that face-to-face conversations have a different kind of impact. They allow us to slow down, share energy, and see one another beyond the task at hand. When we sat together, she talked about her students’ needs, their goals, and how to help them access grade-level standards. Then the conversation shifted. She opened up about her own life, things she was carrying that mattered deeply. In that moment, it wasn’t just about the curriculum, it was about connection. I learned so much more about this amazing educator that I wouldn’t have had the privilege of knowing if I hadn’t made the time. For that, I’m grateful because our work goes beyond learning and teaching. It touches the hearts and minds of those we serve.

As a district leader, I’ve discovered that when I begin my days in schools rather than diving straight into email, I’m far more present where it matters most. If I start with my inbox, it’s easy to fall down the rabbit hole of replies, and before long the phone is ringing, people are walking into my office, and the day gets away from me. Does this sound familiar?

This reminds me of something David Brooks writes in How to Know a Person: “Seeing someone well is a powerfully creative act.” That afternoon, I wasn’t only listening as a leader. I was present as a person.

And it didn’t surprise me. I know that showing up instead of responding from my desk with an email brings clarity to conversations, strengthens connections, and opens doors to more meaningful dialogue. Because I showed up, I also had the chance to connect with other teachers about their first week with students, share important ideas with school leaders, and gather input from another teacher for an upcoming meeting. In just an hour, I reached more people than I ever could have through email—and each conversation built stronger relationships that directly impact students.

As I wrote in my book, The Leader Inside: “Great leaders can help others find their gifts and light a spark that ignites a sense of passion and purpose.” That spark is most often lit in moments of presence, when someone feels seen and valued.

Will Guidara reminds us in his best-selling book, Unreasonable Hospitality: “Let your energy impact the people you’re talking to, as opposed to the other way around.” That kind of energy can’t be transmitted in an email…it’s felt sitting beside someone, looking them in the eye, and listening with intention and care.

And as Simon Sinek says, “Listening is not hearing the words; it’s making the other person feel that they are heard.” That’s the heart of it. She felt heard. She felt seen. She trusted me enough to share her story.

So, for leaders, three reminders before you send that next email reply:

1. Make the time. Even when your calendar is full, presence matters more than efficiency. When you carve out time to walk the halls or sit with a teacher, you’ll often solve problems faster than a back-and-forth chain of messages ever could.
   
2. Lead with energy. Bring care and positivity into the room—it changes the conversation. A smile, genuine enthusiasm, or an encouraging word can shift the tone and build trust in ways a typed sentence rarely does.
   
3. Listen deeply. Go beyond hearing words to truly understand. When someone feels you’ve really listened, they’re more likely to open up, share ideas, and work with you to find solutions.
   

In the rush of busy days, it’s tempting to stay buried in our inboxes. Sometimes email is the right answer—but often, the greater impact comes when we step away from our desks. Leadership goes beyond our inbox. Because what matters most isn’t how many messages we send, it’s the people we choose to show up for.

So I ask: Whose email could you turn into a face-to-face conversation this week? 

In the end, it’s easy to get lost in the minutia of our roles. But leadership lives beyond the inbox and the to-do list—it lives in the moments of presence.

After all, when the days are busy and the lists are long, it’s worth remembering what matters most: people. And that’s our calling. That’s why we are here.