The Truth About School Culture

Return With Clarity: A Summer Leadership Challenge

In the season 6 finale of Change Starts Here, Dustin Odham invites educators and leaders to rethink their summer break. While taking time off is crucial for physical recovery, Dustin challenges listeners to aim for true renewal and clarity. By applying Dr. Covey's 7th Habit, "Sharpen the Saw," leaders can intentionally renew themselves mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Listeners are challenged to take one uninterrupted day alone this summer to pause and reflect. Dustin guides leaders through a powerful internal process: starting with gratitude rather than problem-solving, identifying personal "genius" to avoid disconnecting from their true selves, and defining a lasting leadership legacy. By crafting or refining a personal mission statement, educators can ensure they return in the fall not just rested, but deeply intentional. Download the Handout, Reflection and Mission Statement Guide:  Hosts: Dustin Odham (FranklinCovey Education) Timestamps: 00:00 Podcast intro 01:06 Wrapping up the season 02:28 The weight educators carry 03:20 Habit 7 Sharpen the saw 04:54 Start with gratitude 05:51 Reflect on your genius 06:52 Define your legacy 08:11 Your personal mission statement 09:19 Rest deeply and reflect 10:39 Closing the season

What To Do With The Year You Just Had

In this episode of Change Starts Here, Kim Yaris and Dr. Eve Miller explore how educators and leaders can effectively transition out of a demanding school year. Drawing on a Yale study, they discuss how a leader's ability to manage their own emotions directly impacts the well-being of their staff. Because of "emotion contagion theory," the emotional residue leaders carry out of the spring can set the tone for the entire school environment in the fall. Listeners will discover why end-of-year recovery is an essential part of leadership, rather than optional self-care. The conversation highlights three research-backed practices: savoring positive moments to combat exhaustion , using narrative identity to make meaning of difficult experiences rather than ruminating on them , and engaging in the challenging but necessary practice of mentally disengaging from work. By leaning into self-compassion, educators can process the year, recover fully, and prepare a healthier emotional climate for the future. Download the Handout: https://resources.franklincovey.com/c/podcast_handout_s6e37?x=Z0wt6j [https://resources.franklincovey.com/c/podcast_handout_s6e37?x=Z0wt6j] Hosts:  Kim Yaris, M.Ed. Associate Director of Research with FranklinCovey Education Dr. Eve Miller (Director of Research with FranklinCovey Education) Timestamps: 00:00 Podcast intro 00:42 Transitions for adults 01:30 The reality of exhaustion 03:00 Yale wellbeing study 03:47 Emotion contagion theory 05:08 Recovery is leadership 06:06 Practice one savoring 08:52 When savoring matters most 09:58 The savoring prompt 11:06 Practice two narrative identity 13:58 Meaning making versus rumination 15:01 Three reflection questions 16:51 Practice three mental disengagement 18:36 Nervous system discomfort 19:38 The power of self-compassion 20:56 Closing thoughts

The Gift of Pause When Leading What’s Next

In this episode of Change Starts Here, Dustin Odham sits down with global leadership expert and executive coach Victoria Roos Olsson to discuss the importance of pausing at the end of a busy school year. While exhausted leaders often want to rush to the finish line or immediately tackle the next challenge, Victoria explains why using the end of a season for reflection is vital for sustainable success. Listeners will discover how to ask more effective questions and evaluate the past year through creative exercises, such as having their team draw their experiences. Victoria also shares practical strategies for re-energizing staff, from conducting walking meetings to providing reflective summer assignments. Ultimately, this conversation serves as a powerful reminder that leadership is a human endeavor, and slowing down is often the key to moving forward effectively. Get your copy of The 6 Critical Practices for Leading a Team: https://www.amazon.com/Everyone-Deserves-Great-Manager-Practices/dp/1982112077 [https://www.amazon.com/Everyone-Deserves-Great-Manager-Practices/dp/1982112077]  Hosts: Dustin Odham (Host) Victoria Roos-Olssen. Global Leadership Expert, Executive Coach, & Bestselling Author  Timestamps: 00:00 Podcast intro 02:46 Victoria's leadership journey 04:34 The power of reflection 08:16 Finishing the race strong 12:38 Questions as power tools 14:21 Drawing the school year 17:22 Re-energizing your team 21:16 The extended mind 24:44 Craving our own imbalances 29:16 Creating leadership habits 35:35 A healthy summer reset 38:37 Human side of leadership 42:03 Closing thoughts

Endings That Stick

In this episode of Change Starts Here, Kim Yaris and Dr. Eve Miller discuss the final weeks of the school year, a time typically filled with tying up loose ends, cleaning up, and the temptation to just pop in a movie. However, research shows that how a year ends disproportionately shapes how students will remember the entire experience. Drawing on Daniel Kahneman's famous "peak-end rule" and Crystal Park's research on meaning-making, the hosts explain that it isn't enough for an ending to just be positive; it has to feel meaningful. Students who can articulate what they learned from turning points show higher well-being years later. To help educators end the year with intention, Kim and Eve offer two practical, research-backed moves: planning the last week backward from a final shared moment, and providing a structured reflection for students to make sense of their year. Download the Handout Handout: https://resources.franklincovey.com/c/podcast_handout_epis-35?x=whj9VQ [https://resources.franklincovey.com/c/podcast_handout_epis-35?x=whj9VQ] Hosts:  Kim Yaris, M.Ed. (Associate Director of Research with FranklinCovey Education)  Dr. Eve Miller (Director of Research with FranklinCovey Education) Timestamps:  00:00 Podcast intro  00:15 The end of year  01:22 Temptation to coast  02:29 Why endings matter  03:54 The peak end rule  06:02 Remembering school years  08:06 Meaning making research  09:26 Practice one plan backward  11:24 Practice two structured reflection  13:21 The impact of reflection  14:21 Closing thoughts

3 Practices to Make the Last 30 Days Count

In this episode of Change Starts Here, Dustin Odham challenges the "spring fever" mentality that sweeps through schools during the final stretch of the year. Rather than just counting down the days and winding down expectations, Dustin urges leaders and educators to finish with intention. Sharing a powerful story about "legacy projects" at Mechanics Grove Elementary, he illustrates how giving students ownership and purpose can completely transform the energy of a building. Reflect on what your students will truly remember about the school year and learn three simple, actionable moves to maximize the final 30 days: naming the moment to elevate its significance, creating ownership through contribution, and celebrating impact and effort over mere compliance. Make sure the end of the year feels meaningful, not just survived. Host: Dustin Odham (FranklinCovey Education) Timestamps: 00:00 The final stretch 00:37 The spring fever mindset 01:27 Legacy projects in action 01:59 What changed? 03:14 Making the end meaningful 03:45 What will they remember? 05:01 The year in review 06:12 Three actionable moves 07:15 Change how the story ends 08:42 Closing