Empathy in School Leadership with Tom Szczesny, Ed.D.

Tom Szczesny, Ed.D. shares his journey from aspiring sports broadcaster to school principal, emphasizing the importance of systems thinking and empathy in leadership. He discusses the complexities of educational environments, the significance of engaging stakeholders, and the necessity of slowing down to foster connection and understanding. Tom highlights the importance of personal well-being and the role of rituals in building community within schools. He concludes with insights on measuring success and the challenges of maintaining empathy as a leader.Sound bites"We need to foster connection.""We all have many dimensions.""How do we show ourselves empathy?"Chapters00:00 Journey into Education: From Sports to School Leadership04:29 Systems Thinking in Education: Balancing Strategy and Empathy09:09 Engaging Stakeholders: The Art of Connection in Leadership13:37 Leading with Empathy: Understanding the Whole Person18:23 Self-Care for Leaders: Filling Your Own Well21:20 Balancing Leadership and Personal Well-being26:47 Creating Connection Through Storytelling33:05 Building Community in Schools36:24 Empathy in Leadership: Unlearning and GrowingResources:Articles authored by Tom that unpack his leadership and thinking in building systems in schools that are rooted in principles of empathy:Educational Leadership Magazine - Creating a Mosaic of Connection: https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/creating-a-mosaic-of-connection &ASCD Blog - 3 Steps to Stronger School Connection: https://www.ascd.org/blogs/3-steps-to-stronger-school-connectionsGuest Links:Tom’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomszcz/Join us at The Empathy Collective launch event on July 15th @ 12 PM EST. Register here:https://the-empathy-collective.mn.co/plans/1980279?bundle_token=a97b9813830266b53b0e284f3ebac15b&utm_source=manual Join the membership waitlist for The Empathy Collective community (our doors open July 29th) and reference the promo code ROEPOD101 for a 10% discount on the form: https://www.theempathycollective.com/contact-us