Encore Episode: Demond Means on Equity, Challenges, and Triumphs in Education

An Imperfect Leader

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INTRO: This week, I am thrilled to visit with a tremendous leader, Dr. Demond Means, Superintendent of the Wauwatosa School District, a school district just outside of Milwaukee.

During our conversation, an incredibly vulnerable reflection by Dr. Means included a decision he made early in his career as a central office leader. He skipped over principals and went directly to teachers during their continuous learning process.

I’ve done something similar. I remember being a new assistant superintendent and going to a family’s kitchen table to problem solve issues their child was having at school. It was a marvelous meeting and I felt so good… until the next day… when I better understood how my actions undermined others.

You must listen to that part of the conversation and the importance of recognizing the different perspectives and roles in any given situation!

BIO: Dr. Demond Means has spent two decades transforming culture, attaining exceptional organizational results, expanding access to enhanced opportunities to historically marginalized student populations, and shifting mindsets in school districts and communities across the country, fulfilling a passion to heighten achievement expectations, and eradicate inequities in education, opportunity, and access for marginalized populations.

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An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast is supported by ILAA, LLC, a firm dedicated to supporting aspiring, new, and established leaders. For more information, please find them at www.human-centeredleaders.com.

Music for An Imperfect Leader was written and arranged by Ian Varley.

Sam Falbo created our artwork, a wood-print inspired daruma doll butterfly.

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NEW EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE

"What do we want to create together?" So proud to have co-written the foreword with Zach Taylor to this essential book on Human-Centered School Transformation. If you're a school leader looking to make sense of what you know to be true about schools, check it out. If you're a corporate leader, you will find a pathway to better results in every page.

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AN IMPERFECT LEADER IS AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

My book, An Imperfect Leader: Leadership in (After) Action is available at Amazon.com. If there is no hyperlink to follow, please go to Amazon.com or peterstiepleman.com to order a copy.