EPISODE 322

Stop Chasing Compliance. Start Building Alignment

Biggest Takeaways You Don't Want to Miss:
  • If you don’t build alignment on purpose, the best you can hope for is compliance (and even that will wear out by the end of September)
  • Chasing compliance means that the work will always be on you. Building alignment means that everyone owns the work.
  • If the back-to-school routine (the swag, the ice-breakers, the speeches, the PD) actually built alignment every school would already be aligned.
  • Compliance is fast. Alignment will last.
  • You don’t need 12 goals. You need ONE path.
  • Every August, we’ve been trained to do chores and call it work: Slides, themes, speeches, icebreakers, last-minute PD agendas, hallway decorations. None of it bad. But none of it creates alignment.

It’s go-time. The halls are getting decorated, the PD agendas are set, and you’re knee-deep in first-day prep. But here’s the hard truth: all that effort? It won’t build alignment. And if you’re not intentionally building alignment from Day 1, the best you can hope for is short-term compliance—and even that fades by fall.

In this episode, I’ll unpack:

  • Why alignment feels impossible during the back-to-school scramble (and why it’s not your fault)

  • The hidden trap even good principals fall into this time of year

  • 3 simple shifts that can turn your staff from compliant to committed—even before school starts

If you’ve ever felt like you’re working harder than ever and still not getting the traction you want, this episode will show you what to do instead #LikeABuilder.

Check out these highlights:
  • Why back-to-school energy gives you a false sense of alignment—and what actually creates lasting commitment.
  • How even experienced principals fall into the compliance trap without realizing it.
  • What you should stop doing this week if you want your staff to still be aligned in October.
  • The real reason your back-to-school prep isn’t getting results (and what to focus on instead).
  • Why alignment feels out of reach—and how 3 small shifts can change everything.
Links mentioned in this episode:

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