Leading in Uncertain Times

I am the daughter of educators, 
So, I became a learner
I am the granddaughter of resilient women, 
So, I became their strength and determination

Recently, I had the honor of joining a local gathering in Tacoma, Charting Our Future: The Power of Us. The energy in the room, the wisdom shared – it stirred something in me. It reminded me of what real leadership looks like when the ground beneath us feels unsteady.

This clarity wasn’t just born from my role as an education leader; it struck deeper, through the lens of motherhood. My daughter, a complex learner with a rare genetic syndrome, depends on strong, well-funded support systems. The current climate of diminishing resources is a personal blow. It’s this lived understanding that fuels my commitment to the leadership we urgently need. Our students and families need us to show up—and not just in the ways we always have.

Rooted in place, our work grows out of the choices we make each day— moments where compassion blooms, where trust begins to settle into the soil.

Showing Up When It’s Hard

The path ahead is uneven, and at times, the ground shifts beneath us. Leadership isn’t just about staying upright; it’s about leaning in, reaching out, and making choices that reflect who we are at our core. This is the work that roots us deeply where it matters most. 

This is not the season to shrink. It is a time to rise through steady acts of strength and clarity.  Leadership doesn’t live in the spotlight; it lives in the decisions we make when no one is watching. Leadership means showing up, day after day. Even when the wind pushes back. Even when we stand alone.

Choosing Action, Not Just Words

We don’t need more lofty language. We need action. Consistent steps – sometimes small, sometimes difficult – push through the hard ground and shift the future. Change is slow. Change is real. And it begins with each intentional choice we make. Even choosing to rest is an act of leadership—rest that replenishes us so our actions are grounded in intention, not exhaustion.

Even when systems feel immovable, our individual and collective actions are the seeds of transformation. They demand persistence. They demand discernment – to know when to bend and when to hold firm.  We don’t just endure these times; we are cultivating the future with every deliberate action.  

The Intertwined Roots of Resilience 

This work isn’t solitary. Our strength is braided together through relationships, community, and the care we offer ourselves. Check in with your team, and with yourself. The storms are real, but they don’t define us. What defines us is how we respond. How we show up – over and over again. 

We must stay grounded – even when the weight is heavy, the path unclear. We are the steady  force that moves education forward—not with fleeting ideas, but through gritty, principled action. When policies inevitably shift once more, what will truly endure is how we showed up – for our students, for each other. 

Building a Legacy of Presence

The most lasting impact doesn’t come from loud declarations. It’s built in the quiet, intentional acts that no one applauds. It’s in choosing compassion over compliance. Intentionally pausing to understand needs rather than make assumptions. Making space for joy – amidst the uncertainty. 

Our legacy is built in the conscious choices we make to honor our own needs, recognizing that our presence is most impactful when we are nourished, not depleted. To fully show up for others, care for self must not be an afterthought – it must be intentional.

Our communities don’t need heroes. They need steady hands, open hearts and the courage to act when it matters most. This kind of grounded, compassionate leadership also extends to how we treat ourselves and our colleagues, recognizing our shared humanity.

Check in again—with your teams, understanding their burdens, and with yourself, honoring your own limits and needs. Rest when needed. Recognize that grief and joy can coexist, and courage isn’t the absence of fear – it’s choosing to show up anyway. Even as systems sway and shift, we hold power – in our choices, our connections, our presence.

A Closing Affirmation

You are allowed
to bend the rules
when they no longer serve
the human beings in your care.

You are allowed
to slow down,
so others can breathe.

We are the force
that moves this forward—
not always loudly, 

but steadily,
with grit and grace.

The future of learning
is in our hands—
built with every bold decision,
every stand we take,
every time we choose to show up.

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