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Every leader brings their own story to the table because leadership is shaped by lived experiences. These experiences influence how leaders lead, connect with others, and influence the culture of an organization. Lived experiences (both personal and professional) can help leaders understand the people they serve and lead with greater purpose, authenticity, and empathy. In the last episode, Dr. Janet Pilcher began a conversation with Mr. Bradley Roberson, a Studer Education Leader Coach and a retired school superintendent, about his lived experiences in education. In this episode, they continue their conversation and explore how their lived experiences have demonstrated that the way leaders show up, build trust, and recognize bright spots create meaningful change within an organization. Listen as Dr. Pilcher and Mr. Roberson talk about three important ideas: It's crucial for leaders to be “at the table." Leadership isn’t simply about having a seat; it’s about using that seat to lead, build relationships, understand different perspectives, hold people accountable, and contribute to meaningful change. Leading by example matters—not just in the big moments, but in the everyday choices, conversations, and behaviors that set the tone for an entire organization.There is tremendous value in recognizing the “bright spots” within an organization: the people, practices, relationships, and successes that are already working and can provide a foundation for growth. Recommended Resources:  Lead by Example, Transform Culture with Reward and Recognition Follow Host Dr. Janet Pilcher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetpilcher/

Education is constantly changing, and with change comes new challenges. In navigating those challenges, leaders can draw on the lived experiences of strong leaders—because experience is one of life’s greatest teachers. Bradley Roberson, retired superintendent of Oxford County Schools in Mississippi and now a Studer Education Leader Coach, has led through many seasons of change in education. Throughout his career, he has held firmly to a guiding belief: “Every kid that comes through every system in America deserves the opportunity to be successful.” In Part 1 of this two-part interview, Dr. Janet Pilcher and Mr. Roberson explore the challenges facing K–12 education today and tactics leaders can use to build cultures and systems that support positive outcomes. Drawing on lived experiences, they discuss how leaders can address challenges and create environments where every student has the opportunity to succeed. Listen as Dr. Pilcher and Mr. Roberson share insights from experience and explore how intentional leadership can help education systems move forward—even in times of significant change. Recommended Resources:  Achieve Sustainable Impact with Rounding and Surveys, Drive Student Achievement with Scorecards Follow Host Dr. Janet Pilcher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetpilcher/

Since 2019, Dr. Janet Pilcher has used this podcast to share the stories of effective leaders—their successes, their challenges, and the lessons they’ve learned along the way. Across 449 episodes, those stories have revealed countless lessons worth remembering and milestones worth celebrating. As Dr. Pilcher reflects, “Here’s what I’ve learned over 449 episodes: We are all connected, and how we treat one another matters.” Leaders have an important role to play in helping people recognize those connections, showing what it means to treat one another with respect and care, and building cultures where people know they matter. Now, as we celebrate 450 episodes of the Accelerate Your Performance podcast, join Dr. Pilcher as she reflects on the lessons, stories, and experiences that have shaped the journey—and the simple message at the heart of it all: “What we do matters. How we treat people matters. People matter."  Recommended Resources:  Creating a Culture of Recognition, Be Happy at Work Follow Host Dr. Janet Pilcher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetpilcher/

Good leaders listen with intention and then act on what they learn. Listening to those closest to the work provides the most meaningful and accurate information because they are the ones that know the work best. These people can share what’s working well, what needs to be improved, what problems need to be solved, what potential solutions might look like, why organizations are achieving the results they are achieving, how to scale positive results, and so much more. Listening to those closest to the work, then, provides leaders with valuable information that can be turned into actionable priorities for improvement. Therefore, effective leaders listen to those closest to the work and then act on what they hear. In this episode, Dr. Janet Pilcher talks with Johnny Edwards, the Superintendent of the Portage Public Schools, who has made it a regular practice to listen to those closest to the work and then act on what he hears. Listen as they discuss ways to listen to those closest to the work, why listening to these people is valuable, and the benefits of listening with intention and acting with purpose. Recommended Resources:  Listen Humbly and Learn Continuously, Listen to People to Continuously Improve Follow Host Dr. Janet Pilcher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetpilcher/

When schools, students, and families work together, everyone wins. The truth is that teachers, families, and students have the same goal – student success. Therefore, building teams that allow everyone to work together for this shared goal helps bring the goal to fruition. Everyone has a valued voice on the team, and leaders build the culture for these teams to thrive and invite people to the table to share their voices.  Listen as Dr. Janet Pilcher and Keri Jo Sapp, the principal of Oxford Early Childhood Center, explore the importance of including children in their own learning; the value of building strong school-family relationships; and the magic of bringing students, families, and teachers together to build powerful teams. As Ms. Sapp shares, it is hard work but is worth every effort.  Recommended Resources:  Families Are Valuable Team Members, The Partnership Between Schools and Families Follow Host Dr. Janet Pilcher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetpilcher/

Teachers are a gift to the world, and the work they do each day is transformational. They leave special marks on our lives, and their work is impactful. Teachers need to be reminded how remarkable and appreciated they are; they need to be reminded that their work matters in so many ways. This episode is about the big and small ways we can show appreciation and the impact that those demonstrations have on educators. The truth is that all employees and leaders need to know they are appreciated, and we get so much out of demonstrating gratitude.  In this episode, Dr. Janet Pilcher talks with one of the remarkable gifts that we call “teacher,” Brian Hostetler, an educator at Aspen Academy in Greenwood Village, Colorado. Listen as Dr. Pilcher and Mr. Hostetler discuss why gratitude matters, particularly to educators; how to show gratitude in big and small ways; and the impact that demonstrations of gratitude have.  Recommended Resources:  Express Gratitude for Those on Your Journey, Three Ways to Show Gratitude   Follow Host Dr. Janet Pilcher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetpilcher/

Good leaders are effective at showing care and concern for others. Acts of care and concern can be demonstrated in both expected ways (such as check-in meetings) and unexpected ways (such as difficult conversations). The bottom line is that when people feel cared for, they are more engaged, feel a deeper investment to their work, and feel safe. In environments that build these feelings, a community is built and supported. People just want to know they are valued and that their work matters.  Listen as Dr. Janet Pilcher and Adam Bowen, Superintendent of New Buffalo Area Schools in Michigan, use an improvement mindset lens to discuss the importance of care and concern, ways to show care and concern, and the impact that care and concern have on building and supporting a community.  Recommended Resources:  Serve Others with Great Care and Concern, Build Trust to Strengthen Culture   Follow Host Dr. Janet Pilcher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetpilcher/

Getting and keeping employees engaged is hard, intentional work, but it's worth the continuous time and effort. As Lana Fontenot, Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement and External Relations at South Louisiana Community College, states, "Engagement is not a one-time thing, it happens day in and day out, year-round. You never stop doing it. It's not a check the box."  In the first part of this two-part interview, Dr. Janet Pilcher and Ms. Fontenot discussed the importance of getting employees engaged from very early in their tenure at an organization. In this second part of this interview, they talk about how important it is to continue keeping employees engaged throughout their career at an organization.  Listen as they discuss the importance of employee engagement; the impact of employee engagement on organizational culture; and ways to keep employees engaged, such as   Holding regular touch points,Listening strategically and deliberately,Capitalizing on wins,Showing care and concern for employees' growth and well-being,Taking an interest in employees’ work, andRemoving barriers.Recommended Resources:  Small Conversations, Big Impact: Strengthening Culture Through Rounding, Shape Culture Through Connection  Follow Host Dr. Janet Pilcher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetpilcher/

Employee engagement is key to a successful organization, and getting team members engaged should begin even before their first day of work as a new hire. New hires naturally feel a mix of excitement and anxiety, but leaders must capitalize on the excitement while minimizing the anxiety to stimulate employee engagement from the outset. According to Lana Fontenot, Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement and External Relations for South Louisiana Community College, effective pre-boarding and onboarding programs are effective ways to not only stimulate excitement and reduce anxiety but to build engagement and increase retention rates.  Listen to the first part of Dr. Janet Pilcher's two-part interview with Ms. Fontenot as they discuss her model for pre-boarding and onboarding and her personal experience as a new hire that instilled within her the passion for effective onboarding and employee engagement.  Recommended Resources:  Focus on Employee Engagement, Increase Employee Engagement with Recognition Follow Host Dr. Janet Pilcher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetpilcher/

Continuous improvement is grounded in learning. In fact, continuous improvement necessitates a mindset that focuses on continued learning and growth and that acknowledges that there is always something new to discover. Through this learning, growth occurs, and growth facilitates improvement. As Brian Alaback, Director of Professional Learning for Escambia County Public Schools in Florida so aptly shares, “if I don't have the mindset of continuing to grow and learn, then it doesn't matter what I’m trying to improve.”    Listen as Dr. Janet Pilcher and Mr. Alaback  consider how leaders model and lead the way in growing and learning to drive improvement, explore why investing in your own learning and the learning of others is crucial to continuous improvement, and discuss tactics for supporting improvement through learning. Recommended Resources:  Continuous Improvement Through Leadership, Build a Culture of Improvement   Follow Host Dr. Janet Pilcher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetpilcher/

In today’s episode, Dr. Janet Pilcher implements her own advice to “face the brutal facts” in education. As educational leaders in both K12 and higher education face a changing landscape, Dr. Pilcher explains that it’s crucial for leaders to attend to the bottom line to provide what’s best for students. Listen as she encourages the practice of facing the brutal facts and responding in positive ways by  using scorecards and short cycles of improvement; having open conversations with other leaders; helping people understand where they’ve been, where they are now, how they got to where they are now; tracking progress; engaging in problem-solving discussions; and making decisions even when they are difficult. Recommended Resources:  Drive Student Achievement with Scorecards, Get Aligned: Strategic Plans, Scorecards, and Measures that Matter  Follow Host Dr. Janet Pilcher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetpilcher/

Dr. Howard Spearman, one of the 2026 Studer Education Difference Maker Award winners, believes that knowing your "why" is essential for a leader. Without knowing your why, Dr. Spearman shares that a leader can "lose their way." When a leader knows their why, students and communities thrive, and outcomes are met. Dr. Spearman is an example of how knowing and living your why reaps benefits. Listen as he shares with Dr. Janet Pilcher his experiences with aligning daily work with the why and the positive results that follow. Recommended Resources:  Remember Your Why: From Struggle to Purpose, Connecting Operations to Student Success  Follow Host Dr. Janet Pilcher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetpilcher/

Even the best leaders know that they can continue to learn. That mindset is partially what makes them good leaders; they continue to seek ways to improve. In this episode, Dr. Janet Pilcher talks with Dr. Vincent June, one of those great leaders who continues to seek ways to improve. His leadership has had a tremendous impact on the institutions and communities that he has served. As a result, he was the recipient of a 2026 Studer Education Difference Maker Award. Listen as Dr. June shares candid advice and wisdom about what good leadership looks like and feels like and the value of becoming a student of leadership.  Recommended Resources:  Leaders as Lifelong Learners, Higher Education Isn't One Size Fits All  Follow Host Dr. Janet Pilcher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetpilcher/

Change is everyday business for leaders, and employees rely on leaders to guide them through change by effectively managing and leading change efforts.  Listen as Dr. Janet Pilcher reflects on the idea that change is everyday business and shares three key concepts related to how leaders can effectively manage and lead the "everyday business" of change: Align leader behaviors that produce results and consider what this means in relation to change.Apply tactics to show people that they are valued and to demonstrate that what they do adds value.Commit to the reality that solid performance is not good enough.Recommended Resources:  9 Pillars of Leadership Excellence: A New Operating System for Education, Just Start: Driving Change in Education  Follow Host Dr. Janet Pilcher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetpilcher/

People want to do good work, and they want to work in an organization that has a positive work environment. According to Kelly Krostag, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resource Services for Escambia County Public Schools in Florida, a positive work environment “is the culture,” and she shares that developing, implementing, and living standards of excellence in the organization can transform organizational culture.  In this episode, Dr. Janet Pilcher talks with Ms. Krostag about how the Human Resource Services Department of Escambia County Public Schools created and implemented standards of behavior and the positive impact those standards have had on the culture of the department. She also shares how she recognizes the standards “walking the halls.” Listen to hear how standards of excellence can make a positive impact on organizational culture. Recommended Resources:   Develop and Apply Standards of Excellence, Transform Culture with Reward and Recognition  Follow Host Dr. Janet Pilcher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetpilcher/