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On this episode of Change Starts Here, our host Dustin Odham sits down with Maria Fleming and Betsy Wierda, co-authors of the newest edition of The 4 Disciplines of Execution for Educators. While school leaders rarely struggle to write comprehensive improvement plans, turning those high-minded goals into day-to-day results amid the daily "whirlwind" remains a persistent challenge. Maria and Betsy break down how K–12 leaders can move beyond endless initiatives to build real momentum. They share practical strategies for establishing a tight focus, acting on lead measures, keeping compelling scoreboards, and maintaining a weekly cadence of accountability. From empowering custodial staff to celebrating growth milestones with five-year-olds, this episode provides an actionable roadmap for aligning entire school communities around what matters most. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share your thoughts in the comments!  Join the authors of The 4 Disciplines of Execution for Educators, district leaders, and superintendents for an exclusive live webcast featuring a virtual school walkthrough and live Q&A. Learn how to build alignment, shared ownership, and lasting focus across your district. 🗓 Date: November 13 at 12:00 PM EDT Claim Your Spot for the Live 4DX Event Here  Host: Dustin Odham Guest(s): Maria Fleming, Leader in Me Coach/Consultant, and Betsy Wierda, Leader in Me Coach/Consultant Time Stamps & Show Notes:00:00 The Day-to-Day Disconnect 00:53 From Great Intentions to Results 03:18 Meet Betsy Wierda and Maria Fleming 06:42 Why Executing Priorities Is Hard 08:36 Escaping the Whirlwind of School 10:23 Aligning Wildly Important Goals 12:59 Activity Versus True Progress 14:32 Building Scoreboards and Alignment 16:49 Unifying Staff Around Mission 18:36 Falling to Systems Over Goals 20:34 Turning Around College Park Elementary 24:06 Talking With Students About Data 25:25 Hope and Student Agency Research 27:28 The 4 Disciplines Explained 30:59 The Power of Celebrating Wins 32:10 Practicing Selective Abandonment 34:19 4DX Educator Learning Opportunities 36:28 Shifting Paradigms to See Outcomes

In this Change Starts Here research conversation, Kim Yaris and Dr. Eve Miller pick up where their last episode on hope left off: you've named the goal and the obstacle in your way, so what do you actually do when that obstacle shows up? They dig into why following through has less to do with willpower than most of us were taught, starting with a study on distractible kindergartners and a confession from Kim about an exercise routine she abandoned on day ten. From there, Kim and Eve walk through decades of research on implementation intentions, the psychologist Peter Gollwitzer's work showing that a simple “if this happens, then I'll do that” plan outperforms a plan with no trigger attached to it by a wide margin. They close with a practical way for school leaders, teachers, and anyone managing a team to write a plan that actually survives a busy day. Download the Handout: Handout: https://resources.franklincovey.com/c/csh-s7e8-handout?x=BaUe_e Hosts:  Kim Yaris, M.Ed. (Associate Director of Research with FranklinCovey Education) Dr. Eve Miller (Director of Research with FranklinCovey Education) Timestamps:  00:00 Intro 00:14 The cartoon distraction study 02:04 Welcome to Change Starts Here Research Conversations 03:47 Kim's confession: the exercise plan that didn't stick 04:33 It's not about self-discipline 05:22 The principal who meant to get into classrooms 06:56 Getting practical with if-then plans 08:09 The winter break essay study 10:00 Eve's own dissertation story 11:06 642 studies and the real effect size 12:53 Building the principal's if-then plan 14:42 Writing your own if-then plan 16:18 Using this with teachers and with your team 18:24 This week's assignment and closing thoughts

In education, there’s always more to do. Competing priorities, urgent requests, new initiatives, and everyday demands can keep us constantly moving—but being busy and making progress aren’t the same thing. When everything feels important, how do we decide what deserves our focus? In this episode, Change Starts Here host Dustin Odham explores how educators can move beyond activity and create meaningful progress by focusing on what matters most. Drawing from the FranklinCovey Education report Overwhelmed and Overcommitted, Dustin challenges us to define what progress looks like, make it visible, and stay focused long enough to see the work make a difference. Download the report now to go deeper and help your team focus on what matters most: https://content.franklincovey.com/execution-report?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=4DX_Fall_Campaign&utm_term=4DX_fall&utm_content=report Host: Dustin Odham Time Stamps & Show Notes: 00:00 October Tells the Truth  00:43 The Fading August Energy  01:13 Culture Is What You Repeat  02:05 Activity Versus Actual Progress  02:58 The Trap of False Urgency  03:30 Overwhelmed and Overcommitted Report Insights  04:00 The Air Traffic Controller Analogy  04:40 Doing Less to Achieve Better  05:08 Leveraging October Evidence for Wins  06:05 Becoming Intentional About What Repeats  06:33 The Power of Visible Progress  07:25 Saying We Are Not There Yet  08:00 Three Questions for Leadership Teams  08:48 Your Progress Determinant Final Thought

What does it take to keep improving when nothing is technically broken? In this episode of Change Starts Here, Dustin Odham sits down with Dr. Monica Schroeder, Superintendent of North Shore School District 112, to explore how a high-performing district creates urgency, focus, and shared ownership around continuous improvement. Monica shares how years of intentional work around culture, leadership, data, and student outcomes have helped North Shore 112 keep moving forward—and how tools like the 4 Disciplines of Execution® are helping the district sharpen its focus around a few wildly important goals. Their conversation gets into the leadership behind that progress: building collective efficacy, creating alignment without adding more noise, giving students a stronger voice, and continuing to raise the bar even when the district is already performing well. It’s a practical look at what sustained improvement requires when the goal isn’t to fix what’s broken, but to keep getting better. Want to learn more about North Shore School District 112? Visit their website to check out their progress and WIGs: https://www.nssd112.org/ Host: Dustin Odham Guest: Dr. Monica Schroeder, Superintendent of North Shore School District 112 Time Stamps & Show Notes:00:00 Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast 00:41 Introducing Dr. Monica Schroeder 02:15 Embracing Technical Pivots and Patience 03:09 First-Generation Roots and Work Ethic 03:55 Two Decades at North Shore 112 05:56 Measuring Staff Culture and Engagement 07:48 Rejecting the "Good Enough" Mindset 08:39 Setting Wildly Important Goals for Kids 10:29 Creating Urgency Without a Crisis 11:59 Personal Literacy Story and Student Agency 13:29 Moving Data from Compliance to Ownership 15:02 The 4 Disciplines of Execution Framework 18:18 Cutting the Noise with Focus 19:31 Applying 4DX to Personal Wellness Goals 21:33 Addressing the Student Engagement Disconnect 25:08 Putting Eighth Graders on School Board 27:37 Merging Championship Culture with Academics 29:46 Leading with an Abundance Mindset 33:15 Avoiding Internal Competition Across Schools 35:10 Transparent Dashboards and Systemic Growth

On this episode of Change Starts Here: Research Conversations, hosts Kim Yaris and Dr. Eve Miller dive into a two-part research series on why setting big goals and visualizing success often falls short. Dr. Miller breaks down C.R. Snyder’s science-backed definition of hope, which hinges on having both actionable pathways and a sense of personal agency, and explains why relying solely on positive thinking can actually backfire. Drawing on Gabriele Oettingen’s research, the episode highlights a surprising twist: daydreaming about success without addressing reality can lower your blood pressure and drain the physiological motivation needed to get things done. To bridge that gap, Kim and Eve walk through the WOOP framework (Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan). You'll learn how to use "mental contrasting" to spot the internal hurdles holding you back and pair them with simple "if-then" plans to make your school-year goals actually stick. If you enjoyed the episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and drop your thoughts in the comments! Download the free handout here: https://resources.franklincovey.com/c/csh-s7e6-handout?x=BaUe_e&utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes  Hosts:  Kim Yaris, Associate Director of Research with FranklinCovey Education  Dr. Eve Miller, Director of Research with FranklinCovey Education  Time Stamps & Show Notes:00:00 Visualizing Success Delays Offers 00:46 Setting vs Achieving Goals 01:51 C.R. Snyder's Two-Part Hope 03:23 Identifying the Goal Execution Gap 04:19 Hope Predicts Academic Performance 05:22 Why Vision Boards Backfire 06:20 The Pitfalls of Positive Fantasies 07:06 Blood Pressure and Motivation Drops 08:38 Mental Contrasting Strategy Revealed 09:24 Explaining WOOP Acronym Framework 09:38 Urban Middle School WOOP Study 10:06 Defining Wish and Expected Outcome 11:06 Identifying Internal Personal Obstacles 12:30 Creating If-Then Execution Plans 13:27 Applying WOOP in School Leadership 14:35 Action Steps for the Week

In this episode, Dustin sits down with Adam Welcome, a former teacher, principal, and district leader who has spent his career challenging educators to rethink what kids are actually capable of. Adam has worked with over 500 school districts in 49 states, and he brings that same high energy into a conversation about the gap between the world schools are preparing kids for and the world they're actually walking into. Adam and Dustin dig into why adults do too much for kids instead of with them, what it actually takes to let go of control in a classroom or at home, and how small shifts like starting a student podcast or a coding club can build real ownership without adding another initiative to an already full plate. Learn more about Adam and his work: https://www.adamwelcome.com Symposium: https://www.leaderinme.org/symposiums/?utm_source=shownotes Host: Dustin Odham Guest: Adam Welcome, Speaker, Bestselling Author, Former Principal Timestamps:  00:00 Cold open: everything is contagious 00:32 Meet Adam Welcome 02:34 Welcome to the show 03:30 Who are you and what do you love 05:12 What's changed for kids in five years 07:50 The skills schools aren't teaching 09:10 What adults hold onto for comfort 12:54 Get kids ready for the world they're growing up in 14:41 Letting go and giving it to students 17:00 Learning through trying, failing, and following curiosity 22:41 Getting over the fear of trusting kids 25:21 What changes when kids stop just complying 29:25 All kids can achieve 30:13 One small shift, and what principals should stop doing 36:14 Everything is contagious 39:08 What to make contagious in kids 40:21 Closing message, where to find Adam, and final thoughts

In this episode of Change Starts Here, Kim Yaris and Dr. Eve Miller dig into what happens in the first few weeks of school, when attention quietly starts to slide toward the schedule, the mandate, or the situation you have no say over. They unpack Stephen Covey's Circle of Influence and revisit decades of research on learned helplessness, including newer work from psychologists Steven Maier and Martin Seligman that offers a different way of thinking about control and agency. Kim and Eve also explore the Whitehall studies on job control and health, why repeated venting can sometimes keep us stuck in frustration, and what all of this means for leaders working in the real-world pressures of schools and districts. Most importantly, they turn the research into three practical moves you can use when your attention starts drifting toward what you can’t change: catch the drift, find the edge, and act. Listen now & download the episode handout for a deeper look at the research and practical ways to use Catch the Drift, Find the Edge, and Act with yourself or your team: https://resources.franklincovey.com/c/csh_s7e4_handout?x=aD_z_A&utm_source=show-notes  Hosts:  Kim Yaris, M.Ed. (Associate Director of Research with FranklinCovey Education) Dr. Eve Miller (Director of Research with FranklinCovey Education) Timestamps:  00:00 Podcast intro 00:15 Welcome back and the September feeling 02:21 The circle of influence 03:38 Download the handout 04:29 The research on learned helplessness 06:14 From learned helplessness to learned agency 08:25 Our natural response to what we can't control 09:36 When there's just too much to do 10:40 A Monday morning example 11:54 The trouble with venting 14:59 Three practical moves: catch the drift, find the edge, act 17:54 Closing thoughts

Culture isn't built in a kickoff meeting or a mission statement, it's built in what leaders repeat when nobody's watching. In this solo episode, host Dustin Odham explores how the small behaviors leaders notice, encourage, or allow each day ultimately shape the culture their people experience. Drawing on the story of a broken thread on a 19th-century weaving loom, Dustin explores why excitement fades but repetition sticks. Dustin shares new research connecting school leadership to teacher retention, breaks down See, Do, Get through the lens of Leader in Me, and leaves school and district leaders with three questions to bring back to their own teams this month. Read the research Dustin references: Teacher Turnover in the United States: Who Moves, Who Leaves, and Why (Learning Policy Institute, 2026): https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/teacher-turnover-united-states-report Host: Dustin Odham Timestamps:  00:00 The thing you've stopped noticing 02:16 Good intentions and matching t-shirts 03:31 Where culture actually gets built 04:29 What culture really is 06:00 The story of a loom 07:17 Every school has broken threads 08:55 What the research says about leadership 09:58 See, do, get 12:49 Model it, notice it, repeat it 15:29 Three questions for your team 16:49 To the exhausted leader listening 18:59 What are we repeating

Today’s teens are growing up in a world that looks dramatically different than it did even a decade ago—but have the principles they need to thrive really changed? In this episode of Change Starts Here, Dustin sits down with Sean Covey, President of FranklinCovey Education and bestselling author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, for a candid conversation about what today’s young people need most from the adults in their lives. Drawing from his experience raising eight children, Sean shares hard-won lessons about connection, confidence, and knowing when to step back and let kids find their own way. He also takes us behind the scenes of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens: A Graphic Novel, sharing how his own family experiences shaped the story, why timeless principles still resonate with today’s teens, and why the way we deliver those principles needs to evolve. Whether you’re a parent, educator, or school leader, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss. Get Sean’s newest book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens: A Graphic Novel: https://www.amazon.com/Habits-Highly-Effective-Teens-Graphic/dp/1668024926/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0 Host: Dustin Odham Guest: Sean Covey, President of FranklinCovey Education Timestamps:  00:00 Cold open: hope for teens 00:34 Welcome to Change Starts Here 03:40 What humbled Sean as a parent 06:47 Trust, discipline, and apology 09:34 Why love is spelled time 11:20 Making time for one-on-one moments 15:48 Sharpening the saw in Moab 18:06 Modeling honesty over teaching it 21:07 How today's teens are different 24:11 Screen time, comparison, and mental health 26:09 What teens need most 29:26 Bringing the habits to life in a graphic novel 34:11 Victoria's story and the hope behind the habits 39:21 Using the book with your family 43:33 Raising free range chickens 46:03 The Leader in Me and the power of affirmation 48:26 Closing thoughts

In the season seven premiere of Change Starts Here, Dustin Odham asks a critical question: "What is the greatest threat to our leadership?" While it’s easy to point to external factors like budgets, teacher shortages, or politics, Dustin argues that the real danger lies within the internal conversations leaders have with themselves. Drawing on his own experiences, including a moment of deep reflection in a hospital bed, Dustin explores how leaders often mistake performance for identity, carrying the weight of unnecessary pressure. Listeners will be challenged to evaluate their internal dialogue and consider whether they would allow someone to speak to their team the way they speak to themselves. This episode sets the tone for the upcoming season, emphasizing that healthy leadership begins from the inside out. By focusing on who they are becoming rather than just what they are accomplishing, leaders can build healthier cultures, achieve extraordinary results, and truly transform the lives of their students. Host: Dustin Odham (FranklinCovey Education) Timestamps:  00:00 Podcast intro  01:15 Building a community of leaders  02:10 Leadership is a privilege  03:38 The greatest threat to leadership  05:03 The inner critic  06:23 Carrying unnecessary pressure  07:21 The hypocrisy of educational leaders  08:21 Stephen Covey's Private Victory  09:26 Why Dustin wears black  11:34 A life-changing hospital stay  12:32 Performance vs identity  14:05 How do you speak to yourself?  15:01 Change starts inside

In the season 6 finale of Change Starts Here, Dustin Odham invites educators and leaders to rethink their summer break. While taking time off is crucial for physical recovery, Dustin challenges listeners to aim for true renewal and clarity. By applying Dr. Covey's 7th Habit, "Sharpen the Saw," leaders can intentionally renew themselves mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Listeners are challenged to take one uninterrupted day alone this summer to pause and reflect. Dustin guides leaders through a powerful internal process: starting with gratitude rather than problem-solving, identifying personal "genius" to avoid disconnecting from their true selves, and defining a lasting leadership legacy. By crafting or refining a personal mission statement, educators can ensure they return in the fall not just rested, but deeply intentional. Download the Handout, Reflection and Mission Statement Guide: https://resources.franklincovey.com/c/csh_summer-reflectio?x=bfYNCN Hosts: Dustin Odham (FranklinCovey Education) Timestamps: 00:00 Podcast intro 01:06 Wrapping up the season 02:28 The weight educators carry 03:20 Habit 7 Sharpen the saw 04:54 Start with gratitude 05:51 Reflect on your genius 06:52 Define your legacy 08:11 Your personal mission statement 09:19 Rest deeply and reflect 10:39 Closing the season

In this episode of Change Starts Here, Kim Yaris and Dr. Eve Miller explore how educators and leaders can effectively transition out of a demanding school year. Drawing on a Yale study, they discuss how a leader's ability to manage their own emotions directly impacts the well-being of their staff. Because of "emotion contagion theory," the emotional residue leaders carry out of the spring can set the tone for the entire school environment in the fall. Listeners will discover why end-of-year recovery is an essential part of leadership, rather than optional self-care. The conversation highlights three research-backed practices: savoring positive moments to combat exhaustion , using narrative identity to make meaning of difficult experiences rather than ruminating on them , and engaging in the challenging but necessary practice of mentally disengaging from work. By leaning into self-compassion, educators can process the year, recover fully, and prepare a healthier emotional climate for the future. Download the Handout: https://resources.franklincovey.com/c/podcast_handout_s6e37?x=Z0wt6j Hosts:  Kim Yaris, M.Ed. Associate Director of Research with FranklinCovey Education Dr. Eve Miller (Director of Research with FranklinCovey Education) Timestamps: 00:00 Podcast intro 00:42 Transitions for adults 01:30 The reality of exhaustion 03:00 Yale wellbeing study 03:47 Emotion contagion theory 05:08 Recovery is leadership 06:06 Practice one savoring 08:52 When savoring matters most 09:58 The savoring prompt 11:06 Practice two narrative identity 13:58 Meaning making versus rumination 15:01 Three reflection questions 16:51 Practice three mental disengagement 18:36 Nervous system discomfort 19:38 The power of self-compassion 20:56 Closing thoughts

In this episode of Change Starts Here, Dustin Odham sits down with global leadership expert and executive coach Victoria Roos Olsson to discuss the importance of pausing at the end of a busy school year. While exhausted leaders often want to rush to the finish line or immediately tackle the next challenge, Victoria explains why using the end of a season for reflection is vital for sustainable success. Listeners will discover how to ask more effective questions and evaluate the past year through creative exercises, such as having their team draw their experiences. Victoria also shares practical strategies for re-energizing staff, from conducting walking meetings to providing reflective summer assignments. Ultimately, this conversation serves as a powerful reminder that leadership is a human endeavor, and slowing down is often the key to moving forward effectively. Get your copy of The 6 Critical Practices for Leading a Team: https://www.amazon.com/Everyone-Deserves-Great-Manager-Practices/dp/1982112077  Hosts: Dustin Odham (Host) Victoria Roos-Olssen. Global Leadership Expert, Executive Coach, & Bestselling Author  Timestamps: 00:00 Podcast intro 02:46 Victoria's leadership journey 04:34 The power of reflection 08:16 Finishing the race strong 12:38 Questions as power tools 14:21 Drawing the school year 17:22 Re-energizing your team 21:16 The extended mind 24:44 Craving our own imbalances 29:16 Creating leadership habits 35:35 A healthy summer reset 38:37 Human side of leadership 42:03 Closing thoughts

In this episode of Change Starts Here, Kim Yaris and Dr. Eve Miller discuss the final weeks of the school year, a time typically filled with tying up loose ends, cleaning up, and the temptation to just pop in a movie. However, research shows that how a year ends disproportionately shapes how students will remember the entire experience. Drawing on Daniel Kahneman's famous "peak-end rule" and Crystal Park's research on meaning-making, the hosts explain that it isn't enough for an ending to just be positive; it has to feel meaningful. Students who can articulate what they learned from turning points show higher well-being years later. To help educators end the year with intention, Kim and Eve offer two practical, research-backed moves: planning the last week backward from a final shared moment, and providing a structured reflection for students to make sense of their year. Download the Handout Handout: https://resources.franklincovey.com/c/podcast_handout_epis-35?x=whj9VQ Hosts:  Kim Yaris, M.Ed. (Associate Director of Research with FranklinCovey Education)  Dr. Eve Miller (Director of Research with FranklinCovey Education) Timestamps:  00:00 Podcast intro  00:15 The end of year  01:22 Temptation to coast  02:29 Why endings matter  03:54 The peak end rule  06:02 Remembering school years  08:06 Meaning making research  09:26 Practice one plan backward  11:24 Practice two structured reflection  13:21 The impact of reflection  14:21 Closing thoughts

In this episode of Change Starts Here, Dustin Odham challenges the "spring fever" mentality that sweeps through schools during the final stretch of the year. Rather than just counting down the days and winding down expectations, Dustin urges leaders and educators to finish with intention. Sharing a powerful story about "legacy projects" at Mechanics Grove Elementary, he illustrates how giving students ownership and purpose can completely transform the energy of a building. Reflect on what your students will truly remember about the school year and learn three simple, actionable moves to maximize the final 30 days: naming the moment to elevate its significance, creating ownership through contribution, and celebrating impact and effort over mere compliance. Make sure the end of the year feels meaningful, not just survived. Host: Dustin Odham (FranklinCovey Education) Timestamps: 00:00 The final stretch 00:37 The spring fever mindset 01:27 Legacy projects in action 01:59 What changed? 03:14 Making the end meaningful 03:45 What will they remember? 05:01 The year in review 06:12 Three actionable moves 07:15 Change how the story ends 08:42 Closing