Episodes
Oct. 26, 2025
Episode 242: Building the Bench - Leadership Growth with Dr. Dan Hornick
In this special on-location episode of Leaning Into Leadership , Dr. Darrin Peppard sits down with longtime friend and colleague Dr. Daniel Hornick , Superintendent of Orange County Public Schools in Virginia. Together, they ...
Oct. 22, 2025
Episode 241: Six Quotes That Shaped My Leadership (and the Road to Awesome)
Episode summary To celebrate the launch of darrinpeppard.com , Darrin shares six quotes that have shaped his leadership—and how each one connects to clarity, systems, purpose, relationships, and the courage to take the road l...
Oct. 19, 2025
Episode 240: Leading Through What You Can’t Control
In this solo episode, Dr. Darrin Peppard dives deep into one of the hardest challenges leaders face — guiding their teams through circumstances completely outside their control. From district-wide budget cuts to post-COVID un...
Oct. 12, 2025
Episode 239: The Science of Action - Unlocking Your Conative Strengths with David Kolbe
Leadership starts with self-awareness—but most assessments only tell part of the story. In this episode, Dr. Darrin Peppard sits down with David Kolbe , CEO of Kolbe Corp , to explore the conative side of the human mind—the p...
Oct. 5, 2025
Episode 238: Leading with Clarity with Casey Watts
In this episode, I sit down with Casey Watts—speaker, author, thought leader, and creator of the Clarity Cycle Framework . With over 20 years in education and a decade of coaching experience, Casey has helped countless leader...
Sept. 28, 2025
Episode 237: Family, Faith, and Fist Bumps with Dr. Zac Bauermaster
In this week’s episode of Leaning Into Leadership , I sit down with Dr. Zac Bauermaster, an elementary principal in Lancaster County, PA, whose fist-bump videos with students recently went viral — one reaching over 382 millio...
Sept. 21, 2025
Episode 236: Courage, Recovery, and Hope with Dr. Kacy Shahid & Dr. Kevin Lein
In this episode, Dr. Darrin Peppard is joined by Dr. Kacy Shahid and Dr. Kevin Lein , members of NASSP’s Principal Recovery Network . They share their personal journeys through tragedy, the lessons they’ve learned, and the ho...
Sept. 17, 2025
Episode 235: Cutting Through the Buzzwords and Bringing Clarity to Leadership Language
In this solo episode, Dr. Darrin Peppard dives into the leadership buzzwords we all hear — and probably use — without stopping to define. Words like collaboration, accountability, engagement, data-driven, and professional dev...
Sept. 14, 2025
Episode 234: Second Mile Leadership with Dr. Jason Williamson
Dr. Darrin Peppard sits down with Dr. Jason Williamson—speaker, author, and creator of the Second Mile Mentality —to explore how leaders move beyond minimum expectations and build cultures where presence becomes proof. From a...
Sept. 7, 2025
Episode 233: Racing the Future with Brad Waid - AI, Industry 4.0, and Leadership
In Episode 233 of the Leaning Into Leadership podcast, Dr. Darrin Peppard welcomes Brad Waid — award-winning Emerging Technology Leader, international keynote speaker, and global futurist. Brad shares insights from his forthc...
Aug. 31, 2025
Episode 232: Six Essential Elements of School Culture (and How Leaders Shape Them)
In this solo episode of Leaning Into Leadership , Dr. Darrin Peppard dives into the heartbeat of every great school: its culture. Drawing from personal experiences as a principal and superintendent, as well as insights from h...
Aug. 24, 2025
Episode 231: Building Trust and Leading with Courage - A Conversation with Dr. Jen Schwanke
This week on the Leaning Into Leadership podcast, I sit down with Dr. Jen Schwanke, a seasoned educator, author, and deputy superintendent with nearly three decades of experience. Together, we explore the history of public ed...
Aug. 17, 2025
Episode 230: Leading with Grace - Navigating Your Leadership Lifespan with Julia Bialeski
What if your approach to leadership could be defined by just six words: Be brave, and care about people ? Julia Bialeski has lived those words throughout her 20+ year career in public education, serving as a teacher, instruct...
Aug. 13, 2025
Episode 229: Start Strong, Stay Strong - 5 Intentional Leadership Moves for the Year
The energy of a new school year is electric — but how do you make sure it lasts past the first bell in August? In this solo episode, Dr. Darrin Peppard shares five intentional leadership moves to keep your momentum alive from...
Aug. 10, 2025
Episode 228: Strengthening PLCs with Clarity, Trust, and Purpose with Dr. Chad Dumas
In this episode of Leaning Into Leadership , Dr. Darrin Peppard sits down with Dr. Chad Dumas—PLC expert, consultant, and author of the new book The Teacher Team Leader Handbook . Together, they unpack what it takes to build ...
Aug. 3, 2025
Episode 227: Leadership Starts with Clarity: A Joint Episode with Joshua Stamper
In this special joint episode of Leaning Into Leadership and Aspire to Lead , Darrin Peppard and Joshua Stamper team up once again for their annual back-to-school leadership conversation. As educators and leaders gear up for ...
July 27, 2025
Episode 226: Stressed Leaders Stay in the Game with Dan Stecken
Too many school leaders wear burnout like a badge of honor. Dan Stecken was one of them—until he hit a wall. In this episode, Dan, the Superintendent of Seneca Township High School in Illinois, joins Darrin to share his power...
July 20, 2025
Episode 225: Creating High Performing Leadership Teams with the AWESOME Framework
In this solo episode, Dr. Darrin Peppard shares the framework and mindset behind truly effective leadership teams. Drawing on his work from coast to coast, including a recent workshop at the Innovative Schools Summit in Nashv...
July 13, 2025
Episode 224: The Liminal Space with Dr. Chris Fuzie
In Episode 224 , Dr. Chris Fuzie joins Darrin for a fascinating conversation on behavior-based leadership and the concept of “liminal space”—the space where individuals lead and follow simultaneously. Drawing from his 28 year...
July 8, 2025
Episode 223 NASSP POY Series Finale: Shauna Haney and the Power of Purposeful Leadership
In episode 223, Darrin wraps up the special six-part NASSP Principal of the Year finalist series with an inspiring conversation with Shauna Haney , Principal of Ogden High School in Ogden, Utah. Shauna shares her journey from...
July 6, 2025
Episode 222: Culture, Systems, and the Power of Listening with Jeff Linden
In this episode of the Leaning Into Leadership podcast, Darrin sits down with fellow high school principal and podcast host Jeff Linden , Principal of Hastings High School in Nebraska. With a shared passion for culture and le...
July 1, 2025
Episode 221: The Power of Belief - Miguel Salazar’s Journey to Transformative Leadership (NASSP MS POY finalist)
In this powerful episode, Dr. Darrin Peppard sits down with Miguel Salazar , principal of Sundown Middle School and NASSP National Middle School Principal of the Year finalist. Miguel shares his deeply personal story—from gro...
June 29, 2025
Episode 220: Bridges, Belonging, and Buy-In with Joe LaTorre
In this episode of Leaning Into Leadership , Darrin sits down with Joe LaTorre, a middle school English teacher, team coordinator, and founder of the Bridges program in Long Island, NY. Joe shares how looping, relationship-bu...
June 26, 2025
Episode 219: Leading with Intention and Heart: A Conversation with Terita Walker (NASSP HS POY Finalist)
In this fourth installment of our special NASSP Principal of the Year series, Darrin sits down with Terita Walker , principal of Denver East High School and one of three finalists for NASSP’s 2025 National High School Princip...