PMP426: What Makes a Great Principal with George Couros

Principal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. Parker

A quick note to listeners:

Before this week’s interview, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker answered a listener question in a 5-minute response.

The question is: How do you navigate bureaucracy, especially with frequent shifts in focus that make previous efforts seem irrelevant?

Listen in for our response and thank you for doing what matters!

Meet George Couros

George Couros is a worldwide leader in the area of innovative teaching, learning, and leading, and has a focus on innovation as a human endeavor. Most importantly, he is a proud father and husband. His belief that meaningful change happens when you first connect to people’s hearts, is modeled in his writing and speaking.

In his 20-plus years in the field of education, he has worked at all levels of school, from K-12 as a teacher, technology facilitator, and school and district administrator, and is currently an Adjunct Instructor with the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania. George is also the author of the books, The Innovator’s Mindset; Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity, Innovate Inside the Box, and Because of a Teacher and Because of a Teacher 2.

His newest book is What Makes a Great Principal: The Five Pillars of Effective School Leadership by George Couros and Allyson Apsey.

In this week’s episode of Principal Matters Podcast I had an enlightening conversation with George Couros about his latest book, “What Makes a Great Principal,” which he co-authored. Our discussion wasn’t just about the book; we delved into various topics, reflecting George’s deep-seated philosophy about leaving a legacy his children can be proud of. This philosophy has guided his evolution as an educator, leader, author, and speaker, particularly in his commitment to being present and focused, especially over the last few years.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a brief period when educators were widely celebrated, but this appreciation was quickly overshadowed by the chaos and outcry on social media. George applied the same celebratory writing model he used in his previous work, “Because of Teachers,” to his new book. Alongside Allyson Apsey, he explored effective school leadership practices not only in the U.S. and Canada but globally, identifying five key pillars:

• Relationship Builder
• Continuous Learner
• Talent Cultivator
• Resource Maximizer
• Visionary

Our conversation touched on several of these pillars, starting with the crucial role of being a Relationship Builder. Effective educators and leaders must excel in communication and listening, but it’s also vital to understand the underlying principles of leadership without prescribing specific actions.

As an example of a continuous learner, George shared how he developed his own digital portfolio to encourage students and teachers to do the same, illustrating the importance of practicing what you preach.

We also discussed the role of technology in education. George stressed the need to use technology redemptively, sharing a humorous anecdote from a spin class to highlight how adults often contradict the behaviors they expect from children. He practices what he preaches by managing his digital interactions, ensuring they don’t interfere with his daily routines.

George recounted a conversation with his editor, Katie Martin, about why he chose to address the ‘Visionary’ pillar last in his book. He believes that defining a vision requires a deep understanding of your team, the working context, and available resources. This holistic understanding enables leaders to develop robust visions tailored to their specific environments.

We also highlighted the contributions of practicing educators who wrote illustrations for each chapter, including Marcus Belin, Ryan Daniel, Vicki Davis, David Domena, Emily Freeland, Liz Garden, Brad Gustafson, Mary Hemphill, Mike Kleba, Kari Lacny, and Abby Ramos Stanutz, CJ Reynolds, Shane Saeed, Vincent Taylor, and Taylor Teamann.

This conversation with George was truly enriching, and I hope listeners will find it as insightful as I did. For more from George Couros, visit his website at georgecouros.com, follow him on social media at @gcouros, or reach him via email at [e-mail].

Thank you for listening, and thank you for doing what matters!

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