Episode Details

In this episode of Mind Over Masculinity, host Pragya sits down with Dr Cynthia Rapaido, a Filipino American educator who went from science teacher to school principal to doctoral scholar. Together they unpack the real emotional labor of leadership. Not the polished LinkedIn version. The messy, exhausting, very human side. Dr Cynthia shares how emotional intelligence actually plays out in classrooms, staff rooms, and school hallways. How culture, family values, and identity shape the way we hold authority. And why purpose is not something you “figure out once” but something you revisit as life changes. If you are a leader, an emerging leader, or someone carrying quiet responsibility for others, this conversation will challenge how you think about readiness, representation, and what it really means to be “the face” of an institution.

About the Guest:
Dr Cynthia Rapaido is a Filipino American educator and school leader with decades of experience as a classroom teacher, assistant principal, and principal. Her work in International Multicultural Education explores how culture, identity, and emotional intelligence shape leadership in real time. Drawing from her own story of nearly “falling through the cracks” as a student, she is committed to making sure young people and staff feel seen, supported, and connected instead of invisible in the system.

Key Takeaways:

• Emotional intelligence in leadership is not a branding buzzword. It is the daily work of seeing people, meeting them where they are, and staying grounded even when you are tired or overwhelmed.

• Real school leadership means serving everyone on campus. Students, teachers, counselors, cafeteria staff, bus drivers, custodians. When a principal says “I see you”, it builds trust and changes culture.

• Cultural identity deeply shapes how leaders show up. For Dr Cynthia, Filipino values of harmony, respect for elders, and family sometimes made it hard to give direction to older staff, yet also created a more relational, family-like school environment.

• Many leaders of color and multicultural leaders navigate a double tension. Honoring their culture while operating in systems built on different norms. That tension can become a powerful leadership asset when it is acknowledged instead of buried.

• Readiness is overrated. Most leaders are never fully “ready”. What matters more is willingness to grow, ask “why”, accept feedback, and realign purpose as roles and responsibilities expand.

• Purpose is not fixed. Dr Cynthia reconnects to her “why” by asking deeper layers of questions and returning to one core driver. Making sure no student falls through the cracks the way she almost did.

 Connect with Dr Cynthia Rapaido: 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-rapaido-ed-d-7455b67/

• Email: cynthiapaido@gmail.com

• Book: Step Up Your School Leadership Game on Amazon

• Share this episode of Mind Over Masculinity with school leaders, teachers, and emerging leaders who would benefit from her perspective.

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