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Top 6 of 2026 | Season 2 Compilation
Description
Featured Episodes & Draft Picks
| Pick | Guest & Leadership Role | Featured Highlight & Episode Link |
|---|---|---|
| #1 |
Dr. John VanWagoner (Superintendent, Traverse City Area Public Schools) |
Innovating Mid-Flight with Dr. John VanWagoner Randy’s top pick emphasizes the necessary rhythm of shifting between active work on the "dance floor" and systemic foresight from the "balcony." |
| #2 |
Michelle Barry (Director, Ignite Pathways) |
Upskilling the Future and Closing the Engagement Gap with Michelle Barry Ben highlights a powerful lesson from rural Iowa on leading with vulnerability and treating iteration as your continuous growth curve. |
| #3 |
Dr. Sean Williams (Superintendent, Eaton RESA) |
Authentic Leadership: Moving from Knowledge to Wisdom with Dr. Sean Williams Randy highlights why leaders must reject "code-switching" and focus on building high-trust environments rooted in a shared purpose. |
| #4 |
Janelle Duffey (Principal, Fruitport Schools) |
School Culture By Design | Janelle Duffey | Fruitport Schools Ben revisits what real culture looks like—moving it off the poster boards and turning it into something palpable that you feel the moment you walk inside. |
| #5 |
Joshua Smith (Principal, Orchard View Middle School) |
Lead with Belonging | Creating School Culture Where Every Student Thrives Randy brings back the vital "plate capacity" analogy, challenging administrators to actively take things off an overwhelmed teacher's plate. |
| #6 |
Paul Klimza (Principal, Reeths-Puffer Elementary) |
Trauma-Invested Leadership: Moving from Unseen to Empowered Ben closes out the draft with a beautiful reminder of the sheer weight, responsibility, and opportunity found daily in public education. |
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