When we set out to write our first book, Habits of Resilient Educators, our goal was clear: to equip teachers with the tools to sustain their well-being while maintaining high-impact instruction—even in the face of extraordinary challenges. But as that book took root in schools and districts around the world, we noticed something equally urgent: the educators we were supporting could only thrive in environments where their leaders were thriving, too.

As leadership coaches working across many of the largest districts in the United States, we spent years shoulder-to-shoulder with principals, assistant principals, and central office leaders navigating the seismic shifts of the post-pandemic era. We saw first-hand how the pressures of staffing crises, political tensions, and unrelenting change were leaving even seasoned leaders depleted. Yet alongside these struggles, we also encountered leaders who managed to maintain a sense of purpose, inspire their teams, and cultivate school cultures where both adults and students could flourish.

This raised new questions for us: What do leaders need to build their own resilience in order to support others? What habits help them sustain focus, energy, and clarity in the face of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA)? And how can personal and professional practices intersect to make leadership both effective and fulfilling?

Over the years, we have partnered with dozens of school leaders and their teams, collectively observing over 3,000 classrooms and engaging in deep conversations about what makes leadership work in today’s complex educational climate. We listened to stories of resilience and burnout, hope and frustration. We analyzed patterns in leaders’ behaviors and mindsets—what helped them adapt and grow, and what held them back.

Our exploration drew on multiple bodies of research: positive psychology, organizational resilience, systems change, and John Hattie’s Visible Learning—where we noted how leader practices such as fostering collective efficacy and setting high expectations directly connect to teacher performance and student learning gains. We also reflected on our own experiences guiding instructional rounds, coaching leadership teams, and supporting districtwide initiatives aimed at equity, instructional excellence, and teacher retention.

Through this process, a clear framework began to emerge. We identified nine habits—parallel to those we described for educators—that leaders can cultivate to strengthen their resilience and, in turn, foster thriving, high-performing schools. These habits combine the inner work of mindset and identity with the outer work of strategy and systems leadership.

Habits of Resilient Leaders is the result of that journey. It’s both a companion to our first book and a stand-alone guide for leaders seeking to lead with clarity, courage, and compassion in today’s challenging educational landscape.

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