Episode 46: Listen First, Lead with Heart: Principal Shannon Seale’s Journey from Classroom to School Leader

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What if the strongest leadership move is to listen first, decide second, and never micromanage? That’s the tought line of our conversation with Principal Shannon Seale, who went from high school social studies to leading a pre-K–2 campus, without losing her sense of humor, her humility, or her focus on what matters most.

We explore the origin of Shannon’s calling to teach, how watching weak leadership shaped her convictions, and why avoiding conflict silently breaks cultures. She shares the two lenses that guide every decision, safety and instruction, and the practical systems that keep her promises real: time-blocked walkthroughs, alarms, and a calendar that catches everything from meetings to lunch detentions. We dig into the jump from high school to elementary, the new ways she learned to speak with first-time school parents, and how she balances autonomy with support so teachers feel trusted and students get consistent, high-quality instruction.

Shannon also opens up about building a leadership team that tells her when an idea is bad, treating school like a team sport where every role matters, and using TikTok and Instagram to learn from educators nationwide while humanizing the principalship. We talk narrative control, positive storytelling, and the simple truth that if you don’t tell your school’s story, someone else will. Finally, she looks ahead to deepening her impact in curriculum and instruction, with doctoral study on the horizon, while staying rooted in the campus work she “completely loves, even when it’s hard.”

If this conversation gave you a useful nudge, follow the show, share it with a colleague, and leave a quick review. Tell us: what’s one leadership habit you’ll change this week?

Connect with Shannon Seale and check out her Tik Tok Lives:

email: [e-mail]

Tik Tok: @mrs.seales

Instagram: @mrs.seales

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