Too many school leaders wear burnout like a badge of honor. Dan Stecken was one of them—until he hit a wall. In this episode, Dan, the Superintendent of Seneca Township High School in Illinois, joins Darrin to share his powerful journey from overwhelmed and unhealthy to intentional and empowered.

Dan opens up about the toll leadership took on his health, the fallacy of servant leadership without self-care, and how shifting his mindset—and his habits—changed everything. Together, they discuss the real cost of constantly being “on,” how to stop being the help desk for your team, and the importance of building community and reclaiming purpose.

You’ll also hear about Dan’s book, Stressed Leaders Stay in the Game, and the immersive retreat experience he created to help other leaders shed the weight of burnout and rediscover their why.

In this episode:

• Why servant leadership needs a rewrite
• The myth of inbox zero
• Morning habits that set the tone for better leadership
• Building a leadership community where vulnerability is a superpower
• How Dan is helping leaders stay in the game

👉 Connect with Dan Stecken:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dan-stecken

Website: stressedleaders.com

📘 Grab the book: Stressed Leaders: Stay in the Game (Published by Road to Awesome)

🎧 Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review to help other leaders find clarity and purpose on their journey.

In this solo episode, Dr. Darrin Peppard shares the framework and mindset behind truly effective leadership teams. Drawing on his work from coast to coast, including a recent workshop at the Innovative Schools Summit in Nashville, Darrin explains why high-performing leadership teams don’t happen by accident—they’re built with clarity, trust, and purpose.

Through powerful stories and practical takeaways, Darrin walks you through his AWESOME framework, a leadership model that has helped schools and districts across the country move from dysfunction to alignment. Whether you're leading a building or a district, this episode offers actionable insights to help your team become more aligned, accountable, and impactful.

• What separates great leadership teams from the ones that just get by
• The most common traits of ineffective teams (misalignment, lack of trust, unclear roles)
• How to implement the AWESOME Teams Framework:
• Accept the challenge
• Welcome feedback and support
• Examine your priorities
• Stand on your values
• Operate intentionally
• Model what you expect
• Engage in reflection
• Why team norms and trust are essential for collaboration
• How to align your leadership team around shared instructional goals
• The value of team retreats and neutral-facilitated reflection

• RoadToAwesome.net – Website
• The Principal Academy – Online leadership course
• Blog: Road to Awesome – Weekly leadership insights
• Book: Road to Awesome: The Journey of a Leader
• Book: Culture First Classrooms

• Instagram/Facebook: Darrin M Peppard
• TikTok/X: @DarrinMPeppard
• LinkedIn: Darrin Peppard
• Leadership Retreats: Contact via Road to Awesome

• Share this episode with your leadership team and start a conversation about how you work together.
• Reflect: What is one step your team will take this week to become more aligned and intentional?
• Looking for a leadership retreat or customized support for your team? Reach out to Darrin to schedule your session.

In Episode 224, Dr. Chris Fuzie joins Darrin for a fascinating conversation on behavior-based leadership and the concept of “liminal space”—the space where individuals lead and follow simultaneously. Drawing from his 28 years in law enforcement and extensive leadership consulting experience, Chris breaks down how leadership is not a position but a behavior, and how great leaders also embrace the role of the follower. This episode explores what gets in the way of effective leadership, why behavior matters more than titles, and how reshaping the leadership-followership dynamic is the next evolution in the field.

Guest Bio: Dr. Chris Fuzie is the owner of CMF Leadership Consulting and currently serves as the Business/HR Manager for a District Attorney’s office in California. A Leaderologist II and President of the National Leaderology Association, Chris holds a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), M.A., and B.A. in Organizational Leadership, with graduate certificates in Human Resources and Criminal Justice Education.

Since 2010, he has developed and delivered leadership training for public, private, profit, and non-profit organizations. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and a former national instructor for the International Association of Chiefs of Police and California P.O.S.T. Courses. Chris is the author of Because Why... Understanding Behavior in Exigencies, S.C.O.R.E. Performance Counseling: Save the Relationship, Change the Behavior, and his latest book, Liminal Space: Reshaping Leadership and Followership.

Chris is honorably retired from the Modesto Police Department after 28 years of service, having led teams including the Homicide Team, Hostage Negotiations Team, Street-Level Drug Team, School Police Officer Team, and the Traffic Motor Unit.

Dr. Fuzie on Social Media:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-chris-fuzie-ed-d-m-a-ol-vl2-37587934/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090255232861

https://www.facebook.com/chris.fuzie/

https://x.com/CMFLeadership

WEBSITE:

https://www.cmfleadership.com/

https://www.scoreperformancecounseling.com/