Why the hardest people to reach may be your biggest opportunity.

Are you overlooking the potential in “hard” people? What if the most difficult students or employees hold untapped greatness? And what happens when you help people see their progress when they feel stuck or broken?

We’re starting season 2 of Leading Outward by sitting down with Ivan Cornea, a beloved high school art teacher whose classroom became a place where struggling and rejected students grew into confident leaders, artists, and human beings. In one of his final interviews before his passing, Ivan shares remarkable stories of seeing “difficult” people as people and how those lessons apply to all of us whether we are a leader, parent, coach, friend, or teacher.

Ideas we explore:

00:57 – How to unlock potential in people others have written off.

03:12 – How to help people who feel stuck or broken see their progress.

08:49 – What to do when someone resists growth.

13:40 – How to balance patience with demanding the best.

18:15 – Is it possible to tailor your approach to every individual?

25:30 – What’s the most important shift leaders must make to truly see people as people?

Have a leadership challenge or question you’d like us to explore on the show? Submit it here!

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We need more leaders and teachers to see this way!

In a world where cynicism is evermore present in our teachers as they face the always increasing challenges that plague the classroom, it is enlightening to hear the stories of someone who saw past it all. Ivan was able to see past the challenges that encompass many children like armor to get to the heart of their potential. I feel like I have so much to learn. I love these lessons that make it feel possible to overcome my inward tendencies.