Lessons From the Field: A Year of Clarity, A Summer of Intention
Dear Friends,
As we approach the end of this year—a year that has undoubtedly tested your resilience, demanded your determination, and brought moments of joy (and perhaps a few “What were we thinking?” moments)—I wanted to share a quick note before you transition into summer. Not to add to your to-do list, but maybe to help lighten it.
The work of building and leading any organization is not simply about keeping operations running smoothly or articulating a compelling vision. It’s about doing both in service of your mission, alongside people you care about, in an ever-challenging environment. As you take time to reflect, recharge, and reset, I wanted to share below a brief list of lessons—12 key insights I’ve seen echoed this year in my conversations and our work at MehtaCognition with school leaders across the country.
These aren’t groundbreaking revelations, but they carry clarity and weight. They serve as reminders—sometimes hard-hitting, sometimes encouraging—that leadership is about focusing on what truly matters.
12 Insights to Carry into Summer 2025
- “More” Is Not a Solution. Clarity Is.
- Overwhelming challenges won’t be solved by piling on more initiatives. Focus is essential, not optional.
→ Many organizations default to "yes," but mastering "no" is key for strategic goals.
- Overwhelming challenges won’t be solved by piling on more initiatives. Focus is essential, not optional.
- Culture Isn’t a Committee—It’s What You Reinforce Daily.
- Culture doesn’t come from statements or retreats; it’s shaped by what you model, tolerate, and celebrate every day.
→ Choose one behavior you want your culture to reflect. Start embodying it consistently and quietly.
- Culture doesn’t come from statements or retreats; it’s shaped by what you model, tolerate, and celebrate every day.
- Structure Follows Strategy, Not the Other Way Round.
- A strategic plan is only as effective as the calendar, roles, and systems that support it.
→ Review one priority initiative. Who’s responsible? Where does it fit in your calendar and budget?
- A strategic plan is only as effective as the calendar, roles, and systems that support it.
- Don’t Just Measure What’s Easy—Measure What Matters.
- Dashboards often track what’s simple rather than what’s strategic.
→ Select one or two leading indicators that reflect your core values and track them regularly.
- Dashboards often track what’s simple rather than what’s strategic.
- Trust Is the Foundation—Everything Else Is Built Upon It.
- No vision, strategy, or DEI plan will succeed in the absence of trust.
→ Ask yourself this summer: “Where has trust grown stronger? Where has it eroded?” Then focus on rebuilding where needed.
- No vision, strategy, or DEI plan will succeed in the absence of trust.
- Great Heads Create Systems, Not Dependency.
- Sustainability comes from systems, not personality. You can’t carry everything forever.
→ Teach your team how decisions are made, meetings are run, and accountability is maintained.
- Sustainability comes from systems, not personality. You can’t carry everything forever.
- Your Calendar Reflects Your Priorities.
- If something truly matters, it needs to have a prominent place in your school’s schedule—not show up as an afterthought.
→ Manage your attention, not just your time. The former is about strategy, the latter is just tactics.
- If something truly matters, it needs to have a prominent place in your school’s schedule—not show up as an afterthought.
- Avoiding Conflict Is Abandoning Your Mission.
- Putting off difficult conversations compromises your vision.
→ Identify one issue you’ve been hesitant to address. Write the first sentence and schedule the conversation before July.
- Putting off difficult conversations compromises your vision.
- Innovation Isn’t Technology—It’s Permission.
- Innovation thrives in environments where people feel safe to experiment and learn from failure.
→ Publicly celebrate one smart failure from this year. Set an example that encourages thoughtful risk-taking.
- Innovation thrives in environments where people feel safe to experiment and learn from failure.
- Leadership Loneliness Is Real, but It’s Also a Choice.
- Stoicism and silence may feel necessary, but they’re unsustainable.
→ This summer, choose one trusted individual—a coach, peer, or board chair—to share your most pressing leadership question. One of my greatest joys is being able to serve as that person for you, either personally or through the efforts of our team.
- Stoicism and silence may feel necessary, but they’re unsustainable.
- Decision-Making Requires Clarity, Not Confusion.
- Bottlenecks often result from unclear roles, not disagreements.
→ Create a simple decision-making map: Who decides? Who provides input? Who implements? Share it with your team.
- Bottlenecks often result from unclear roles, not disagreements.
- Your Evaluation Shouldn’t Be Unclear or Opaque.
- You deserve a transparent, fair process—not surprise feedback or shifting expectations.
→ Propose an evaluation framework tied to strategic goals and trust-building. I sincerely appreciate those of you who approached me with interest in collaborating this summer and fall to develop a tool that will serve both you and your colleagues across the country.
- You deserve a transparent, fair process—not surprise feedback or shifting expectations.
BONUS: This link highlights the top insights and trends from MehtaCognition's own research on parents' views regarding value, satisfaction, and the challenges our schools are currently facing.
These lessons aren’t meant to feel like tasks—they’re guideposts. Choose one or two that resonate the most and let the rest wait. You don’t need to do everything to lead effectively, but you do need to be clear—about what matters, how decisions are made, and how you want to show up in the coming year. Take the time to rest and recharge this summer. And if you’d like someone to talk things through with before the fall rush, we are just a call or email away.
With deep respect for you and your communities,
Nishant, on behalf of Team MehtaCognition