Episode 390

full
Published on:

17th Apr 2025

Educational Leadership - Model The Way, Walk The Talk

Summary: Join C.T. and guest Kirk Koennecke, CEO Superintendent of Indian Hill Exempted Village School District in Ohio, as they discuss how Indian Hill’s IH Promise shapes a culture of whole-child development and leadership. This conversation highlights how the district uses student voice, common leadership language, and industry best practices to build problem solvers and leaders from kindergarten through high school, empowering both students and staff to thrive in a changing world.

Key Takeaways:

  • Indian Hill’s “IH Promise” is a strategic commitment to whole-child development, focusing on growing learners who are problem solvers, critical thinkers, and leaders at every grade level.
  • The district gathers student feedback from kindergarten through 12th grade using developmentally appropriate methods like surveys, focus groups, and roundtable discussions to ensure student voice shapes learning priorities.
  • A common leadership language is taught across all grade levels, scaffolding skills in problem solving, character, and decision-making that evolve as students progress.
  • Hiring and retaining “the world’s finest” educators is central, with personalized professional learning that empowers staff to model leadership and problem-solving for students.
  • Indian Hill integrates best practices from industry leaders and executive coaching models (e.g., Blanchard, Covey, Maxwell) to inform educational leadership and prepare students for real-world success.
  • The district emphasizes leadership and communication skills as essential, enduring “soft skills” that support lifelong success amid rapidly changing technical demands.
  • Project-based learning and localized curricula allow teachers to embed leadership language and skills in relevant, contextualized ways.


Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

1:25 Background on Indian Hill Exempted Village School District and Kirk Koennecke

3:15 The IH Promise: A Strategic Commitment to Whole-Child Development

5:30 Gathering Student Feedback (K-12)

8:48 Making Feedback Actionable in the Classroom

11:06 Building a Common Leadership Language

14:29 Hiring, Attracting, and Retaining the World's Finest Educators

18:53 Modeling the Way and Walking the Talk: Leading by Example

21:08 Applying Best Practices from Industry

27:16 Navigating Rapidly Changing Technical Demands

30:11 Adapting Best Practices to the Education Context

35:01 Staff Response and Buy-In


Connect with CT: linkedin.com/in/cheetung

Connect with Kirk Koennecke: linkedin.com/in/kirk-koennecke-493798176

Music Credit: Shake it Up - Fesliyanstudios.com - David Renda



Join us at Engaging Leadership to learn and connect with a community of leaders in education just like you. This is the space where top people leaders share actionable insights and practical playbooks in fostering a high-performing workplace of the future.

Sign up as a member today for community updates on the latest leadership resources and exclusive event invites: www.engagingleadershipshow.com/subscribe

Next Episode All Episodes Previous Episode

Listen for free

Show artwork for Principal Office Hours

About the Podcast

Principal Office Hours
Real principals. Real talk. No hall passes required.
Finally—a podcast that proves school principals have personalities (and killer insights, too). Every week, join us for candid conversations with K-12 principals who are navigating the beautiful chaos of educational leadership without losing their minds or sense of humor.

Each 40-minute episode features real principals sharing what actually works in school leadership—from handling helicopter parents and budget nightmares to building school culture that doesn't make everyone roll their eyes. Consider this your professional development that doesn't feel like professional development.

Our guests aren't afraid to share their epic fails alongside their victories. They'll tell you about the initiative that spectacularly bombed during assembly, right before revealing how they turned their school's reading scores around. It's educational leadership with the BS filter turned off.

Whether you're currently wearing the principal badge, aspiring to the big chair, or teaching while secretly taking notes on what you'd do differently, Principal Office Hours delivers actionable strategies you can implement faster than a student being sent to detention.

Subscribe now and join the faculty lounge conversation that's too real for the school board meeting. New episodes drop every week. Warning: May cause spontaneous leadership growth and occasional inappropriate laughter during staff meetings.

About your host

Profile picture for CheeTung Leong

CheeTung Leong