Creating
The Actions of Effective Leadership
Superintendent | Executive Coach | Founder, Play Tall | MGSCC Certified | DISC Certified.
March 1, 2026
I am a practicing superintendent of a public school district in Minnesota and an executive coach. I approach consuming leadership books the way coaches (including me when I was that person) watch film – looking for what I can use on Monday morning.
This is the first in a series of articles translating the principles from Liz Elting’s book, Dream Big and Win, into actionable frameworks for K-12 education leaders. My goal is to bring these powerful, private-sector concepts into the public education space where they are desperately needed.
As leaders, we spend most of our time working on nouns: culture, trust, communication, vision, goals. These are the pillars of our organizations. But pillars don’t move. They are static. The real work of leadership, the part that drives change and builds momentum, is not in the nouns. It is in the verbs.
Verbs are the fuel. They are the first words you learn in a new language because they are the words of action. For a leader, they are the very foundation of your identity. They are the rallying cry that cuts through the noise and creates mutual understanding. They are the heartbeat of your organization.
Over the next several weeks, we will explore the 15 action verbs that all leaders must master, starting with the first and most fundamental: CREATING.
The Courage to Create
In Dream Big and Win, Liz Elting makes a critical point about the act of creation: there are no guarantees of success. This is a truth that every leader understands, but it is a truth that the world of education often tries to engineer away. We are a profession built on standards, rubrics, and strategic plans. All intentionally designed to minimize risk and ensure predictable outcomes.
Elting writes, and as every effective leader knows deep down, you can only do your best work when you are taking risks and pushing yourself. The choice is between leading with fear and leading with courage.
“If you don’t go out on the branch,” you’re never going to get the fruit.”
Liz Elting
This is the fundamental tension of leadership in our field. We are entrusted with the most precious of responsibilities—the education of children—and an ever growing public eye scrutinizing our work, and new mandates continuing to mount while budgets continue to get tighter. The fear of failure can be paralyzing. That fear can stop us from taking the very risks that are necessary to innovate, to thrive, and stay relevant into the next generation.
Leadership in Action: Beyond the Blank Canvas
When we think of “creating,” we often picture an artist with a blank canvas, making something out of nothing. But for a school leader, creating is rarely about inventing something brand new. More often, it is about identifying a hole or a gap in your system and having the courage to fill it. It is about taking what is already pivotal—your core values, your existing talent, your community’s strengths—and perfecting it.
This is the work of the leader as creator:
- Creating clarity where there is confusion.
- Creating alignment where there is division.
- Creating a runway for your most innovative teachers to take flight.
- Creating an environment where risk is not just tolerated, but valued, encouraged, supported, and celebrated.
This is not about chasing every new trend or initiative. It is about the disciplined, intentional act of building the conditions for success. It is about understanding that you are never standing still; your organization is either growing or it is dying. The act of creating is the act of choosing growth.
Your Turn & Challenge
- – What are you creating right now?
- – Not what are you managing, or maintaining, or discussing—but what are you actively, intentionally creating?
Next, we will explore the second action verb in our series: PERFECTING.
Thank you for reading my perspective. Kris