Principal Matters Podcast Ep. 479: The Instructional Leader in You with Danny Steele

Meet Danny Steele:

Danny Steele worked for 31 years in education as a principal, assistant principal, teacher, coach, and assistant professor of Instructional Leadership. In 2005, Steele was recognized as the “Assistant Principal of the Year” for the state of Alabama. And in 2016, he was recognized as Alabama’s “Secondary Principal of the Year.” He has written six books, including two with Todd Whitaker, has presented at numerous state and national conferences, and has spoken in school districts around the country. Steele has an undergraduate degree in History from Covenant College; he has a Master’s in History from the University of Alabama, Birmingham, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Samford University. He is the father of three (mostly grown) children and resides with his wife in Birmingham, Alabama. Something that listeners may be surprised to learn about Danny is that he occasionally writes raps that he performs for his students and teachers.

Current work:

After spending 31 years in education, Danny retired from the principalship last summer. Even though he is retired, he still has a lot of passion for the work of teachers and principals. Currently, Danny channels that passion into leadership coaching and consulting. He realized that there was a need for coaching in instructional leadership after working with two young principals. These principals needed help building their instructional leadership capacity. This experience is what solidified Danny’s passion for instructional leadership and what inspired him to write his book. According to Danny, “Until something is learned, nothing is taught”. When a principal goes into a classroom, they should be more focused on what the students are doing than what the teachers are doing.

The Instructional Leader in You: 10 Strategies for Every School Leader

The Instructional Leader in You lays out 10 strategies that school leaders can use to increase their instructional leadership capacity. You can read the full list of 10 strategies below, and Will and Danny cover a couple of the strategies in the show.

1.  A Foundation of Curiosity 

 2. The Powerful Role of Visibility  

3. The Surprising Strength of Vulnerability  

4. Leading Without Relationships Isn’t Leading  

5. Creating Opportunities for Growth  

6. Delegating is Winning 

7. Being Intentional  

8. Prioritizing Learning, Not Teaching  

9. Removing Barriers  

10. Focusing on the Culture

Being Visible:

Danny discusses how “management by wandering around” is important for instructional leadership. School leaders who are walking around and staying visible to students and staff communicate what you value. When you pop into classrooms, your presence communicates to teachers that you care about the work they are doing, and, to the students, that you care about their experiences in the classroom. Staying visible throughout the school day reinforces your priorities as an instructional leader. 

Delegating is Winning: 

When asked to summarize the delegating is winning strategy, Danny talks about how, as a principal, you sometimes feel inadequate because you feel like you need to be everything to everyone. Principals burn out really quickly like that. Part of delegation is about letting go and being okay with not being in control of everything. Delegating some of the management pieces of the principal job frees you up to visit classrooms and be an instructional leader. Delegation can also improve your relationship with the rest of your leadership team. When you begin to delegate tasks to your colleagues, it shows you value them and their expertise. New leaders tend to struggle the most with delegation because they feel insecure giving up authority, but learning to do so is essential to being successful in leadership.

Revisiting Your “Why”: 

Near the end of the conversation, Will asks Danny to share some advice he would give to principals. Danny tells listeners to revisit your “why”, and references a sign above his door that reads, “I am the difference”. He had this sign above his door when he was an AP and a principal to remind him of the role he plays. Most leaders get into education because they love kids and want to make a difference for them. When you become an admin, the mission changes. You have to win over the adults in the building and make them feel loved and appreciated. Danny shares how he learned to redefine his lightbulb moment to be anytime he could support a staff member and lighten their load. Making a difference for his staff became his “why” and helped him stay motivated. 

Staying Connected:

Listeners can stay connected to Danny Steele via the following channels:

Danny’s website

@steelthoughts on X or instagram

Linkedin