Professional Learnings NSWPPA Educational Leadership

Transforming School Leadership: Amy Ruzicka on Multiplier Mindset and Empowering Communities

• NSW PPA Professional Learning • Season 2 • Episode 11

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Uncover the transformative art of leadership with Amy Ruzicka, the visionary superintendent of the Bayless School District, as she guides us through her journey of becoming a multiplier leader. Known for her courageous leadership style and profound connection to her community, Amy shares the intricacies of her approach that earned her the prestigious Emerging Superintendent of the Year award in the Greater St. Louis District. Experience firsthand how her commitment to empowering others has paved the way for remarkable achievements within her school district, rooted in trust, passion, and a deep desire to leave a positive legacy.

Discover how Liz Wiseman's Multipliers framework has revolutionized leadership at Bayless School District. Amy elaborates on how this transformative approach has reshaped team dynamics, cultivating an environment where the inherent talents of each member are recognized and nurtured. Learn about strategies to avoid diminishing behaviors and witness the tangible impact of this framework, as evidenced by the district's recognition as a top workplace. Amy's insights provide a roadmap for creating a culture that celebrates individual strengths and drives both personal and organizational growth.

Join us as we explore the sustainability of the multiplier mindset, emphasizing its integration into professional development and everyday leadership practices. Drawing inspiration from Brene Brown's "Dare to Lead," Amy underscores the importance of vulnerability, trust, and empathy in crafting meaningful work experiences. The episode is a testament to the power of combining emotional intelligence with strategic leadership, offering valuable insights for anyone seeking to leave a lasting impact through their leadership.

To view our Professional Learning Offerings visit:
https://www.nswppa.org.au/professional-learning




Drew:

Hello and welcome to Season 2 of the Principal Learnings Podcast. If you're a principal or educational leader looking to enhance your skills, this is the place for you, so let's get into it, let's embark on this learning journey together. What legacy would Amy Rusuka like to have been known for?

Amy :

ike to have been known for. So, in terms of legacy, I want to be known as a multiplier leader who brought out the best in people, who helped people achieve more than they ever thought possible, and to do that with purpose. This work is so purposeful we're shaping lives Likewise, back to the dare to lead work, I'd like to be known as a courageous leader. I had shared a little bit earlier that comfort is popular, courage changes lives, and so I'm not here serving this district to do what's comfortable. I'm called to do what's right, even if it's difficult for our kids, and so I never want to shy away from a challenge, and I want people to look back on my career and say and I want people to look back on my career and say, man, she was courageous, she stepped into the arena, she was a fierce advocate for kids, and if any of that is said, I will consider it a success.

Drew:

Welcome to today's episode of Professional Learnings for Educational Leaders. Today we're diving into the powerful leadership concept that has been creating waves in the educational leadership landscape that is, of course, liz Wiseman's multipliers. This concept is now part of the New South Wales PPA professional learning suite and it is gaining tremendous popularity among school executives and principal networks across New South Wales. Our focus today will be unpacking the work and the impact of Amy Rizika, who is the superintendent of Baylor School District. Amy embodies the principles of a true multiplier in her leadership and in our discussion with Amy, I look forward to unpacking how we explore the multipliers approach in transforming educational leadership in her context.

Amy :

Well, Amy, welcome to our podcast.

Drew:

Thank you so much for having me. I'm excited to dive into the work today. Yeah, as am I. To start off, congratulations, amy, on being named the Emerging Superintendent of the Year for the Greater St Louis District in 2024 by the Missouri Association of School Administrations. This recognition speaks volumes about your leadership capabilities and dedication. How did you feel, amy, to be acknowledged in such a significant way, and what do you think contributed most to this achievement?

Amy :

Well, when I received the phone call it was definitely shock. It's a peer-selected award, so I was honored to have been recognized by other superintendents in the region and so just the special work that I've been able to lead in our district, in the Bayless School District, just being honored, I consider that a recognition for our entire district. We'll dive into the multiplier effect, but I'm truly surrounded by incredible people with strengths, talents, gifts that make our kids and one another better every single day. That talent and giving people a common vision and mission and empowering them to lead through their native genius, through their strengths, towards that ultimate mission and vision. So again, I considered it really an award for our entire team.

Drew:

Yeah, and the fact that it's actually been nominated by your Peer Speaks volumes as well. Yeah, that's what a testament to that, and obviously we'll break that further down in terms of the multipliers framework district since 2008, to give context serving in multiple roles how has that prepared you in your current role as?

Amy :

superintendent. Yeah, so first of all, I consider myself a lifelong educator. I taught for 12 years full-time and then five years part-time in a hybrid role, in a teacher leadership role. So 17 years of teaching experience. Seven of those years were here in Bayless and so really working my way through the system at every level and being able to know our district, our strengths, our opportunities. You know we are part of an incredibly diverse, very tight-knit community, and so I think growing up with the community uniquely prepared me for this role. I had also invested so much time and passion into the work that we were facilitating to continue to move our district to the next level, and so being able to continue that vision in the superintendent's chair was just an incredible opportunity. So I would say, you know, for me, just my commitment to the district, my passion for the work that we do and then really being able to see it through in a community I love was just such an incredible opportunity.

Drew:

Yeah, you've really laid the foundation of trust. You've been there for the long haul. You've developed in those, through that process as well, those trusts and yeah, really fantastic work. Yeah, you must pinch yourself going. Wow, a part of this dynamic room must give you a lot of energy and those around you it really does.

Amy :

I mean it's. You know we say if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life, and while I would love to say that's always true, you know some days are difficult. However, I will say confidently that I never regret any role that I've served in, even on the most challenging days, being part of something bigger than myself and ourselves, and the difference we make every day is completely worth it.

Drew:

Yeah, yeah, absolutely, absolutely. So what, amy? What are your favorite memories about your education or your schooling that you could share?

Amy :

Yes. So in addition to like many you know students the time with friends, the memories you create, the relationships you build In particular, I didn't maybe appreciate it at the time, but some of my favorite memories are from my educators, my teachers who pushed me, who challenged me, who said I see this talent in you. I didn't see it myself. For example, I remember in high school I, like many students, really hated to write. Just the thought of writing an essay or a paper was overwhelming. And so I had a teacher who stopped me in the hallway and said I saw your schedule for next year and I saw you signed up for just regular English class. I took it upon myself to reassign you to college credit composition. She said I am not going to allow you to sell yourself short. You have a talent for writing and I don't care what you say. You can be mad at me, but I'm going to push you.

Amy :

And so just stories like that throughout my career, where people saw my native genius tapped into it and gave me the confidence and the space to dive in, has really stuck with me all these years. I actually reached out to that teacher. I went and met her in our old classroom about five years ago and I thanked her because she changed the trajectory and I ended up becoming certified as an English teacher. So it's just cases like that that you know. At the time I was mad as a high schooler, as a teenager, but I came to just greatly appreciate that push teenager but I came to just greatly appreciate that push.

Drew:

Yeah, what a multiply moment there that you share and that impact and influence of that teacher could see that in you. And then they've taken that time to just say no, that you can meet this goal, Amy, yeah.

Amy :

Yes, I love the quote and I have it framed and I framed it for my staff, and it says comfort is popular. Courage changes lives, and so the teachers who really changed my life pushed me out of my comfort zone, and so that's what I try to do for our staff and our students always pushing, encouraging and believing in people. Yeah, yeah.

Drew:

And did that lead you to? Then the natural to education? Was that your next, you could see yourself going into education as a teacher, as an educator.

Amy :

You know I did not. I was interested in law. I really liked to debate in high school. I loved to research. My father was a policeman, so he was in law enforcement and I was always really fascinated with the law, with logical arguments. So I started college in the pre-law program and at the time I was tutoring students in math. And then I was also coaching a middle school girls basketball team and I just remember how excited I was when the light bulb went on in their mind as we were going through the math lessons, or the excitement of the girls as they improve their skills in basketball.

Amy :

And I just wasn't getting that fulfillment from the pre-law program. I often dreaded going to some of those pre-law events, people talking about who had the higher scores on the entrance exams and what law firms their parents were partners in. It just didn't fill my bucket. And so I went into. My advisor, changed my major from pre-law to education and she said are you sure I've never had anybody do this? And I said well, I'm going to be the first. And I never looked back.

Drew:

There you go. Yeah, it was a calling, wasn't it?

Amy :

It really was and it was interesting. It's just one day I woke up and I realized I was on the wrong path and so I never looked back. I had people say are you crazy? What are you doing? And I actually had some people say to me but you're so smart, you can do anything you want. Why would you choose education? And I stepped back and I said don't your children deserve the best education possible and we need the best people to do that work.

Drew:

Yeah, yeah, it's a shifting mindset, isn't it? Absolutely.

Amy :

Yeah.

Drew:

Yeah, it's a shifting mindset, isn't it? Absolutely yes, and then so into teaching, making that brave decision, but obviously it was the right, clearly the right decision to do. Then what led you into educational leadership?

Amy :

So I really never set out to be an educational leader. That wasn't in my trajectory. I thought maybe I'll max out as a math coordinator because I love teaching math. That's that I saw things beyond my classroom, beyond math education, that I really wanted to touch and to grow and expand, and so it got to the point where I couldn't give all that I had to give within my classroom. I loved it and leaving the classroom was one of the hardest decisions I ever made. I looked at it though through the lens of I can impact infinitely more students by interacting or improving, I should say the systems, by helping to grow and support the educators that work with those students. So it was all about impact and just really expanding that to share my gifts more broadly.

Drew:

Yeah, and that leads us now to 2024 and obviously that fantastic recognition and I was going to play a clip for us to both hear Amy and it's by Liz Wiseman with the podcast we did with her and she spoke in depth about the impact that you're making, so let's listen to that. Is there any multiplier moments or stories from an educational perspective or leadership perspective you could say has come through, that you could share?

Speaker 3:

Another that I learned about just recently was the work of Amy Ruzicka, who is the superintendent at the Bayless School District in St Louis, missouri. She took over as a superintendent in February of 2022, and she had read Multipliers or the Multiplier Effect one of those two books and she wanted to share it with her team, and I think she decided it was going to be one of the foundations for her leadership in this school district. Study across her entire leadership team and she did something very simple but very powerful. She asked all of her team members to focus on one multiplier experiment based on their accidental diminisher tendencies. Just one like just focus on one things, and then she incorporated that into each one of their professional development plans. You know their own individual plans and then she just stayed at it, and it's one of the things we see with leaders who really transform their organizations. It's not that they do something amazing hand-weighting or something expensive, they just stay at it, and she supported this with check-ins. She's letting people know like I'm really serious about this.

Drew:

Amy, nice recognition. What is it like to hear Liz Wiseman publicly recognizing your work and the impact you are leading?

Amy :

So again, wow, it's much like that phone call that I received about the Emerging Superintendent Award just some shock, some disbelief. I've read a lot about imposter syndrome where you think you know there's no way that could be me, I'm a fraud, I'm not that capable and so definitely triggered some imposter syndrome. But in all seriousness, I'm incredibly honored. I think so much of Liz and her work. It truly it's part of my leadership canon and so just hearing that I'm incredibly humbled and then also it just drives me to be an even better multiplier leader. So it's really recognition and then a call to action that I need to step up my game and become even stronger with the work.

Drew:

Yeah, yeah, let's go further into that. So how has the multipliers framework helped? Helped at Baylor School District.

Amy :

So it really has changed our mindset and how we view the work of leadership. And so there are a few things, key phrases, key beliefs that we've really tried to instill in all of our leaders. One of those is people are smart and will figure it out. I think sometimes, as leaders, we think, well, we've been put in these positions because we are the smartest person in the room. That is not true whatsoever. That we have gifts and talents all around us. Recognizing those gifts and talents in our people and giving them the space to grow, to stretch, to really own the work and lead it out at high levels that's what we're called to do. So that definitely is a huge piece. There's another one To lead on purpose.

Amy :

We must understand how we diminish by accident. Nobody wakes up and says I'm going to come in and I'm going to crush people's hopes and dreams today, or I'm going to really minimize their gifts. We're human and really we think as leaders that we're helping people by coming to their rescue or by sharing all of the ideas that we have and I'm a huge idea fountain, as it talks about in the work. Really, those characteristics are diminishing If I don't give people the space to figure things out for themselves, I'm diminishing them. If I'm the one generating all the ideas and I don't give my team opportunities to have some space to share, again, I'm diminishing them.

Amy :

I'll share one more. There's just so many. But along those lines I love the quote from the book. Intent is necessary but not sufficient. Just because I intend to not diminish people doesn't mean that's enough so I can say I don't want to be a diminisher. I actually have to do the hard work to recognize that in myself and then put those replacement practices in my practice so that I am not just saying, oh, I don't want to diminish you, I'm actually not diminishing you, and so it's closing that loop.

Drew:

Yeah, it's being conscious about that, isn't it? In terms of those accidental diminishing behaviors, that and I can relate to the idea fountain as well that you have said, which feels like a very energetic piece, but it can be then going through that framework that it can be exhausting for those people around you in terms of that and also the opportunity, but it's so clever in terms of giving a framework for people who want to succeed, people who are trying to do the right thing, as you said, not going to try to. How can I put someone down and make their life miserable? That's not the intent of what people are trying to set out.

Drew:

In terms of the podcast, she described you as a transformative leader who embodies the multiplier mindset which we can hear clearly. Here's a quote from Liz that stood out to me A true multiplier brings out the genius in people they lead, making everyone around them smarter and more capable. How does this concept resonate, amy, with your approach to leadership, and what strategies have you found to be the most effective in bringing out the best in your team at Baylis?

Amy :

Yes. So, drew, those words really resonate strongly with me. Words really resonate strongly with me.

Amy :

Even before the multiplier effect came into my leadership canon, I always considered myself to be a strengths-based leader, really getting to know the people on my team and recognizing what they do very, very well. Leading from that strengths-based approach, as opposed to a deficit-based approach, really allows people to be more successful and more fulfilled. And so, in switching that language over to native genius which I like that even more than strengths, because it really amplifies and celebrates those gifts. So the first part is, just, as a leader, really getting to know my people how do you know what their gifts are if you don't know them deeply as a person? And then finding opportunities within the organization, within our goals, to match their genius to an opportunity to really give them that stretch growth opportunity to be able to shine, to really lean into those gifts and talents. To me is the secret sauce to the work that we do. It's not me leading out everything, because then we're limited by how far I can go. It's about being that orchestrator and matching the genius with the needs and opportunities within the district.

Drew:

Very clever in terms of and that doesn't happen via accident, that happens through clear thinking, framework identifying and then and then mapping and and moving forward. I was I was actually reading through before our podcast, the bayless publication, summer 24 edition some, what a fantastic. Um, what a fantastic read. I mean in terms of the achievements the the class of 2024. You must pinch yourself going wow, that's all us. I'll read some of the things that are obviously in the publication Record number of scholarship recipients. It also celebrates teacher and student success, such as Courtney Duffy being named Teacher of the Year and a fifth grader winning the ELKS writing contest. These are all fantastic achievement. Another one that really stood out was at Baylis District was recognized as a top workplace in your area, which again do you put that down to? Multipliers?

Amy :

I really do.

Amy :

I think about you.

Amy :

Know, when we look back at the research, we get the most out of people when we identify their native genius, when we match that genius with opportunities and then give them the space and the support to really lead it out successfully.

Amy :

And since gosh way back in the day, before I stepped into the superintendent's chair, when I was assistant superintendent, for example, I worked to create a district-wide teacher leadership group, and so we really had nothing formalized prior to that, and just recognizing that talent within our educators who are in the classroom and partnering them with a system, with an opportunity and with support, it really helped transform our district.

Amy :

That it's leadership by teachers for teachers, and so that's really been my approach is how do we tap into our people? Because they'll feel that sense of ownership, they will be more fulfilled and, at the end of the day, they're going to achieve more for our students than any one of us leaders could do alone. And so it really. The work of the multiplier effect has been transformative with our culture. It's woven now into our DNA and just constantly looking for opportunities to find that genius, to name it. One of the most validating and empowering things we can do for our people is to name and celebrate that genius and then invite them to really tap into that to do great work for kids in the community.

Drew:

Yeah, yeah, fantastic. And just for our listeners to give context when was the Multipliers Framework introduced in your context?

Amy :

Yeah.

Amy :

So when I took over as superintendent in 2022, so my first day was July 1st I brought the Multiplier Effect work into my team.

Amy :

I really wanted that to set the stage for the next generation of leadership, and so I had first been introduced to the multiplier effect in a National Instructional Leader Academy I did with the American Association for School Administrators, and so I was fortunate enough to learn from one of Liz's trainers and the work just immediately clicked and it put the framework.

Amy :

It put some of the vocabulary around ideas that I had had as a leader and opportunities that I saw diminishing side of it, which was very sobering as I looked and categorized myself as the idea fountain, a little bit of the pace setter, but that really led to that next layer of self-awareness. So, as I was doing this and going through our district's culture and climate data, looking at our strengths, looking at our opportunities, it was exactly what we needed to really turn the page into a whole new chapter of our district's history. And we've been around. Now this is our 156th year as a school district and so just having these last few years, we've achieved so much over the 156 years. Implementing the multiplier effect really took us to the next level.

Drew:

Yeah, you can absolutely see that In terms of. Then the question is how do you maintain that as well, like it's such a powerful framework? Is that something you think about as well in terms of okay, how can we continue? This is something we don't want to let go. It's clearly a winning formula here. What's your thinking in terms of continuing with that?

Amy :

Yes, sustainability is key. We know in education we can get sidetracked. There's no shortage of work to be done and we know sometimes we get implementation fatigue. There's always something new to tackle, and so it was very explicit in outlining this. Work of the multiplier effect is not one more thing on the plate of our leaders, it is the plate, and so this is the mind frame, this is the approach, and so that's not going to change. We can input any systems, any initiatives into this work, and it should be successful.

Amy :

If we're utilizing the multiplier practices, and so we have layered in some other professional learning components, I always connect it back to the multiplier effect. It's important that they see that again. This mind frame supports everything else that we do. If we're getting the most out of our people, whether it's a new math program, a new literacy program, if we lead that as multipliers, it's going to be more successful, is multipliers, it's going to be more successful.

Amy :

So this week, for example, we have our principals meeting, and we do principal meetings twice a month. One of our openers for the meeting is asking all of our leaders, including myself I'm the lead learner, I'm part of this work to check in and to be vulnerable. How have we been doing with our accidental diminishing qualities and own it? If you, for example, I've been a little bit of an idea fountain lately and I need to own it and then purposefully step back and allow space that you know, knowing as a leader when to play smaller, to create space for other people to play big, that's what we need, and so it's just constantly circling back to it. This work is not a one and done. It's a way of life, it's a way of thinking and it's a way of leading.

Drew:

Yeah, I love how you frame that because in terms of the delivery, I just want to emphasize we have it in our professional learning suite as a one-day delivery, but in terms of what I'm hearing is, that's embedded, you've incorporated that into your professional learning, so to speak, but you've incorporated into your culture. Can you go unpack that a little bit further? So I've heard some braving work there. I heard a little bit of potentially, some potentially dare to lead sort of framework over the top there with some vulnerability.

Drew:

So in terms of the just to give context for our listeners, we have a one-day piece for the multipliers which is a fantastic piece, but then it just the work just doesn't stop as a one-day professional learning piece, as you know, amy, because then that's just, that's a nice feel-good for the day, but unless it's actually implemented, then it's almost well, what's the point of doing that one day course? So just unpack that further. So you've obviously incorporated into your professional learning and also potentially for onboarding people into your district as well. Could you unpack that a little bit further for us?

Amy :

Yes, absolutely so. As our leadership team and this includes our district leadership, all of our building administrators, our principals we went through the training together and did a book study and then, beyond that, what I asked every single leader to do and I include myself in that is to identify one or two accidental diminishing traits and then really focus on that, include that in their annual principal or leader professional development plan and commit to you know what specific I know? In the book they talk about the experiments, the replacement practices. So really locking in, based upon your accidental diminisher characteristic, which experiment or which replacement behavior matches with that, and to be really, really intentional about implementing that and then reflecting on it and being honest how did I do? How did I show up as a multiplier or was I unintentionally diminishing? And likewise, having an accountability partner, somebody they trust within the organization, to say was I diminishing? Right there, be honest with me. And being able to have those frank conversations. I want my team to let me know if I'm being the idea fountain. I want to create space where they can say whoa time out, you're overwhelming me with all of these ideas, and so I think making those commitments and then having a safe space.

Amy :

This work is messy. Any work worth doing is never easy, and so having a team that trusts one another, that you can say, oh man, I really messed that up. I really intended to be a multiplier, but I showed up, I got excited, the ideas started flowing and I really diminished my team today, owning it, apologizing for it and committing doing better and then actually doing better. I, I think, is a key piece of the work, but you're never finished. I would love to say I'm 100% multiplier all the time. Liz talks about it in her book. Nobody is 100% multiplier or 100% diminisher, and so our goal is, as leaders, to keep learning, to keep checking back in the work. You know, as I said earlier, drew, I'm having my principals check back in and just do you know a little diminisher check, how am I really doing? And the goal is to keep moving the needle more towards multiplier.

Drew:

Yeah, yeah, how refreshing to have that honest conversation and the fact of calling yourself out on that and knowing to the group and saying, hey, I'm the ideas fountain, I know that, I recognize it, but hey, I'm trying to work still on that as well. So, in terms of Liz also mentioned further, let's listen now further in terms of some of these fantastic results that are occurring as a result of your multipliers framework, some really fantastic results here in your context.

Speaker 3:

They spent about 18 months of just a year and a half in her words, like fully walking out the multiplier's work. She shared with me how their school climate has changed. I pulled together a few of these Supportive relationships up six points. School climate up 13 points on their school climate survey. School leadership up 25 points on their school climate survey. School leadership up 25 points, you know, on the 10-point scale. The school district achieved top growths for math and English language learners. They became listed in the top workplaces and received the National School of District of Character Award.

Speaker 3:

She was named superintendent of the year, you know, in greater St Louis, and all in a very short period of time. And again, it wasn't magic, it was just this calm but very clear persistence of this is the kind of leadership our students deserve, our teachers deserve, and this is the way we're going to lead here. And she stayed on it with good educational follow-up, educational follow-up. Well, I think there are two reasons to be a multiplier leader and both kind of can get you there. But one way to look at it is you want to lead this way because you get more from people, and I think that was what was so shocking to me in the research is how diminishing leaders were getting less than half of people's available intelligence, whereas multipliers were getting virtually all of it. It's a 2x effect broadly, but when we go into our school districts it starts to look more like a 3x difference.

Speaker 3:

And there is a compelling reason to lead this way, which is, you know, my short understanding like, or my summary of my understanding, of the challenges in education is like education has all the challenges that businesses and for-profit having. They just have them, I think, in like sharper ways. In sharper ways, I think the problems are a little bit more acute and harder. So, like, educational leaders need to be able to do more by getting more from people. That's one reason.

Speaker 3:

But I'm always reminded and when I think of myself as a leader and like why I want to lead this way, some of it comes to gee, I want to get the most from people because we got hard problems to solve and I need this. But I remind myself that the real reason to lead this way is about legacy and not just how much you get from people, but what kind of work experience do you offer and what's the impact on the people you lead and how do you really want to be remembered as a leader, and when I boil it down to you know what I've learned from 35 years of leading and my own research is you know I want to be remembered as a leader. People grow around and maybe that's it, and it's about getting more, but it's also about giving to people an experience that feels less exhausting and more exhilarating.

Drew:

Very powerful, Amy. That's some impressive stats. The question is now how to continue the momentum and where to now for Baylor School District.

Amy :

Yeah. So we have a last year's theme was celebrate and elevate, and so it's really celebrating those successes and then raising the bar. We've never arrived. This work is never finished as a leadership team continuing to grow in the multiplier work. That again, if we can get two, two and a half times the talent out of our people, what can't we achieve together? And we know we have opportunities abound.

Amy :

There's always work to be done to improve student learning, to improve our students' experiences through activities and extracurriculars. So I don't think we'll ever get there. And I always tell people, if we achieve all of our goals, the goals weren't lofty enough, they weren't aspirational enough, and so I think it's continuing for the strength of our organization to multiply and to build those talents from within, from our students, from our staff. We are tapping into their potential and helping them discover the best versions of themselves. And if we can help every single person here discover that best version of themselves, or at least get really close, the sky's the limit on what this district can achieve, and so it's through this multiplier path that I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon. However, I want this work to continue on past my tenure here for many, many years to come, the next 156 years, and so that would be success to me, when every leader, every educator is leading through the lens of a multiplier.

Drew:

Yeah, and the power. You talked about, your role as a superintendent and now our association, which is on the other side of the globe, in Australia, with a jurisdiction of over 1,800 primary schools and 2,200 public schools in New South Wales curiosity looking at this work, do you see that I can see the clear connections with what's happening in your context? Do you see an alignment with the MultiFlows frameworks being moving into another part of the world, on the other side of the globe, in our context?

Amy :

Yes, these concepts. If you're a human being, these resonate because, at the end of the day, we all have our different contexts, with different strengths, with different challenges. People are people, and we say this all the time. People are people and so these evergreen, these research-based practices will be effective, no matter where you go. And that's the neat thing, drew, because, as I talked earlier, this work isn't one more thing on the plate, it is the plate.

Amy :

So, leading with this mind frame, no matter what you're working on in your local context, if you lead people through the multiplier lens, everything is going to be more successful. And likewise and I know you had mentioned it earlier incorporating this work with other great bodies of research, like Brene Brown's Dare to Lead, which she gets more deeply into human emotion, communication, vulnerability, trust. Partnering those two is an incredibly powerful combination of best practices in leadership, best practices in being an empathetic, vulnerable, courageous leader. And so I don't care where you are in the world, where you are in your career. Again, people are people, leaders are leaders, and best practice is best practice.

Drew:

Yeah, those human traits, isn't it, amy? Practice is best practice. Yeah, those human traits, isn't it, amy? The human traits of you've used the framework of multipliers, getting that genius, but also understanding accidental, diminishing behaviors. But then the cleverness of we are human, everyone is human, and underlying that with the principles of trust, and then the ability to work through the skills such as shame or guilt, and how can that be worked through together and being vulnerable before to be able to share that as well.

Drew:

As you said before in our conversation about look, I'm an allergies fountain person. Please let me know if I'm doing that to you. You're being vulnerable. That could have gone who knows which way, but it went the right way because you showed up with that vulnerability. Yeah, you're being human, as you say. Yeah, in terms of next, it's been a fantastic conversation in terms of talking about it. You can see that. Are there any other districts that are also? We're looking at the impact that's happening from the other side of the globe. Are there districts around you or in the US that are coming to reach out and see the work of multipliers in your context?

Amy :

There has not been yet. So you are the first to reach out. So you know, we've had other districts come to look at some of our practices, some of our programs. We're very proud of the work we're doing, you know. Fortunately, I think for us is we've really continued to embody the multiplier work, so it's almost seamless.

Amy :

It's not as visible and so I don't think, like I said earlier, it's kind of the plate. Most people, if it's full of other things, they don't see the plate, they see all the other things, and so that foundation I don't think is quite as visible to others, because it is that mind frame. And so I would love to connect with other districts you know, here and abroad who are doing this work and especially to, like I said, the combination of the multiplier effect and Dare to Lead. It really has been a transformational combo for us. If people are willing to commit to it and walk it out, and that starts with me. It starts with the superintendent In a building, it starts with the principal and a teacher. It's, you know, their leadership in the classroom.

Drew:

So, unfortunately, no, we haven't come place to work, been voted not within, but also an external group has come and seen this is the best workplace to work for in your area. What an accolade. What an accolade. And also the fact that you're creating genius 2.5 times those scales are amazing. So I guess a call to action is not just people on the other side of the world, which we are, but also those around you, so fantastic In terms of the. If I move to the next part, do you incorporate coaching, incorporated within the multipliers framework as well?

Amy :

Yes. So, in addition to embedding the multiplier work within our leadership professional learning, within our professional learning plans, I do offer leadership coaching to all of our leadership teams, both individual and then as a team. So we do have a skilled coach that works, you know, with our people, to provide that safe space, to also be that mirror to reflect the ideas, the work that's occurring in the buildings and then the relative success. So I do think I'm a firm believer, I'm a trained coach, I did instructional coaching and some leadership coaching To really take root. People need that opportunity to pause, to reflect, to have some of those strengths and opportunities mirrored back to them and then the support to continue on.

Drew:

Yeah, it is such a and Liz also discussed this as well, saying and it resonated with her that coaching is such a crucial element of the multipliers framework and you've just reaffirmed that in terms of just should we incorporate coaching? Clearly that is a secret source in terms of ensuring that, continuing the momentum, having those coaching conversations or, as you said, more reflective practice on what you're doing and then how you could pivot towards back to the plate of the multipliers plate. Yeah, Look, Amy, it's been an absolute pleasure to talk to you and it's a pleasure to hear about the journey on your insights, the multipliers mindset, your commitment to growth has really come through, both personal and within the Baylis School District. It truly exemplifies the transformative power of leadership in education. So congratulations on that. You must feel very, very humbled and also very proud as well.

Amy :

Yes, thank you, and that's absolutely the truth Very humbled and very proud of the work that our district continues to lead out for our kids and for our community. It's truly a special place and the beauty about this work is it's scalable in any size district or system, in any context.

Drew:

Okay, Amy, a little bit of fun here. Who has some questions for you? Thought provoking questions. Who has been Amy Rizuka's most influential educational leader?

Amy :

That's a tough question, drew. I would answer that and I know it's a cop out, but I would say every leader I've worked with because I've either learned a leadership practice or I actually call it an anti mentors something that I absolutely do not want to do and so I've, throughout my whole career, I've always been watching, reflecting and thinking about the leadership characteristics that I want to embody and those that I want to avoid. So I really think my leadership style came from those reflections from everybody that I've worked with.

Drew:

Yeah. Yeah, that's sort of cop out. It's actually taking in all of that information and deciphering what works best for you. Who is Amy Resika's leadership idols or idol?

Amy :

So I have a few um Brene Brown, as we talked about earlier. Uh, liz Wiseman, uh, simon Sinek I've really um internalized a lot of his work. And then I have one most recently he's actually from St Louis, missouri John O'Leary. He has some great books. One is on fire and so just watching the story of his life he went through he was burned over 100% of his body as a young child, not expected to live, and so he's really taken that opportunity to lead a life that impacts and inspires so many people, so many people. I mean. He truly is filled with joy and just taking his work and his thoughts into my own leadership, that has been probably the most recent kind of thought-provoking and leadership transforming body of work.

Drew:

Wow, I love how you they're all fantastic idols, but the passion you spoke about there with Jonathan was in your local context and what he brings to the plate yeah, truly inspirational.

Amy :

And I missed one, Drew, I can't believe I missed this one. Justine Froelker she is a Brene Brown certified Dare to Lead trainer. She recently developed her own curriculum, and so you know just her work with courage, vulnerability, communication all of those pieces have truly been transformational for both me personally and our team, and so just being surrounded by excellence has really helped shape who I am as a leader, and so I resonate very strongly with all of the people I talked about.

Drew:

Yeah, yeah, you can absolutely tell when you're invested. You are really invested, Amy. What is Amy Rosica's favorite book or books, and why?

Amy :

Oh, good question. So I would say definitely the multiplier effect, as I've talked about it, has really shaped how we lead our organization, how we lead our organization and, having been led by both multipliers and diminishers, I can absolutely say without a doubt that the most rewarding environments I've worked in have been led by multipliers, and so I, having the language and the tools to lead that way, has been really helpful. Dare to lead again as a human, a human being, renee, I feel like, looks into our souls and just she says what we don't perhaps have the words to say and using the research to help us be better, more courageous people. I mean I've truly transformed how I approach tough conversations, the vulnerability work that's been huge on fire, like I just talked about with John O'Leary, simon Sinek I love Infinite Game and Know your why. I could go on and on, but I think all of those really are symbiotic. There's so many connections and just a well-rounded leadership approach.

Drew:

Yeah, what is Amy Rezeka's educational philosophy?

Amy :

So my philosophy is really closely aligned with our district mission and vision, and we exist to help students and staff and those we serve discover the best possible versions of themselves by providing opportunities to tap into those passions, to build their expertise and to really ultimately live happy, fulfilled lives. And so providing that space and the opportunities is my job and my philosophy. And then we also want every student to leave our school system being smart, good and strong.

Drew:

What legacy would Amy Rusuka like to have been known for?

Amy :

So, in terms of legacy, I want to be known as a multiplier leader who brought out the best in people, who helped people achieve more than they ever thought possible, and to do that with purpose. This work is so purposeful we're shaping lives. Likewise, back to the dare to lead work, I'd like to be known as a courageous leader. I had shared a little bit earlier that comfort is popular. Courage changes lives, and so I'm not here serving this district to do what's comfortable. I'm called to do what's right, even if it's difficult for our kids, and so I never want to shy away from a challenge, and I want people to look back on my career and say, man, she was courageous, she stepped into the arena, she was a fierce advocate for kids, and if any of that is said, I will consider it a success.

Drew:

Fantastic, Amy. Thank you so much. That was so very vulnerable too. Thank you for sharing that as well with us. Great conversation. We'd love to connect again.

Amy :

Yes, likewise. So thank you so much, drew, I appreciate it.

Speaker 3:

Well, I think there are two reasons to be a multiplier leader, and both kind of can get you there, but in one way to look at it is you want to lead this way because you get more from people, and I think that was. What was so shocking to me in the research is how diminishing meters were getting less than half of people's available intelligence, whereas multipliers were getting virtually all of it. It's a 2x effect broadly, but when we go into our school districts it starts to look more like a 3x difference. And and there is a compelling reason to lead this way, which is, you know, my short understanding like, or my summary of my understanding of the challenges in education is like education has all the challenges that business is and for profit having they, just have them. I think, in like sharper ways. In sharper ways, I think the problems are a little bit more acute and harder. So, like, educational leaders need to be able to do more by getting more from people. That's one reason.

Speaker 3:

But I'm always reminded and when I think of myself as a leader and like why I want to lead this way, some of it comes to gee I want to get the most from people because we got hard problems to solve and I need this, but I remind myself that the real reason to lead this way is about legacy, and not just how much you get from people, but what kind of work experience do you offer and what's the impact on the people you lead? And how do you really want to be remembered as a leader? And when I boil it down to you, know what I've learned from 35 years of leading and my own research is, you know, I want to be remembered as a leader. People grow around and maybe that's it, and it's about getting more, but it's also about giving to people an experience that feels less exhausting and more exhilarating.

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Drew Janetzki

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