When to Push, When to Pull Back.

Hey there! Great to see you again. 👋🏼

One of the biggest mistakes I made early in leadership was thinking I had to push all the time.

Push toward results.
Push through resistance.
Push the culture uphill, day after day.

And to be fair, some days do require that energy. Some seasons demand it. But what I’ve learned - especially leading through tough transitions, burnout cycles, and post-COVID fatigue - is this:

Relentless pressure doesn’t create relentless improvement.
Sometimes, it creates retreat. Or resentment. Or quiet disengagement.

The trick?
Knowing when to push… and when to pull back.

The Leadership Balance That Matters More Than We Think

Let’s be clear: this isn’t about “lowering expectations” or “taking it easy.”

It’s about reading the moment and adjusting your leadership posture based on what your team (and your students) need right now.

Too much pushing leads to:

• Resistance disguised as “sure, I’ll do it”

• Increased absenteeism and burnout

• Staff doing the bare minimum to survive the year

Too much pulling back leads to:

• Complacency

• Inconsistent implementation

• Culture drift

You can’t have high expectations without high trust. And you won’t build either if your leadership style doesn’t adapt to the moment.

What It Looks Like in Action

🔥 Push when the stakes are high.
When student outcomes are at risk. When an expectation is being ignored. When there’s clarity but the execution is lagging - push.

🔥 Pull back when the resistance is real - but the issue isn’t.
If teachers are groaning about a deadline that doesn’t really matter, ask yourself: Is this the hill I want to die on? Sometimes, giving an inch wins you a mile of goodwill.

🔥 Push with support.
Don’t push for improvement without sacrificing to get there. It’s not motivating. It’s demoralizing. You can’t demand growth and then leave people alone in the weeds.

🔥 Pull back to make space for ownership.
If you want teacher leadership, you can’t fill all the airtime. Step back. Let people lead the meeting. Let your team run with a solution - even if it’s not how you’d do it.

🔥 Push with clarity.
Don’t push out of frustration - push out of purpose. When you push, be clear about why it matters. Tie it to outcomes, not just expectations.

🔥 Pull back when the stress is louder than the strategy.
If people are in survival mode, piling on won’t help. Take a beat. Rethink the timeline. Give breathing room without lowering the bar.

Leadership Moves You Can Make This Week

Do a Pulse Check 🚑
Ask your team (formally or informally): “What’s feeling heavy right now? What’s unclear? Where do you need more from me - and where do you need less?”

Audit Your Pushes ⚖️
Look at your last five asks. Were they all urgent? Were they all necessary? Were they all followed up with support? Be honest.

Create a Strategic Pause ⏸️
Take one initiative, one expectation, or one routine this week and hit pause. Not forever - just long enough to reframe, refocus, or recover.

Communicate the “Why Now” 💬
If you are going to push - say why. Link it to student impact, not leadership urgency. Clarity + urgency beats compliance every time.

Final Thought: Leadership Isn’t About Being Louder

This isn’t about how loudly you push - or how quietly you back off. It’s about intentional leadership pressure applied at the right time, with the right people, for the right reasons.

Too many leaders lose their team because they don’t adjust their approach.
Too many schools stall because they only know two gears: full speed or full stop.

Great leadership lives in the tension between urgency and empathy. Between action and reflection. Between high expectations and high support.

Push when it matters.
Pull back when it helps.
Lead with purpose. Always.

📩 What’s one area where you’ve had to shift your leadership pressure lately? Hit reply - I’d love to hear how you’re navigating the balance.

On A Recent Episode of The Principal School Podcast…

Why Every School Leader Needs to Listen to The Principal School Podcast: Real talk. Real leadership. No fluff.

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