The Authority Podcast — Expert Insights and Fresh Ideas for Education Leaders

Lindsey and Tasha talk with Lainie Rowell, bestselling author, award-winning educator, and gratitude researcher and practitioner, about moving gratitude beyond a surface-level practice and making it part of how we lead, teach, and live. The conversation explores the science behind gratitude, how leaders can create cultures where people feel genuinely seen, and why gratitude is not about ignoring what is hard but refusing to overlook what is good. Lainie Rowell is a bestselling author, award-winning educator, and TEDx speaker whose work has reached audiences across 41 states and dozens of countries on four continents. Her clients include Apple and Google, and she works with school systems worldwide. She is the author of Evolving with Gratitude, a lead author of Evolving Learner, and the creator of Bold Gratitude: The Journal Designed for You and by You, a flexible resource that helps people develop a gratitude practice that feels personal rather than prescribed. In this episode, we discuss: How Lainie’s relationship with gratitude changed during the early days of the COVID-19 shutdown and the unexpected moment that caused her to look at gratitude differently Why gratitude is not about overlooking what is hard, but intentionally refusing to overlook what is good The brain’s natural negativity bias and why intentionally noticing what is going well matters How school leaders can use specific, authentic praise to strengthen relationships and create healthier learning environments The praise-to-correction ratio and why leaders should pay attention to how often people hear what they are doing well compared with what they need to fix Lainie’s “notice, think, feel, and do” framework for developing a deeper gratitude practice Counterfactual thinking, or “mental subtraction,” and how imagining life without an important person can deepen our appreciation for the relationships we already have Why gratitude practices do not have to be elaborate — and why a thoughtful text message can sometimes be more meaningful than waiting to write the perfect thank-you note How gratitude can support emotional regulation, stress reduction, well-being, relationships, sleep, and even physical health Why gratitude should be invitational rather than mandated, particularly when leaders bring gratitude practices into schools and organizations What educators can do when they are burned out and feel like they have nothing left to give Temptation bundling — pairing something you want to do with something you want to make a habit — and how leaders can remove barriers that make positive habits harder to sustain How school leaders can build reflection and gratitude into existing routines such as staff meetings instead of creating another large initiative Why leaders should celebrate what is going well both internally with their teams and publicly with their communities How to make a thank-you more meaningful by acknowledging the intention, cost, and value behind someone’s actions The difference between simply feeling grateful and developing gratitude as a disposition that shapes how we approach happiness, relationships, and performance Learn more about Lainie Rowell and access her free resources: LainieRowell.com Find Bold Gratitude: The Journal Designed for You and by You and Evolving with Gratitude wherever books are sold online. About today’s guest Lainie Rowell is a bestselling author, award-winning educator, and TEDx speaker whose work centers on learning, leadership, well-being, and the science and practice of gratitude. She has presented in 41 states, and her work has reached audiences in dozens of countries across four continents. Her clients have included Apple and Google, and she partners with school systems worldwide. Lainie is the author of Evolving with Gratitude and served as a lead author of Evolving Learner. Her latest work, Bold Gratitude: The Journal Designed for You and by You, invites people to develop gratitude practices that fit who they are rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach. Through research, reflection, and practical strategies, Lainie helps educators, leaders, and communities move gratitude from something they occasionally feel to something they intentionally practice. Learn more about Lainie, her books, and her free resources at https://www.lainierowell.com/books Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lainierowell/ Learn more about today's sponsor, Playworks: We’re proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play. If you’re a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversation.

Show Notes: Meet Your New Hosts of The Authority A new chapter of The Authority begins as Lindsey Cannon and Natasha Nurse step into their roles as co-hosts. Building on the foundation established by Ross Romano, Lindsey and Tasha share their vision for the show, their perspectives on education, and their commitment to helping school leaders move beyond inspiring ideas to meaningful action. Together, they explore what needs to change in education, why schools must create more meaningful experiences for students, and how leaders can rethink the systems and routines that shape everyday practice. From challenging traditional approaches to leadership to reducing the demands placed on educators, their conversation introduces the questions and perspectives listeners can expect in future episodes. Rather than simply highlighting what authors and experts have to say, Lindsey and Tasha want The Authority to become a bridge between research and reality. Their goal is to ask better questions, explore the challenges educators actually face, and help leaders identify practical ways to move important ideas forward. In this episode, we discuss: What listeners can expect from the next chapter of The Authority and the perspectives Lindsey and Tasha bring to the conversation Why inspiring ideas are not enough unless leaders can translate them into meaningful changes in schools and classrooms How schools can rethink meetings and routines to create more time for reflection, collaboration, and meaningful work Why education needs bold thinkers who are willing to challenge assumptions, take risks, and imagine what schools could become Whether schools are truly encouraging the curiosity, inquiry, and innovation they claim to value Why students need to see the purpose and value in the work they are asked to do every day The difference between processes and systems, and how stronger systems can reduce the workload placed on individual educators Why leaders should focus on doing their most important work exceptionally well rather than trying to do everything How thoughtful questions can help authors and experts move beyond big ideas to practical strategies educators can use immediately Why leadership requires creating opportunities for teachers to take ownership, experiment, and try new approaches How companion episodes will provide space to unpack ideas, consider real school constraints, and identify practical next steps Why innovation requires asking good questions, trying new approaches, and using evidence to determine what works How Lindsey and Tasha's different perspectives can challenge assumptions and create richer conversations about education Why keeping students at the center of every leadership decision is essential to meaningful school improvement This introductory conversation sets the direction for the next chapter of The Authority. Through interviews with authors and experts, followed by thoughtful companion conversations, Lindsey and Tasha hope to give school leaders more than inspiration. They want listeners to walk away with new questions, fresh perspectives, and practical ideas they can begin applying in their own schools. About this episode The Authority enters a new chapter with co-hosts Lindsey Cannon and Natasha Nurse, two experienced educators who share a commitment to improving schools while bringing distinct perspectives to the challenges of educational leadership. Lindsey brings a systems-thinking approach, focusing on simplifying complex challenges, reducing educator workload, and helping leaders turn ambitious ideas into manageable actions. Tasha brings a passion for inquiry, innovation, and challenging traditional assumptions about what schools should look like and how students should experience learning. Together, they aim to create a space for honest conversations about what is working, what needs to change, and what leaders can do next. With author interviews and companion episodes that examine ideas through the lens of everyday school realities, The Authority is grounded in a simple belief: When research meets reality, ideas can become actions. Learn more about today's sponsor, Playworks: We’re proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play. If you’re a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversation.

What actually makes learning happen? And in a world where AI can increasingly do the hard work for us, which parts of that work should students still do themselves? The episode was recorded for Education Talk Radio on the Be Podcast Network, and we're excited to share it with you. Host David Cicero spoke with John Hattie, the renowned researcher behind Visible Learning. They discuss why struggle matters, why students need more than one strategy for learning, and why schools may spend too much time thinking about teaching and not enough helping students understand the learning process itself. The conversation also turns to AI—not simply whether schools should use it, but when students should use it, when they shouldn’t, and what happens when technology begins doing the thinking that produces learning in the first place. Listen and subscribe to Education Talk Radio: https://edutalk.transistor.fm Learn more about today's sponsor, Playworks: We’re proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play. If you’re a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversation.

Recorded live at ISTE 2026, Transformative Principal host Jethro Jones sat down with Mike Anderson to discuss his new book, Hugging Porcupines: Month-by-Month Strategies to Support Our Most Challenging Students. The episode was recorded as a simulcast for Transformative Principal and The Authority. They explore why some students disengage, resist connection, and act out — and how teachers can respond with strategies built on the "three-legged stool" of academic engagement, respectful discipline, and positive relationships. The conversation covers building classroom rules collaboratively, the difference between consequences and punishments, and why problem-solving conferences (not just sending kids to the office) are key to real behavior change. Mike was previously a guest on episode 12 of The Authority, discussing his book Tackling the Motivation Crisis. Learn more about today's sponsor, Playworks: We’re proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play. If you’re a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversation.

Ross talks with Jeff Meade, Founding Director of Entrepreneurship at Paul Quinn College, about the "Every Quinnite Is an Entrepreneur" program — an initiative that requires every student to launch a real revenue-generating business before graduation. The conversation covers venture-based learning, why entrepreneurial thinking prepares students for an uncertain future of work, and how Paul Quinn is building a model that could help small colleges become more sustainable. Jeff Meade is the Founding Director of Entrepreneurship at Paul Quinn College. With over 20 years of experience growing companies and advising businesses, Jeff has scaled marketing agencies to multimillion-dollar revenues and built client-side programs featured in Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and Entrepreneur Magazine. He is now pioneering venture-based learning — a model that equips students with an entrepreneurial mindset, creativity, and real-world experience to thrive as founders, innovators, and intrapreneurs in any field. In this episode, we discuss: What "Every Quinnite Is an Entrepreneur" means and why every student must launch a real business before graduating Venture-based learning — experiential learning with real stakes, where students actually get customers, generate revenue, and run businesses Why the future workforce demands entrepreneurial thinkers — and why rote skills alone no longer suffice How entrepreneurial skills transfer to corporate, nonprofit, and any organizational role The case for college as a place of exposure and exploration — and why it's a lot to ask a 17-year-old to know what they want to do Aligning K–12, higher education, and workforce development around career readiness What students learn about themselves when they have to start a business — motivation, group dynamics, and accountability Pattern recognition, diagnosing problems, and leading by influence rather than title Paul Quinn's corporate work college model — where students both start businesses and hold internships simultaneously A long-term vision for small colleges: owning businesses, creating new revenue streams, and building a sustainable model beyond tuition dependence Learn more about Paul Quinn College's entrepreneurship program: https://paulquinn.edu/entrepreneurship Connect with Jeff Meade: https://jeff-meade.com About today's guest Jeff Meade is the Founding Director of Entrepreneurship at Paul Quinn College, where he leads the "Every Quinnite Is an Entrepreneur" program. The initiative ensures every student launches a venture before graduation, making entrepreneurship a core life skill rather than an extracurricular option. With over 20 years of experience growing companies and advising businesses, Jeff has scaled agencies to multimillion-dollar revenues and built client-side marketing programs that gained national recognition. His work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and Entrepreneur Magazine. A graduate of Babson College, the number one school of entrepreneurship in the world, Jeff is pioneering venture-based learning — a model that equips students with an entrepreneurial mindset, creativity, and real-world experience. Connect with Jeff at jeff-meade.com or on LinkedIn. About the host Ross Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K–12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Bluesky or LinkedIn. Learn more about today's sponsor, Playworks: We’re proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play. If you’re a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversation.