Insights on Conflict, Leadership, and Governance
Practical perspectives for leaders navigating high-stakes situations. These pieces draw from three decades of experience in public school governance, executive leadership, and conflict mediation.
What 33 Years in Public Schools Taught Me About Conflict That Leadership Courses Never Did
Thirty-three years in public schools taught me a lot about conflict. Almost none of it came from a leadership course. What changed my practice was a shift in how I understood what conflict actually is -- and what it is trying to tell you.
The Call You Dread: What to Do Before a Conflict Escalates to Your Superintendent
Peer-to-peer board dysfunction is one of the most under-addressed governance problems in education. Here is a practical sequence for board presidents who need to address a difficult colleague -- before the problem lands on the superintendent's desk
When the Room Goes Quiet: What Silence at the Board Table Is Actually Telling You
The agenda item lands. Someone offers a tentative opinion and then pauses, scanning the table. A beat passes. The board president moves on. Everyone exhales just enough to suggest relief.
Nothing happened. Or so it seems.
In 33 years of educational leadership -- nine of those as a superintendent -- I have learned to read what silence in a governance room actually means. It almost never means what the people in that room want it to mean.
Bruce publishes regularly on conflict, leadership, and governance through the Conflict in Plain English series on Substack. Subscribe below to receive new pieces directly.