Coaching Conversations with Jim Knight
Jim Knight is the founder of The Instructional Coaching Group, a professional development provider dedicated to offering PD for coaches, teachers, and leaders based on a partnership approach that creates better learning environments for all students. As a research associate at the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Jim has spent 25 years studying professional learning and instructional coaching. He earned his PhD in Education from the University of Kansas and has won several university teaching, innovation, and service awards. The pioneering work Jim and his colleagues have conducted has led to many innovations that are now central to professional development in schools. Jim wrote the first major article about instructional coaching for the Journal of Staff Development, and his book Instructional Coaching (2007) offered the first extended description of instructional coaching. Jim has written several books in addition to those described above, including the bestsellers Unmistakable Impact (2011), High-Impact Instruction (2013), Focus on Teaching (2014), Better Conversations (2015), The Impact Cycle (2018), and The Definitive Guide to Instructional Coaching (2021). He has also authored articles featured in Educational Leadership, The Journal of Staff Development, Principal Leadership, The School Administrator, and Kappan.
Coaching Conversations with Jim Knight
Kim Scott
In this episode I welcome Kim Scott, author of Radical Respect and Radical Candor and co-host of the Radical Candor podcast, for a powerful conversation about leadership, feedback, and the kind of communication that builds trust.
Drawing from her experience in both business and education, Kim shares practical strategies for giving and receiving feedback with clarity and compassion. Our conversation explores the importance of psychological safety, the role of trust in team dynamics, and the common barriers that can hinder honest dialogue—such as bias or fear of conflict.
I also reflect on how Kim’s insights align with the principles of effective coaching, and together, we look at how leaders can foster a culture rooted in openness, care, and continuous growth.
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