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Real Talk School Leadership with Dan Mault
Real Talk School Leadership is a podcast for educators, administrators, and change-makers who believe schools can be better — and are willing to do the work to make it happen.
Hosted by Dan Mault, elementary school principal and Creativity & Change Leadership graduate student, this show dives into the real conversations behind leadership in today’s schools. Each episode explores creativity, organizational change, team dynamics, and innovation through the lens of everyday practice — from building strong staff cultures and navigating challenges to rethinking systems and empowering diverse thinkers.
Blending research with real-world experience, Dan shares reflections from the principal’s office, lessons from graduate coursework, and practical strategies grounded in frameworks like FourSight, the 4 Ps of Creativity, and collaborative problem solving. You’ll hear honest insights, actionable ideas, and stories from the field designed to help you lead with clarity, empathy, and purpose.
This isn’t about quick fixes or trendy buzzwords.
It’s about people.
It’s about process.
And it’s about creating schools where both adults and students can thrive.
If you’re ready for authentic conversations, thoughtful leadership, and practical creativity in education — welcome to Real Talk School Leadership.
Real Talk School Leadership with Dan Mault
Episode #3 - Psychological Safety: The Foundation of Creativity, Collaboration, Climate, and Student Success
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In this episode of Real Talk School Leadership, we explore why psychological safety is the foundation of creativity, innovation, and meaningful change in schools and how leaders can intentionally build climates where both adults and students thrive.
Building on earlier conversations about thinking preferences and the problem-solving process (Clarify, Ideate, Develop, Implement), this episode dives into what it truly means to create a judgment-free environment where ideas are welcomed, all voices are heard, and failure is seen as part of learning.
Grounded in research from Teresa Amabile, Amy Edmondson, Alex Osborn, Gerard Puccio, Susan Keller-Mathers, and Michael Ackerbauer, I try to connect the theories I have been studying, the ways I weave in these ideas in my school, to everyday practice in your schools and orgs.
📚 References
Amabile, T. M. (1996). Creativity in Context. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
Amabile, T. M., & Kramer, S. J. (2011). The Power of Small Wins: How Progress Fuels Engagement and Innovation. Harvard Business Review Press.
Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350–383.
Edmondson, A. (2012). Teaming: How Organizations Learn, Innovate, and Compete in the Knowledge Economy. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Osborn, A. F. (1953). Applied Imagination: Principles and Procedures of Creative Problem-Solving. New York, NY: Scribner.
Puccio, G. J., & Keller-Mathers, S. (2007). Enhancing thinking and leadership skills through creative problem solving. International Journal of Creativity & Problem Solving, 17(2), 5–19.
Puccio, G. J., Mance, M., & Murdock, M. (2011). Creative Leadership: Skills That Drive Change. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Ackerbauer, M. (Organizational Creativity & Innovation course materials and lectures, 2026).