Leadership That Lands: Communicating Across Four Styles In Schools

We break down why leadership communication fails when it assumes everyone listens the same way and show how adapting to four distinct styles turns messages into momentum. The goal is simple: connect clearly, build trust, and strengthen culture through everyday moments.

• Building Bridges Blueprint pillar one: leadership and communication
• Why delivery outranks intent in leadership
• Four styles overview: driver, enthusiast, supporter, analyst
• Practical adjustments for meetings, emails, and feedback
• Self awareness and reading your team
• Emotional intelligence as the lever for culture
• Culture built in hallway moments, not handbooks
• Weekly challenge to tailor your message

If you haven’t sent the survey or need the link, email ed@edwarddeshazer.org or use the website contact form at www.edwarddeshazer.org

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Transcript

Welcome And Recent Keynote

Speaker 0:00

What is going on, Pod? Welcome back to the Teachers Ed Podcast, the place where the best and brightest in education come to be inspired, to connect, to learn, and to grow. I'm your host, Edward DeShazer, and I'm excited to be back. I want to start off and apologize to those who were tapped in or looking to be tapped in last week. I was actually uh the keynote for the Indiana School Teachers Association. So shout out to all my Indiana School teachers, paras, uh principals, uh SPED teachers. I've met a bus driver, so all the people that do the hard work in the state of Indiana. Truly was an honor to um share my story and just to connect with you all. So if you have been um keeping up, we've been talking through the Building Bridges Blueprint, which uh is a framework that I created to help schools create uh strong and healthy school cultures, and it's based on four pillars leadership and communication, collaboration and teamwork, staff wellness and morale, and professional growth and recognition. I have not seen anything like it. I've been in education 20 years. Um, and if there is something like it, I would love to for someone to let me know what it is. But it is the first thing that I've seen where school leaders and school and and educators in general can get data on the culture. A lot of times we just kind of fly by the seat of our pants. So uh this is a way for educators to get data on their culture. So the last episode we talked about leadership and communication and how clarity and consistency builds trust in schools. And today I want to go um just a little bit deeper because leadership is not just about what you communicate, it is about how you communicate. And if you don't understand that part as an educator, you are going to keep talking and people uh won't listen. So um before I get too deep into the topic, I loved hearing from so many people who reached out uh via TikTok, email, um, and Instagram about the survey, and I loved hearing how it has gone and the feedback that you have gotten, which excites me because it gives you actionable items that you can do going forward. And the important part about that is that is leadership and action. So you're not just guessing, and a lot of school leaders and a lot of organizational leaders are just guessing as they're going. Um, and if you haven't sent the survey and or have not gotten the link, um, shoot me an email, ed at edwarddesher.org, or you can just head to my website and hit the uh the booking contact form and just shoot me a note there, and someone from my team will get that over to you. So jumping right in. I guess we're not jumping right in. I've been talking for a little bit, but let's get into it. Uh, most people think they are good communicators. I've worked with a lot of principals and people who are aspiring to be principals. Um, and communication isn't just about how well you talk, but more importantly, it is about how well uh you're understood by the people you're talking to. You can deliver the most powerful message in the world, but if it doesn't land with your audience, it doesn't matter. And in leadership, the gap between what you say and what people hear can change everything. One of the biggest mistakes that we make as um leaders is assuming that everyone receives information the same way that we do. And what we have to understand is some of our staff want the big picture first, some would like a step-by-step instruction, some need time to process quietly, um, others want to talk it out right in the moment, right in the spot. And when you communicate the same way to everyone, you end up connecting with nobody, um, or very few people. And one of the newest books that I have picked up, I wish I had it next to me, so I could show it to those uh tuning in on TikTok and on YouTube, is it's called Surrounded by Idiots by Thomas Erickson. Um, and and to be honest, when I first heard about it, I was like the title caught me completely off guard. But the concept is powerful. He breaks down people into four basic communication styles based on um color groups uh red, yellow, green, and blue. And once you understand those styles, you stop taking things personally and start communicating uh strategically with uh each individual that you are communicating with. So I want to just take a second and break these down. Uh, because if you are a leader, you have all four of these um type of people in your building. It does not matter if you are a school with 40 people or you are a district with 4,000 people. You are going to have these type of people in each one of these colors in your building. Uh so first and foremost, red. Uh, the red is the driver. These are your action takers. They are decisive, they are bold, they are confident, um, and they can often be impatient. They want results and they don't want fluff. When you communicate with a red, we have to keep it short, clear, and direct. Um, do not bury your points under paragraphs, but tell them what needs to be done and why it matters. And if you eventually take too long, uh, you will start to tune them out. Me personally, I lean closest to the red. I want to know how we're gonna get from A to B, or I don't want to I don't know, want to know how we're getting from A to B. I just want to get from A to B. So that is the red, that's a driver. The second is the yellow, which is the enthusiast. Uh, these are your big picture dreamers, the idea people. They are creative, energetic, and love relationships. Uh, they thrive in conversations that are upbeat and inspiring. When you talk to a yellow person, lead with vision um and help paint the picture, but don't get so detailed that it feels restrictive because they need space to explore uh some of the ideas that they that are that you're presenting. Next is the green, the supporter. These are folks um are the glue and they hold your team together. They value harmony, relationships, they value stability. Uh, when communicating with a green, it's gonna be important that you slow down, that you are patient, and that you don't rush them into decisions. They need to feel safe and they need to feel considered. And the last one is the blue. The blue is the analyst, these are your rule followers, your organizers, and your data-driven thinkers. They need structure, excuse me, they need facts and they need order. When you talk to a blue, you have to come prepared. You can't be vague. Um, give them give them the details, uh, give them whatever data you have and give them the plan. They are not trying to challenge you, but they are trying to fully understand before acting. And what is very important for me to acknowledge is that there's no color that is better than another. And there are some people that may overlap over colors, but it's important for us to find the specific color that someone may be. Um, and you need all four colors on a healthy team. One thing I say if you have a room full of dreamers, all you are going to do is dream. If everyone is just a dreamer, everyone's sitting and bouncing all these phenomenal ideas off of each other, but no one's ever going to put the action in the dreams or put the dreams to um action. So it's important that we understand um that everyone doesn't hear you the same way. Uh, some people in your school want details, some want vision, some want time, some want results right now. And when you communicate to everyone the exact same way, you end up connecting with nobody. And that's why emotional intelligence is the real superpower of leadership. It is not about changing who you are, but it is about learning how your people listen. Because if they don't feel understood, your message will not matter. All right. I see you, Jen. Uh, the yellow. Um, I'm predominantly red, and then I can flow into a little bit of yellow uh myself. So, real quick, gotta always take a break and shout out our uh podcast sponsor, which is Rise uh Mushroom Coffee, and it has been phenomenal. I actually have my little cup right here uh filled with it. Um, but it is phenomenal. They have mushroom coffee, they have matcha, they have creamer, they have overnight oats. Um, but it is it is six essential mushrooms. It does not give me the crash that coffee does. I'm like a five or six cup coffee person when I'm having it, and then I end up crashing and feeling worse. This does not give me that crash, it helps with bloating um and helps with digestion, and it is just absolutely phenomenal. Uh, you can check it out at rise ryze superfoods.com, and you can use code Edward DeShazer to get 15% off your order. Again, r-y-ze-e-superfoods.com using code Edward DeShazer for 15% off your order. All right. Um, next part. How do we apply the uh four styles in leadership? And it's easy, I guess I can't say it's easy. It is one thing to know and understand what the colors are, but it's another thing to actually apply them. And when you're leading a team, you cannot expect to meet for everyone to meet you where you are. It's no different than what we say for teachers. We tell teachers to meet the students where they are, but a lot of school leaders, we expect the teachers to meet and the educators and your staff to meet you where you are. So, what we have to model is we have to meet our team where they are. So if you are a fast talking, big picture person, that is great. But your blue staff members might need you to slow down a bit and give them a step-by-step of what is going on. If you are a calm um and methodical leader, your red personality staff members might think that you are dragging your feet. And this is where leaders can tend to lose people, and not because your heart is wrong, but because your delivery doesn't match the person that you're talking to. Um, and and here's how you bridge that gap. First and foremost, we have to know ourselves. So we have to understand, like Jen is saying that she's a yellow, we have to understand our natural communication style. Do you tend to rush? Do you tend to overexplain? Do you tend to avoid conflict? We have to know ourselves and who we are. And then, second, we have to know our people. We have to start paying attention to how our how our staff respond to different approaches, uh, who likes directness, who needs more support, who needs collaboration. We truly have to take time, pay attention, and understand who our staff are. And then last, we got to adjust our approach. Uh, you do not have to become a different person. I'm not telling you that you have to change who you are, but I'm just telling you to be flexible. Lead in a way that helps others understand you clearly. Great leaders in education, great leaders in organizations are not chameleons, but they are connectors. You're able to connect with people's hearts because you are communicating with them the way they want to be communicated with. So, what I want us to understand is uh great leaders don't change who they are, they change how they connect. If you want to be effective, you cannot expect every person in your school, in your building, in your organization to meet you where you are. Leadership is about meeting people where they are. The words that inspire one person might confuse another. So slow down, learn your people, speak their language, uh, because leadership is not about control, it is about um connection. So now we need to um take a second to tie this all back to culture. Um when leadership is strong, people feel seen. Um, they feel understood, they feel valued. When it is weak, confusion and frustration is gonna end up filling the gaps uh where things are not communicated, and that is where culture begins to crack. The way you communicate determines how people experience your leadership. And what I always say is uh culture is not built in the handbook, but is built in the hallway conversations, it is built in the tone of your staff emails, it is built in how you deliver feedback, it is built in how you respond when people disagree with you. The way that you uh speak and connect with people, it either builds bridges or it burns them. And if you want to lead a healthy school, uh we can't just be the loudest person in the room, but we gotta speak wisely. So, as we get ready to wrap up, uh as you get ready to head into this week, I want you, I want to challenge you uh to do something simple. Um, take one person on your team, maybe it is a teacher, uh, maybe it is a uh paraprofessional, maybe it is someone in your office, a colleague, whoever it is, and ask them how do you best receive communication? And then I want you to practice speaking their language to them. For that processor, I want you to slow down. For that driver, I want you to speed up. For that enthusiast, I need you to dream big. And for the person that is the analyst, I need you to be uh detailed, and I want you then to watch how different people respond when they feel like you actually are talking to them. Now, this is the power of emotional intelligence in leadership. It is not about changing who you are, it's about connecting to who they are, and that is what separates average leaders from transformational ones. So that's what we got for the episode. Uh, you are welcome for those tapped in on uh TikTok. When when when we record, we uh stream live on TikTok at the same time. This episode, uh, for those on TikTok, we will be up tomorrow morning. I try to record them live in time so I can, if there's something going on, we're able to talk through it in the moment. But that is all for today's episode of Teachers That Podcast. What I would always appreciate if there was some value that you got here, please share it with someone else. Uh, don't be selfish. I'm not telling you that you need I'm not saying that you need to go and promote me. I am just saying whatever value you got, share it with someone else in education because we will be stronger as a community the more that we collaborate, no different than in your organization. Uh people in education need to collaborate and connect a lot more because the work that we do matters. And again, if you have not gotten uh the survey, feel free to reach out to me via email, ed at edwardashazer.org, or you can reach out directly through my website. It is a great way to uh track track your school's data and see where your staff and how they are currently feeling. Uh next week's episode, we'll be tuning back in or we'll be tapping back in. We're gonna move into pillar two. So we just finished pillar one today. So for those tapped in on TikTok, we will be back live. Um, I'm gonna try to start doing this at a consistent time so people know when to expect. But this is about the time that I enjoy where I feel great. I wake up, have my coffee, I'm awake. But next week we're gonna be moving into pillar two, which is uh collaboration and teamwork. How do we break down silos in our school? How do we strengthen trust, trust? How do we build teams that actually enjoy working together? That is the challenge that I'm seeing in so many schools. Uh so until next time, I want you to keep believing in your students, keep believing in your coworkers, and most importantly, I want you to keep believing yourself. If you're listening on Apple Podcasts, please take a second, uh, tap in, give me a star review if you're able to. You don't have to type anything out, but please give me a star review if you're listening on Spotify. Do the same. If you're on TikTok, do me a huge favor, head over to one of those podcasts, uh, tap in with some episodes there, and please uh leave me a review on there. Let's just plan that we will be tapped in uh next Saturday. Let's say next Saturday at 9 a.m. Live on TikTok, uh 9 a.m. Central. Look forward to hearing hearing and seeing everyone. Uh stay inspired and keep doing the work that you're doing because the work that you are doing matters. Have a phenomenal weekend and have a great week, and we'll talk to you all soon.