Leadership Lab Participants Workbook
FTCSC Leadership Development
Cohort Resource
Year 1: Leading Yourself
THE LEADERSHIP
LAB
A structured professional growth journey for district leaders centered on radical self-honesty, deliberate learning, and high-impact action.
Purposeful
Learning
"Show up as a learner"
Meaningful
Collaboration
"The best answer, not mine"
Make A
Difference
"This moment is the moment"
Participant Credentials
Participant Name
Department / School
Mentoring Partner
Cohort Session / Date
The Leadership Lab Blueprint
Year 1: Leading Yourself
Welcome to the Leadership Lab
Leadership matters, and investing in our leaders is our most vital commitment. Rather than leaving growth to chance, The Leadership Lab provides a clear, actionable pathway to build your capacity, sharpen your skills, and elevate your impact.
Our Three Mission Pillars
Pillar 1: Purposeful Learning
"Show up as a learner."
Establish an honest assessment baseline. Dive deeply into literature, leadership media, and research tailored specifically to your growth areas.
Pillar 2: Meaningful Collaboration
"The best answer, not my answer."
Engage in monthly Cohort Labs with peers and 1-on-1 sessions with an assigned mentor to unpack data, troubleshoot challenges, and share breakthroughs.
Pillar 3: Make A Difference
"This moment is the moment."
Identify operational or cultural Problems of Practice. Implement small-scale, high-leverage micro-adjustments and measure objective progress.
The Continuous Growth Loop
Step 1: Learn
Pre-Meeting Prep
Find 1 piece of leadership media (video, book, article) & note insights.
Step 2: Collaborate
The Cohort Lab
Share insights, dissect feedback, build collective intelligence.
Step 3: Try
Make A Difference
Run a micro-adjustment experiment in your field over 30 days.
FTCSC Leadership Principles Page 2
Leadership Principles Matrix
FTCSC Shared Language
Defining How We Lead
These 13 principles are born from observing what our most effective leaders do daily. They provide our unified standard.
Purposeful Learning "Show up as a learner."
Lead Yourself in Service of Others
Raise the excellence in yourself to raise it in others.
Narrative-Led, Data Proven
Think like a scientist. Vague assumptions lead to vague outcomes.
Infinitely Curious
Lead with wonder, and be a voracious learner.
Listen with Passion...
Don't wait for your turn to speak; lean in with curiosity.
Meaningful Collaboration "The best answer, not my answer."
Get Rid of The Box
Ideate & innovate. No box exists.
Invest in Foundation
Relationships are progress currency.
Check Your Lens
The way you see the problem is the problem.
Communicate Simply
Define issues accessibly to everyone.
Align in Real Time
Unspoken concerns are roadblocks.
Seek Autonomy
Provide guardrails that empower.
Make A Difference "This moment is the moment."
Implementation is Where Leadership is Proven
Support in room must match active support in field.
Intentions Don't Change World
Focus on actual, measurable results over intent.
Check Ego at the Door
No personal offense allowed when solving for kids.
FTCSC Leadership Principles Page 3
Leader Self-Assessment (Part 1)
Statements 1–20
SCALE: 1 Rarely (Never/Hardly) 2 Inconsistently (Hit-or-miss) 3 Consistently (Default habit) 4 Exemplary (Coach/Inspire)
Reflect strictly on actual behaviors over the past six months. Write scores (1–4) in the boxes.
Leadership Diagnostic Statement Score